UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY 
WASHINGTON 
DIVISION OF 
PLANT EXPLORATION AND INTRODUCTION 
July 6, 1938. 
Dr. Waldo L. Schmitt, 
U» S» National Museum, 
Dear Dr. Schmitt : 
Referring t.o your question regarding the palm on Cocos Island, 
the reference in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 
4th Series, Vol. 1, p. 388, January 19, 1913, is as follows: 
Palmae sp. : an undetermined species of palm 
occurring quite abundantly on the hillsides above 
both Chatham ana Wafer bays* It seems to be most 
abundant above 400 ft. (Nos. 273-74). 
Hie foliage of the palm, of which I saw a botanical specimen 
at the California Academy several years ago, no doubt will have a 
general similarity to that of the coconut palm, but the leaf-crown 
probably is smaller and the leaves more open and more slender than 
those of the coconut palm. The fact of growing on the hillsides 
away from the shore probably will distinguish it at once, since the 
coconut palm is intolerant of shade and would not grow in the forest 
among other trees. 
This similarity in foliage doeanot mean that the palm is re- 
lated to the coconut. It is much nearer to the royal palm and 
probably has a green column of cylindrical leaf -bases, 4 or 5 feet 
long standing above the trunk, like the other royal palms. It may 
prove rather closely related to a palm that we found in Guatemala 
several years ago, or may be a distinct genus* Photographs of the 
Guatemalan palm will give the best idea of wha.t to look for. 
Since flowering and fruiting usually do not begin in this 
group of palms till the trunks are 20 to 30 feet tall, one or two 
of the palms will have to be cut in order to get botanical material. 
In the way of specimens a freshly opened inflorescence with the 
male flowers still in place would be desirable, also an inflorescence 
with ripe fruits, unless a good quantity of recently fallen fruits 
can be found on the ground. 
