260 TlMEHRI. 
[D. mitis, Mart : 
Occurs according to SCHOMBURGK, on the upper 
Essequibo in the Canakoo mountains, and also in coppices 
and at river-side in the savannah region, flowering in 
both places in January and February.] 
D. palustris, Trail. 
Local Names. 
True Carib Kamwarri. 
Arawak Wha-hey-eu. 
Fruit oval, bright red (like the ' cherry' of the coffee), 
larger and more transparent looking than in the follow- 
ing species. 
Frequent in deserted lands near the v coast, this plant 
occurs in the forests along the river banks, not very 
abundantly but widely scattered. It is perhaps most 
abundant in the Morooka, and the neighbouring rivers, 
where it takes almost complete possession of the more 
swampy clearings. 
Pieces of the stem of this, as of the following species 
are used by our Indians as ' ribs' or strengthening 
pieces in their pegalls (baskets) and also for the frame- 
work of their cassava strainers.* The Creoles also 
make very strong baskets of the stems of this palm. 
D. polyacanthus, Mart: 
Local Name. 
Arawak Kamwarriballi. 
A more slender plant than the last species. First 
hardly so large and slightly more oval ; red also, 
* Wallace says that this plant is preferred by the Indians of the 
Amazon as material for their ' matapies' or cassava squeezers, as being 
most durable. But that use seems to be unknown to our Indians, who 
use for that purpose ' moocro' stems (IchnosiphonJ 
