156 
PALMS. 
Tliis simple fact might suggest to the young, that in order to be 
desirable to others, they must be agreeable ; the mere circumstance 
of a fine person, cannot long render tolerable, the society of one who 
possesses neither useful nor amiable qualities. 
The Family of Palms 
The palms have mostly a lihaceous corolla with 6 atamens ; but 
some are monoecious, and others, dioecious j while a part have their 
stamens and pistils within the same corolla and belong to the class 
Hexandria. 
Fig. 130 represents 
a young palm tree, 
(ChamcBrops humilis ;)* 
at a, is the fibrous root j 
b c, represents the oldest 
part of the stipe, show- 
ing, by the lines and 
dots, the place of in- 
sertion of the fi.rst 
leaves ; c b, represents 
the upper part of the 
stipe, still covered with 
the sheathing bases of 
the petioles J d,' repre- 
sents the crowning, 
terminal leaves — these 
are petioled, fan-shap- 
ed, and plaited when 
young ; the petioles are 
armed with prickles. 
Palms live to a great 
age ; they are the pro- 
duct of tropical regions, 
and afford the date, co- 
coa-nut, and other valu- 
able fruits. 
Fig. 130. 
Miscellaneous Examples of Plants in the 6th Class and 1st Order. 
In this class and order is the Spiderwort, ( Tradescantia.) It has 
0 stamens, 3 petals, 3 sepals, and the capsule is3-celled. The leaves 
are ensiform and very long. It remains in blossom nearly the whole 
summer, and is well worth cultivation, both for its cheerful appear- 
ance, and constant botanical characters. The Snow-drop is of the 
same natural, as well as artificial order, as the Spiderwort. 
You may be surprised to find, in company with so many elegant 
flowers, the onion and bulrush ; but you must recollect that the title 
to admission into this class and order is 6 stamens and 1 pistil ; and 
no plant, however humble, with these characteristics, is excluded 
♦ Although we have described this plant under the class Hexandria, in conformity 
with the classification of some writers, it is questionable whether it does not rather 
belong to Dioecia. In the Appendix, at Plate i. Fig. 1, is a representation of the Are- 
ca, which belongs to the Palm-tribe, and at Plate iii. Fig. 3, is a representation of the 
same palm-tree as seen at Fig. 130. 
Palms— Describe Fig. 130— Spiderwort— Humble plants placed with those which 
are beautiful. 
