PLANTS OF DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA 
19 
in deep shade, where they grow nicely 
and bloom every year. I have C. aren- 
bergiana, C. corallina, C. multicaulis and 
one or two others. 
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens is a hand¬ 
some, popular palm, better known as 
Areca lutescens. Its rather slender 
stems and the petioles have a yellowish 
tint; it suckers freely and when well 
grown is elegant. For some reason I 
have had poor success with this palm 
until lately, but it is now growing well 
in pine and hammock land. It is quite 
tender. 
Cocos. A. genus of many American 
species, one of which, the cocoanut, I 
have already mentioned. The other 
species here are subject to a peculiar 
leaf blight which forms brownish streaks 
and sometimes kills quite large plants. 
Aside from this most of them do well 
here and nearly all are somewhat hardy. 
I have an unnamed species in my 
grounds, said to come from Cuba, which 
is exceedingly fine, being a miniature of 
the big cocoanut. I have never succeeded 
with C. insignis and weddelliana here, 
either in pots or in the open, and it 
may be that the lime in our soil is in¬ 
jurious to them. 
Desmoncus major is a thorny, slender 
palm from the lower West Indies where 
it climbs and holds on by means of hooks 
at the end of the pinnse. It is called 
“Croc-chien” in its native country, a 
name meaning “the teeth of a dog,” in 
allusion to the dreadful way in which it 
seizes and holds on to any one running 
into it. I have a fine young plant in the 
hammock which is doing well and is just 
beginning to develop hooks. 
Dictyosperma rubra and D. alba are 
fine medium-sized palms, with rather 
slender stems. I have a fine specimen 
of the former 12 feet high, and it has 
repeatedly fruited at Palm Beach. In 
the open its leaves are quite red when 
young, but they change to green with 
age. Both species do well in the shade 
or sunshine. 
Dypsis madagascariensis. A slender, 
reed-like palm with the pinnae arranged 
in fascicles. It is doing well with me in 
shade and sunshine. 
Ekeis guineensis. The Oil Palm of 
tropical Africa. It has bloomed and 
borne fruit for me and does moderately 
well, though I think our winter climate 
is a little too cool for it. 
Euterpe. I have had several species 
of this genus, but for some reason all 
have died. It has often happened that 
where I have utterly failed with cer¬ 
tain plants, others have succeeded, and 
that I have succeeded after repeated fail¬ 
ures. These may do well here. 
Howea. H. belmoreana and H. for- 
steriana, better known as Kentias, are 
offered by many dealers. Neither seems 
to do really well here though the latter 
does the better of the two. The lime in 
the soil may not be congenial for them. 
Hydriastele wendlandiana. A tall 
growing palm with long leaves, the seg¬ 
ments being truncate and ragged at the 
apex. It is a vigorous grower and prom¬ 
ises well here. 
Hyophorbe verschaffeltii and amari- 
caulis are two very striking and hand¬ 
some palms from Mauritius. They are 
lofty growers, with large, bulging trunks, 
rather stiff, richly colored and orange 
tinted leaves. Both are growing finely 
for me in shade and sunshine. 
Jubasa spectabilis. The southernmost 
palm of South America. I have had 
poor success with this palm which I 
have started from seed several times. 
I now have a specimen sent from Cali¬ 
fornia four years ago which looks 
healthy, but has only made one leaf in 
all that time. At that rate I shall be a 
very old man before it becomes a tree. 
Kentia. The genus Kentia has been 
completely dismembered and the no¬ 
menclature seems to be badly confused. 
For want of any better knowledge I 
shall refer to it a fine species which goes 
under the name of Kentia macarthuri. 
It grows in large clumps with rather slen¬ 
der stems and obliquely truncate leaflets. 
It is a rapid grower and soon forms a 
large clump, but it is a little tender and 
I am inclined to think it would flourish 
best in a somewhat sheltered and shaded 
place. 
Martinezia caryotsefolia, the only 
species I have tried to grow, is a slender 
