253 



cau/is, Arenga Engleri, Phoenix rupicola, Licuala peltata, Livistona 

 australis, Livistona cliinensis, Thrinax barbadensis, T. parviflorU 

 Calamus ciliaris. Calamus Lindeni, Marttnezia, caryots'folia and 

 Cocos plumosa. 



Excepting those already mentioned nearly all palms can be grown 

 in the open air and indeed only in the open air is their real beauty 

 most apparent, apart from their lofty crowns and slender stems as 

 with the Livistonas, the sturdy trunk of the Royal Palm {Oreodoxa 

 rcgia) or the graceful leaves of the Caryotas resembling gigantic 

 ferns, the fruiting period adds another charm. Xo better instance 

 of the difference and adornment of its fruit to a palm could be cited 

 than that of Seaforthia elegans, when not in fruit it resembles many 

 of its congeners, when in fruit it is surpassingly beautiful. 



In outside culture the question of shade is of the rtrst importance, 

 although so many palms grow outside so readily few. if any, grow 

 so well as when planted in shaded aspects or under partial shade, 

 and some become quite unsightly when fully exposed. Among the 

 principal genera requiring shade are Pinanga, Ptyckoraphis ) Hoz^ea, 

 Chatnaedorea y Geouo/na, Bentinckia, and Latania. Others are much 

 improved by slight shade which may be obtained by planting in 

 clumps, of these the principal genera are Dictyosperma, Ptychoe- 

 occus, Chrysalidocarpus, Heterospalha, Stevensonia, Verschaffeltia, 

 Dypsis, Hyophorbe, IVallickia, Caryora, Sabal, Licuala, Bactris, 

 Desmoncus, Astrocaryum, and Cocos excepting the Coco-nut. 



To obtain their best appearance, palms require well manuring and 

 few plants respond more readily to liberal treatment in this respect 

 than do palms. As palms are surface feeders manure may be ap- 

 plied bv mulching, old farm and stable manure is excellent, and 

 well decayed leaf soil or burnt eai\h is also beneficial. In stiff and 

 poor sandy soils, it is an advantage to open a trench round the palm 

 and fill in with manure. Where farm manure is abundant chemical 

 manures are not neces^ary and are only seldom used. Liquid 

 manures are always efficacious. 



Fruiting. — Some palms fruit very soon, as soon as they have 

 reached a fair growth, others take many years. The unisexual 

 palms Phamix, Phytelephtis> Calamus and some Dscmonarops can- 

 not of course produce fruit unless there are both sexes within easv 

 reach, of each other, and are thus more difficult to propagate. 



Rhopaloblaste often flowers for several years before producing 

 its beautiful fruit. The plant is not unisexual but as the male and 

 female flowers on the inflorescence do not open at the same time, 

 the females do not get fertilised, unless there is also an inflores- 

 cence with male flowers fully expanded at the same time in the 

 neighbourhood. A few palms which are constantly in flower here, 

 have never produced fertile fruits for what reason is not clear 

 such are Oncosperma fasciculata, and Loxococcus rnpicda, both from 

 Ceylon. 



Fertilization of the flowers of palms is effected almost exclu- 



