FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
179 
climate. It may also prove hardy in 
dense hammock woods. 
In extreme South Florida the beau¬ 
tiful Muru-Muru Palm, Astro car yum 
murumuru, Mart., very likely will 
prove hardy in rich, half-shady spots. 
Like the Mexican species, it is a mar¬ 
vel of elegance, being of medium size— 
its ultimate height being about 12 to 
15 feet—and therefore easily protect¬ 
ed. The trunk is densely covered with 
stout black spines about six inches 
long. The fruit ripens in large bunches 
and the seed is enclosed in fleshy mass 
which is edible. In the different spe¬ 
cies this fruit varies from the size of 
a hickory nut to a hen’s egg. I had a 
few small plants, but they were killed 
outright in the big freeze of February, 
1895. 
.Acanthorhiza. Another genus of 
American palms with fan-shaped 
leaves. Only A. aculeata, Wendl. can 
be considered here. It is a native of 
Mexico and is quite hardy under ordi¬ 
nary circumstances and with slight 
protection during the winter months. 
It is easier lost during our drv sea- 
son than during the cold spells. The 
most conspicuous point in the charac¬ 
ter of this palm is the spine-like air- 
roots which are developed around the 
base of the trunk and which grow in 
an upward direction along the stem. 
Old trunks are entirely surrounded by 
a network of these spines which are 
of a blackish color. It will only grow 
in a moist soil, rich in leaf-mold, and 
in a rather shady position. This spe¬ 
cies is so interesting and unique in a 
collection that it should be introduced 
wherever choice palms are grown. 
Howcas. This genus is represented 
in our gardens by two species, usually 
known as Kentias, all from Lord 
Howe’s Island, namely Hozvea Balmo- 
reana, Becc. and H. Forsteriana , Becc. 
These two species beyond doubt are 
the most popular and satisfactory 
palms in the trade, being used largely 
for house-decoration in the north. Mr. 
J. D. Eisele, of the firm of H. A. Dreer, 
told me that they sow annually 75 
bushels of seeds of these two species. 
They seem to do very well in South 
California near the coast in shady po¬ 
sitions, but I have not been able to 
establish them in my garden. They 
g'rew for a while in my plant-shed, 
came unharmed through the winter, 
but were affected later with a fungus 
disease, and were pining away slowly. 
They are smooth-stemmed, pinnate 
palms of exceptional beauty'). The 
same applies to Hedyscepe Canter - 
bury ana, Wendl. and C lino stigma, 
Mooreanum, F. von Muller, coming 
from the same island. Mr. Theo. L. 
Mead tried to establish them in the 
shade of his hammock woods, 1 but 
without success. 
Ptychosperma. The palms of this 
genus were formerly known as Sea- 
forthias. They remind somewhat of 
the Kentias or Howeas but are taller 
and more massive, and they do exceed¬ 
ingly well in South Florida, at least the 
two species which are here only con¬ 
sidered. Years ago they were culti¬ 
vated to a greater extent than any 
other palms, but they have been su¬ 
perseded by the Howeas. They have 
beautiful, smooth trunks and magnif¬ 
icent crowns of long, feathery leaves. 
