( I TO ) 
terms fpathe and fpadix were originally sp~ 
plied to palms only, but are now ufed.with 
much greater latitude, and applied to the nar- 
eiflus,arum, and many other plants, the flowers 
of which are protruded from a fheath. In the 
palms the fpadix is branched, in all other 
plants it is Ample, admitting of fome variety 
in the difpofition of the flowers. The cocoa- 
nut-tree (cocos nucifera) is a palm, fo is the 
date- tree (phcenixdaclylifera) ; and it is afferted 
by fome authors, that if the ftamen-bearing 
flowers of this plant are gathered in a proper 
flate of maturity, and dried, the duft of the 
anthers will retain it's virtues for more than a 
year ; the fame alfo is faid of the piftacia^ 
which belongs to the clafs two-houfes (Dice- 
cia) ; the cory'pha umbraculifera belongs to 
this majeftic order of vegetables, being often 
200 feet in height : it is a native of the Weft 
Indies, and has obtained the name of umbrella- 
bearing, from the Ihelter which it's large 
feathered leaves afford to the inhabitants of 
that fcorching climate from the ardent rays of 
the fun. This tree has alfo been called the 
cabbage-tree, but erroneoufly: Mr. Forfter in- 
forms us, that the true cabbage palm is a 
fpecies of areca, the areca oleracea, fo called, 
probably* 
