108 NATURAL AND ECONOMICAL HISTORY 
The flower is axillary, and proceeds from a large single- 
leaved pointed spathe, which always opens on the under 
surface. The spadix is spicate ; each spike has towards its 
base one or two female flowers, the others being male. In 
both male and female flowers the calyx has three divisions, 
and the corolla three petals. The male flowers have six 
stamens, and the female three stigmas. Drupe oval, three- 
sided, about from eight to ten inches long, exterior cover- 
ing smooth, interior fibrous ; nut monospermous, very hard, 
has three unequal holes at the base closed with a black 
membrane ; medullary part nearly half an inch thick, 
white, hard, commonly filled with a sweetish watery liquid. 
Ripe nuts are known by a succussion of the water they con- 
tain, when shaken. 
A reticulated substance, resembling coarse cloth, involves 
the base of each leaf ; it falls oiF before the leaf has attained 
a state of maturity. In Bengal, this filamentous body is 
supposed to harbour insects, which are destructive to the 
tree : on that account, it is there destroj^ed by fire. 
The roots are slender, and very flexible : they rise sepa- 
rately from the bottom of the trunk, some sinking deep in 
the earth, while others take a horizontal direction very little 
under the surface. They do not penetrate an indurated 
soil. 
The young tree bears a near resemblance to a herba- 
ceous plant ; indeed, during the whole progress of its 
growth it has some analogy with vegetable productions of 
this kind. The stalk of some species of Brassica (or Cab- 
bage genus) consists chiefly of pith, until the plant attains a 
certain age, when the exterior crust of the trunk becomes 
ligneous, and the proportion of pith diminishes. In several 
respects the Coco-nut tree has a similar progress. It has 
no brak ; the surface appears to be formed of the cicatrices, 
which succeed the fall of the leaves, much hardened by the. 
