Prof. Schou w on the Geographical 'Distribution of Palms. 35 
leaves. The flowers, though of a much more perfect form than in 
the grasses, are, however, rather of a simple structure, small in 
proportion to the size of the plant, and have many combined to- 
gether in one spatha. The covering of the flower is divided in- 
to six parts, of which three are generally placed within the others* 
In the greatest number of palms the stamina are six ; but others 
are met with having an indefinitely larger number. The pis- 
til, usually separated from the stamina, is simple, and either un- 
divided or trifid. The fruit is sometimes a berry, at others 
a stone fruit In the latter case, however, a fibrous mass at 
times takes the place of the fleshy part, as in the coco. The 
fruit has, farther, either one compartment or three, with a 
seed in each. Hence the number three, which predominates 
in the monocotyledones, may also be distinctly traced in this 
family. 
In the time of Linnaeus, only few palms were known. Later 
travels, especially those of Ruiz, Pavon, Humboldt, and Bon- 
pland, have very much increased the number. Kunth furnishes, 
in his Nova Genera, vol. i. p. 312., a catalogue of all the known 
species of the palm, to which I have been able to add only a 
few. According to it, the number of palms at present described 
may be given at 110 ; but there are many besides, which, from 
want of the flowers and fruit, have not been placed among the 
species already known. Of these Kunth adduces 39 for Ame- 
rica alone. The number of species more or less known conse- 
quently amounts to above 150. This is indeed very small, com- 
pared with the total of phanerogamic plants, being only JL ; but 
the family, on account of the largeness of the individuals, per- 
forms an important part in the countries of which they are na- 
tives. 
The palms are of great consequence to man. Many produce 
important articles of subsistence, either by their fruits, as the 
coco and date palni, or by the mealy substance of the stem, as 
the sago. Some supply oil, ( Elais guineensis , Alfonsia oleife - 
ra) ; others win§, ( Rcipliia vinifera , Beauv.) The gregarious 
compose considerable woods. In respect of their occurrence, I can- 
not venture to make any general assertion, since the species seem 
to suceed in circumstances very much varying from each other. 
c 2 
