Appendix 6 



Keim's Description of the Botanical Collection, 1875* 



Botanical Collection.— The first collection of plants in this 

 National Conservatory was brought to the United States by the 

 Exploring Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere, 1838-42, 

 commanded by Captain (Rear Admiral) Charles Wilkes. The col- 

 lection was first deposited in the Patent Office, but in 1850 was 

 removed to the Botanical Garden. Some of the plants are still living, 

 and a large share of the present collection are the descendants of 

 those brought back by the Wilkes Expedition. A few have furnished 

 representatives for many of the principal conservatories of the 

 United States and Europe. 



The disposition of the collection is according to a geographi- 

 cal distribution. The strictly tropical plants occupy the centre Con- 

 servatory, and those of a semi-tropical nature, requiring protection 

 and lying towards the N. pole, are placed in the W. range and wing; 

 and all indigenous to countries lying towards the S. pole are in 

 the E. range and wing. 



The Centre Building or Rotunda, temperature 80°, contains a fine 

 variety of the majestic palms, called by Martius the princes of 

 vegetation, and of which there are 300 kinds, the most prominent 

 being here represented. The most interesting in the collection is 

 the palm tree of Scripture, familiarly known as the date palm. 

 Jericho, the City of Palms, was so called from the numbers of this 

 tree growing in its vicinity. It was recommended to be used by 

 the Jews in the Feast of Tabernacles. In Arabia, Egypt, and Persia 

 it supplies almost every want of the inhabitants. The fruit is used 

 for food, the leaves for shelter, the wood for fuel, and the sap for 

 spirituous liquor. It matures in 10 years and then fruits for 

 centuries, bearing from 1 to 300 cwt. at a time. Among the Arabs 

 the pollen dust is preserved from year to year, and at the season 

 of impregation of the pistils or female flowers a feast called "Mar- 

 riage of the Palms" is held. It is a singular historical fact, that the 

 date palm of Egypt bore no fruit in the year 1800, owing to the 

 presence of the French army in the country, which prevented the 

 annual marriage feast. 



Among the other plants in this portion of the Conservatory 

 are the fan, royal, ratan, sago of Japan and China, Panama hat, 



*DeB. Randolph Keim, Keim's Illustrated Hand-Book of Washington and Its Environs: A 

 Descriptive and Historical Hand-book to the Capital of the United States of America, 

 Washington: DeB. Randolph Keim, 1875, pp. 41-42. 



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