PALMS FOR HOUSE-CULTURE. 



46; 



the fact that they are found growing wild in only one 

 locality, that is, on Lord Howe's Island, in the South 

 Pacfic ocean ; but as they have been in cultivation for 

 many years, there are now fruiting specimens in other 

 countries, and seeds are now obtainable in quite large 

 quantities in addition to those from the original habitat 

 of these plants K'entia Belmoreana, sometimes called 

 the curly palm, is the more graceful of the two, and 

 throws up long, arching pinnate fronds that in large 

 specimens become seven or eight feet in length, and are 

 furnished with closely set, long, narrow leaflets of dark 

 green color. The leaf-stems of the curly palm are fre- 

 quently shaded with brown, or sometimes with olive- 

 green, but as this does not seem to be a fixed character- 

 istic of the plant it is not well to depend on it for identi- 

 fication. Kenlia Forsleriana, also known as the 

 thatch-palm, on account of the leaves being used for 

 roofing purposes in its native country, is somewhat sim. 

 ilar to the preceding in general appearance, but is a 

 stronger grower, has longer leaf-stems and usually 

 broader leaflets. Possibly the kentias may not stand as 

 low a temperature as the latania will endure without 

 injury, but unless the temperature of the room where they 

 are grown is allowed to get below 50°, there is little 

 danger of their suffering from this cause. Their leaves 

 are of such stout texture that they withstand the dry air 

 and dust of a dwelling remarkably well, and it seems to 

 make but little difference whether they get any sunshine 

 or not. While small, however, the kentias grow rather 

 slowly, and naturally this tends to keep the price of 

 good specimens somewhat higher than that of some rapid- 

 growing species. 



Areca lutesccns, or Chrysalidocarpus lutesccns, has 

 been termed by some enthusiastic growers, "the palm 

 for the million." It is unquestionably one of the most 

 useful in cultivation at the present time, and is used by 

 thousands each season for decorative purposes, in the 

 large floral centers of our country. Being of rapid 

 growth, of graceful outline, and not very easily bruised, 

 it has naturally become a very popular palm for florists' 

 use as well as for window-culture, and makes an attrac- 

 tive plant in any size from one foot to fifteen feet in 

 height. It has dark green pinnate leaves on long foot- 

 stalks, the latter being yellow and more or less spotted 

 with black. The stems are slender and the whole plant 

 is of elegant appearance. The areca differs very decid- 

 edly from those species previously mentioned, from the 

 fact that as it attains age it throws out additional stems 

 from the bottom of the original one, thus becoming in 

 some instances quite bushy, as one or more side-stems 

 frequently appear by the time the plant is about six- 

 inch-pot size, say from 2>^ to 3 feet high. This palm 

 may also be used outdoors in summer, provided it be 

 given a shaded position; but I do not advise planting it 

 out in the ground, as the roots will be preserved in 

 better condition if the plant is kept in a pot and the 

 latter simply plunged in the ground. 



Though an old palm, A'hapis Jlabclliformis is not 

 nearly so well known as those already alluded to, yet it 



deserves a prominent place among house-palms. It is 

 an attractive plant with very tough foliage, and is suffi- 

 ciently hardy to withstand a temperature slightly below 

 freezing. As its name indicates, the leaves of this species 

 are fan-shaped and are divided into a number of seg- 

 ments, the tips of the latter being blunt, as though they 

 had been cut off. In habit the rhapis is slender but 

 bushy, as it throws up a number of stems that are but 

 little thicker than a rattan, and clothed nearly to the 

 base with slender-stemmed leaves, the latter being 

 sheathed with a net-work of coarse brown fiber at the 

 point where the leaves are attached to the stem This 

 admirable palm is a native of China and Japan, and un- 

 fortunately does not appear to produce much seed. None 

 is offered for sale in this country, and consequently prop- 

 agation depends on division of roots, thus making it a 

 much slower operation than is the case with those species 

 of which seeds can be procured. 



The dwarf cocoanut, Cocos Wcddc/iana , must certain- 

 ly be included among the palms for house-culture, this 

 being the most beautiful and also the most satisfactory 

 dwarf-growing palm for such use. Cocos JVcddeliaiia 

 produces but a single stem, this being quite slender 

 and covered with a net-work of dark fiber. The leaves 

 are long, and finely divided into narrow pinnules, the 

 whole forming a feathery-looking frond of extreme ele- 

 gance, in color a dark green on the upper side and silvery 

 beneath. Though so delicate in appearance, Cocos IVed- 

 dcliana will endure much rough treatment. Another 

 point in its favor is that it does not soon outgrow its 

 quarters, as it requires a number of years to reach a 

 height of five feet, this being about the average size for 

 a mature specimen. 



The date-palms, also, should not be forgotten, most of 

 the members of this genus being strong-growing sub- 

 jects of comparative hardiness. Two species are worthy 

 of special mention in this connection, namely, Phcoiix 

 riipicola and P. reclinata. Of these the first is by far 

 the more elegant, though possibly somewhat more tender 

 than P. reclinata. Both are sturdy palms of somewhat 

 spreading habit, with long pinnate fronds, the latter hav- 

 ing narrow segments that are usually grouped in pairs 

 along the midrib, while the pinna; of P. >'upicola are 

 extended in regular rotation along the midrib and hang 

 down in a more graceful manner than those of the other 

 species. 



Seafo7'tliia clcgans or Plycliosperma Cii?iuinjnrhamit 

 and Ptychosperma Alexandres: are also handsome 

 palms with long pinnate leaves, and may be used with 

 good effect for house-decoration. They bear consider- 

 able resemblance to each other, though one distinguish- 

 ing mark is found in the fact that the leaves of the 

 seaforthia are green on both sides, while those of 

 ptychosperma are covered with a whitish pubescence 

 beneath. Both are rapid-growing plants, and require 

 an abundance of water to keep them in good condition. 



Cliamcerops cxcelsa or Trachycarpus excelsiis and 

 Corypha Australis will conclude our list for the pres- 

 ent, and in them we find two more representatives of the 



