Palms of British Guiana. 245 
M. flexiwsa, Lin : 
Local Names. 
True Carib ... ... ... Moreechi. 
Arawak ... ... ... /Eta. 
Warrau ... ... ... ... Oheed 
Macoosi ... ... ... ... Gwy. 
Measurements. — Height of aerial roots = I ft. 10 inch. ; from roots to 
base of leaves = 54 ft. Girth above aerial roots = 3 ft. 5 inch. ; ten 
feet higher = 3 ft. n inch. ; at base of leaves = 3 ft. 6 inch. Length 
of leaf-stalk = 9 ft. 6 inch. ; of pinnae = 6 ft. 6 inch. ; of fruit 
spike = 6 ft. 8 inch. Width of base of leaf -stalk = 1 ft. 10 inch ; 
width between rings at ten feet from ground =1 ft. : at top = 4 inch. 
This, as it is the most useful, is also, probably, the 
most evenly and abundantly distributed of all the palms 
of Guiana, growing in every district. It grows in moist, 
rarely very wet, ground, chiefly in the so-called wet 
savannahs and swamps in the forest, and at the heads of 
creeks and places where the ground is thoroughly 
flooded only in the wet season. A good illustration of 
the inability of this palm to endure too much water at 
its roots is to be seen on the Tapacooma Lake, a natural 
' wet savannah' which has been turned by artificial 
means, by the damming up of the water-courses which 
once partly drained it, into a permanent lake. This 
abrupt change in the character of the ground has 
affe6ted the aeta palms in a striking way. The plants 
grow gradually more unhealthy ; the upper part of the 
stem, and the leaves and fruit, develop but very badly 
and in great disproportion to the stout and stately 
columnar stem which was formed at the time when 
water did not so constantly cover the ground ; and at 
last the weak and puny top of the plant is broken off 
and blown away by some exceptional gust of wind, and 
HH 2 
