as rice cultivation. Some of them withstand a winter in which the average monthly temperature gets as low as 6'" C., 
if the summer temperature equals that of the Tropics. Some, which so extend, when grown in Singapore, do not fruit ; 
and Rhapis flabelliformiSj whose home is Japan, does not even flower. They are more common in the wet than in the 
dry Tropics ; but some are desert plants. These last are hard to grow in Singapore. The Date is one of them ; but 
it will attain a fair size, without fruiting. 
Economically the Palmae are very important. The Coconut goes far towards supplying the worlds' demand for 
a vegetable oil ; and the Date feeds a nation. Sago is a product of first importance. The amount of sugar that palms 
yield is considerable. Then there are the rattans, exported for basket work, the seating of cane chairs, etc., or used 
for the rigging of small boats, etc. There is a fibre got from the coconut, the Arengas and other palms, and formerly all 
the native craft that came into Singapore from the Malaysian Islands were rigged with Arenga rope. The roofing 
material of the Peninsula is the atap ” made from the leaf, either of Nipa fruticans or Metroxyion Sagus or some other 
palm. The leaves shredded or cut into strips give materials for basket work or mats, raphia fibre being such. The 
very young leaves of certain palms are prepared to serve as wrappers for cigarettes. 
The whereabouts of certain of these interesting palms will next be given in alphabetical order : — 
Actinorhytis calappariat the Pinang sendawa, graces the Bandstand, 
Areca Catechu^ the Betel Palm, is best seen near the Tyereal Gate, but is also elsewhere. 
Areca qlandiformiSj. a substitute for the above, is at the Six-ways. 
Arenga saccharifera^ the Sugar Palm, constitutes the Tyersal Gate Avenue. 
Aatrocaryum tucumoides, one of the Murumuru palms of the Amazon, is at the lower end of the New Circle path. 
Attalea cohune is in four places in the Gardens, (i) on the Main Gate Road, {3) north west of the Office, (3) immediately west of 
the Six-ways, (4) at the bottom of the Palm Valley. In this last place it has flowered. 
Borassus fiabellifer, the Lontar, from which palm-books are made, occurs close to the Dalvey Gate Road. 
Borassus Machadonis is near to it, and also by the Plant House. 
Calamus Scipionum, the Malacca Cane, is well seen on Lawn F and at the top of the Palm Valley. 
Calyptrocalyx spicatus, a substitute for Betel, is north-west of the Six-ways. 
Caryoia urens, a source of Sago, is close to the Office Gate Road, C. mitis, with the same use, is best seen close to the Dalvey 
Road Gate. C. Rumphii is good in the Shade Rockeries (section for Scitamineje). 
Cocos nucifera, the Coconut, is near the Office. 
Ccelococcus carolinensis^ from the Caroline Islands, stands between the Bandstand and the Plant-houses. 
Copernicia cen/era, the Carnauba wax-palm, is near the Dalvey Gate Road. 
