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VOL. XXVIII. No.‘45. \ 
WHOLE No. 15447. ) 
CYCAS CIRCINALIS. 
We give herewith a 
beautiful bit of natural 
scenery wliich helps to 
educate the eye and the 
taste. The palm-like lig- 
ure of the noble Oycax 
cireinalix, in the center, 
gives a good idea of the 
kind of effect which such 
plants produce when sot 
in conspicuous positions 
in our plant houses, and 
accompanied by suitable 
surroundings. The small, 
Aloe like plant on the 
left is Lomatoph yllum 
borbonicum , still a some¬ 
what rare plant in gar¬ 
dens. Though Gycadsto 
some extent resemble 
Palms, l’iuCa and Ferns, 
yet they possess features 
which prevent them from 
being mistaken for any of 
these types of vegetation. 
Their heudquurters may 
be considered to be Au¬ 
stralia and the Cape of 
Good Hope, especially 
along the frontiers of Kaf 
tirlnud. There are, how¬ 
ever, numerous outlying 
members of the order 
scattered through South 
America and the West 
Indian Islands, various 
parts of Asia, Madagas¬ 
car, the South Sea Islands 
and Mexico. (JycaUs in 
some instances have a 
grotesque und weird look 
about them ; they have 
iu general a simple, erect 
stout cylindrical stem, 
bearing a large crown of 
pinnate leaves, which are 
very coriaceous in tex¬ 
ture. They produce large 
cones, which enclose the 
seed, the male and female 
flowers being set upon 
separate plants, i. e., they 
are dioecious. From this 
general description there 
are, however, a few ex¬ 
ceptions, its, for instance, 
in Che ease of liOwenia 
xpectubilix, a plant from 
Rockingham Bay, North 
Australia, the foliage of 
which is bipinnate, l, e., 
twice divided, and it is 
the only species witli 
compound leaves known 
to belong to this farnily 
of plants. Some Cycads 
seem, when old, to be¬ 
come branched ; of tlus 
class several examples 
exist in the Botanic (far 
dens of Amsterdam, 
Prominent among them 
is a magnificent example 
of Kncc.phalartox Cafl'ra, 
which has a straight, 
stout stern eighteen feet in 
bight, at which point It 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ DEC. 20, 1873. 
fEr.teieU t.c- jor dlug to Act of n>n*r»*M, in the year 1873, by I). D. ThMoOttE, In the office of tlio I.lbruriun of Om<m—, : ,t WaahWoit) 
PRICE SIX CENTH. 
80.50 PER YEAR. 
divides into two equally sttong crowns, each seen an example of Cyca* revoluta, with a Western Hemisphere have stems that are 
bearing a head of well developed leaves ; in very stout stem, bearing five well developed quite slender. Cycads are as a rule slow in 
the same garden (which is wonderfully rich crowns. growth ; and they must be allowed to grow 
in grand plants of this order) may also be it may be added that species from the when they please, and when they choose to 
lie dormant for a season, 
which they frequently 
do, any attempt to force 
them into growth by 
means of bottom heat or 
other stimulants soldom 
has the desired effect, and 
the large and line ’speci* 
1< mens wh ich adorn many 
, of the conservatories of 
Europe must be of very 
groat age, for from ob¬ 
servations taken respect¬ 
ing the progress of trunk- 
making in Encephalartox 
Caffra, under oultivation, 
it would seem that neariy 
twenty years ure required 
to form one foot of stem 
or trunk, while a plant of 
Maorommia apfmffs, has 
as yet but one foot of 
stem, although the plant 
has been hi cultivation 
some thirty years at least. 
Ellis peculiarly slow 
growth has its advan¬ 
tages as well as its dis¬ 
advantages ; for while 
those who have large 
specimens need have little 
fear of their out growing 
even limited accommo¬ 
dation, those, on the 
other hand, who have 
only small plants will 
feel dissatisfied because 
they cannot be made to 
quickly assume more no¬ 
ble proportions. Owing 
to this naturally slow 
growth, and the plants in 
many places being sub¬ 
ject to destruction from 
bush fires, Cycads are 
not, found in their native 
habitats in such profu¬ 
sion as are Tree Ferns 
and other plants that 
grow up quickly, and 
that therefore soon repair 
such damage. They are, 
however, by no means 
delicate in constitution, 
for the South African 
and the majority of the 
Australian kinds will 
thrive well in the open 
air dining summoi’, and 
if sufficiently large, are 
grand objects for produc¬ 
ing a subtropical effect in 
flower gardens. 
To this genus, Cyeas, 
which gives its mime to 
the order, few- species be¬ 
long, such as circin- 
ttlti, revoluta,, M/uorroxa, 
media, xiatnvenxlx, iner- 
mis, ykuwu, Rimuniuna, 
and Rumphii. The first 
is common in India and 
the islands of the Indian 
Archipelago, and furn¬ 
ishes a coarse kind of 
Sago, which is obtained 
- both from the pith of the 
stem and also from the 
CYOAS CIRCINALIS. pounded nuts. 
O'2'CJA.S CIRCINALIS. 
