274 TlMEHRI. 
and the spathes remain long persistent. Where the tree 
stands in exposed places, the older and lower leaf-stalks 
do fall off, but it is only to leave exposed the grandest 
column-like stem that ever palm had ; and this column 
is surmounted by a vast capital of massive and magnifi- 
cently curved spathes, some old and dead but strong, 
some as yet unexpanded or but just expanding to show 
the yellow flower spike, but all joined and harmonized 
by an adventitious growth of ferns and creeping plants. 
Or if the tree stands in sheltered places, where the blasts 
of the wind cannot detach the bases of the old leaf-stalks, 
then the stem is clothed with these throughout its length, 
and the whole stem affords root-hold for ferns and other 
epiphytal plants. And in this latter case, the regular, 
spiral arrangement of the leaves on the stem is very evi- 
dent and striking. 
The leaflets, too, are set on to the midrib of the leaf in 
small groups, at such, various, angles that the whole leaf 
has the outline and beauty of a curled, rather than of a 
natural, ostrich plume. 
Probably after the ALta (Mauritia) the kokerite is the 
most used of all the palms of Guiana. 
In times of scarcity, the Indians live almost entirely 
on the pulp, little enough, of the fruit of these palms ; 
and after even that has been consumed, they regather 
the seeds which they had cast aside, break these open, 
and devour the kernels ; or the seeds are laid aside in 
a heap, when they breed plentifully a maggot of which 
the Indians are fond, similar to in character, but smaller 
than the better known gru-gru worm. Even in times of 
plenty the fruit is sought and eaten as a luxury, Indeed, 
this fruit, or rather its pulp, really has a not unpleasant. 
