AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES, 
No, ?.] JULY, 1904. [Yol. III. 
THE PALM COLLECTION OF THE BOTANIC 
GARDENS, SINGAPORE . 
Palms whether considered for their economic value or decorative 
appearance are among the most interesting and beautiful plants for 
the Tropics and are everywhere popular so that a few brief notes 
on the Singapore collection may be of general interest. A list of 
this collection is attached which includes 90 genera and 236 species 
and shows what kinds can be procured at the Botanic Gardens 
Singapore. 
Distribution. — Of the distribution of palms throughout the world 
the largest number are found in the New World, from the southern 
United States to Chili, the head quarters of this region beincr the 
West Indies, Guiana and Brazil. This region contains a <*ood num- 
ber of the Arecineac, many of the Coryphee, arid nearly all the 
Cocoineiv. 
The Malayan region comes next, and the Polynesian Islands con- 
tain a good many. Africa is very poor in palms containing only 
the dates, Phoenix , Raphias and Hy phonies, the well known oil- 
palm Blais Guineensis , and a few little known genera, but there are 
more in the Mascarene Islands, and the small groups of Borassine.v 
is almost coji fined to Africa and its Islands." India, Ceylon, and 
Australia are poor in palms. 
Malay Palms. — Of the Malay region the Peninsula is particularly 
rich in palms of great variety both in size and form, from the small 
Licuala triphylla , sometimes hardly more than a foot high, to the 
tali Or a mas, Oncospennas , Livistonas and Cary ot as, often 60 feet 
high and the long climbing rattans ( Calamus , Plectocomla , and Kor- 
thalsia) rotten 150 feet and more in length; the unique red stemmed 
pairn, Cyrtostachys Lak/ca, the noble Daun Payong, Toys man via 
altifrons , the superb-leaved Teruno, Zguanura spectabilis , and the 
handsome, although shy, kerintin, Ptychoraphis Singapore}! sis. 
The Collection .—-As will be seen from the list, the Singapore 
garden collection of palms is an extensive one and specimens from 
most countries are represented. The most conspicuous are the 
