12 
BOTANICAL INDEX. 
Latania Borbonica, 
PALMS. 
INN^EUS very justly calls the Palm the “ Prince of the Vegetable Kingdom,” 
for nothing can equal the grandeur of the Palm groves in their native 
country; add to this the fact that no other single family of plants furnish 
all the necessaries of life to half as many of the human family as the Palm. 
But to enumerate the necessaries, comforts and luxuries derived from the 
Palm, would nearly complete the list of wants. From nearly all the species 
a delicious fruit is obtained that forms a very important article of food to 
the natives; indeed, the Date may he said to form the principal subsistence 
to most of the inhabitants of Arabia and Northern Africa. But it is not the fruit 
alone that is so beneficial, for nearly every part of the tree is applied to some useful 
purpose. The fiber surrounding the bases of their stalks is used for making ropes, 
cloth, and sails for their boats; the wood for building; the leaves for covering their 
homes; the heart of young growth is eaten as a vegetable ;■ the sap affords an intoxi- 
cating wine, though to obtain it the tree is killed ; and even the hard and apparently 
useless stones are ground into food for their camels. 
The Cocoa-nut Palm, Cocos uncifera, furnishes food, clothing, material for their 
homes, utensils of various kinds, rope, sail, cloth, and oil for food, to the inhabitants 
of the East India Islands. Nearly all the African Palms yield the liquid known as 
palm oil, which is not only used by the natives as food, but is one of the principal 
articles of export to Europe from the east coast of Africa, where it isextensively used 
in the manufacture of soap. The oil is obtained principally from Elosis guineensis, and 
is procured by bruising the fruit, which is about the size of the olive and of a golden 
yellow. The famous Betel Nut is the product of Areca Catechu, and is prepared by 
cutting the seed of the Areca in slices, powdering with chalk, and enclosing in the 
leaf of the Betel pepper. The natives chew it for its stimulating or intoxicating pro- 
perties. The finest Sago is obtained troin Sagus Icevis and A'. Bumphii, found in the 
eastern islands of the Indian Ocean, but many other Palms produce Sago. The Date 
Sugar of Bengal is the product of Phoenix sylvestris. The best Wax Palms are natives 
of Brazil, where they grow to the height of 200 feet. The Ceroxylon is covered with 
a coating of resin-like wax. Calamus Botang is a prominent article of commerce, 
under the name of Rattan. C. Scipionum is also largely used under the name of 
Malacca Canes. The Calamus grow to the length of 500 feet, of one uniform thick- 
ness, sometimes by climbing to the tops of trees and falling down, climb up again; 
while others creep among the branches for several hundred feet. The hard, bony 
fruit of several species is used for making umbrella handles, toys, etc., under the 
name of Vegetable Ivory, Coquilla Nut, etc. The spathe of Manicaria saccifera comes 
off in the form of a conical cap, and is used as a covering for the head in the West 
Indies. The Doom Palm, of Egypt, has a trunk throwing out branches whose fruit 
is used as food, and has the taste of gingerbread. 
But space will not allow of an enumeration of all the benefits of the Palm to the 
natives of the tropics. We find they furnish food in their fruit; sago, starch, sugar, + 
wax, oil, milk, wine and brandy, from their trunks; cloth, rope and paper or parch- 
ment, from their fiber ; building material, weapons, utensils and ink, from their wood; 
and the leaves furnish a covering for homes, clothing, baskets, fans for commerce, 
and a substitute for paper. 
