^ CALIFORNIA NURSERY CO, i\r. NILES. CALIFORNIA 
s. palmetto. CABBAGE PALMETTO. Southern 
U. S. 50 ft. The noted Florida Palmetto. Leaves 
very large, somewhat heart-shaped, segments deeply 
cut. Grows very tall in Southeastern States. Dwarf 
here. 
S. umbraculiferum. The tallest known Sabal, 
probably a variety of S. blackburnianum. Leaves 
are very large, drooping, on long stems. Perfectly 
hardy. 
1 RACHYCARPUS (Chamaerops) 
Asiatic fan Palms, known by the dense, black, 
hairy covering of the slender trunks. Often listed 
as Chamaerops, from which they are distinguished 
Dy the lack of spines on the leafstalks. They are 
all extremely hardy, enduring more cold than any 
other genus of Palm. 
T. excelsus (Chamaerops excelsa). WINDMILL 
PALM. Asia. 30 ft. Trunk slim and very hairy 
in old specimens thicker at the top than at the 
base. Leaf segments are narrow and flexible; the 
outer third usually droops on older leaves. An 
excellent species for street planting. Hardiest 
Palm known. 
T. fortunei. Although similar to preceding, it is 
nevertheless distinct. Trunk is stouter and tapers 
upward. Growth is slower. Leaves are larger with 
broader segments, more closely set; very glaucous 
beneath. Very handsome. 
T. nepalensis. Himalayas. Trunk and general 
appearance similar to T. excelsus, but the leaves 
are darker, smaller and borne on shorter stalks- 
segments extremely rigid and never drooping The 
best for very windy situations, as the leaves will 
not whip to pieces. 
WASHINGTONIA 
Fan-leaved Palms of tall growth, native to Cali¬ 
fornia and Northern Mexico. Leaves plaited; 
leafstalks almost always very spiny. Of very 
vigorous growth if properly planted and cared for. 
The utmost confusion has existed as to the 
species of this genus and their correct names. As 
in our last edition, we have adopted those pub¬ 
lished in an article by S. B. Parish in the Botan¬ 
ical Gazette of December, 1907, which satisfactor¬ 
ily accounts for all the species and varieties 
known at present. 
W. filifera robusta. CALIFORNIA FAN PALM; 
COLORADO DESERT PALM. SO ft. This is our 
native Fan Palm, growing naturally in the desert 
region of Southern California. It is probably by 
far the most common fan-leaved Palm cultivated 
in the State, although of late years W. gracilis has 
been planted more extensively. It has almost in¬ 
variably been known as Washingtonia filifera or 
Pritchardia filifera, but according to best authority 
the above name, W. filifera robusta, is correct. 
The trunk is very stout, likely to be noticeably 
thicker a few inches above than at surface of 
ground. The leafstalks are very thick, broad and 
rather long and are armed on margins with stout, 
curved spines from base to leaf blade. (The true 
W. filifera has no spines on the portion of the stalk 
toward the leaf.) Leaves are very large, light or 
yellowish green and marked with numerous small, 
dark green spots. Leaf segments are profusely 
furnished with curling filaments or threads. Al¬ 
though it is customary to remove the dead leaves 
each year, the appearance of the older plants is 
far more striking and characteristic when these 
are allowed to remain. 
W. gracilis. Lower California. 80 ft. This is 
the species that has been known in Southern Cali¬ 
fornia as Washingtonia robusta and in Northern 
California as Washingtonia sonorae. The trunk is 
much more slender than the preceding variety. 
Grows much faster. Leafstalks are much shorter 
and vary at base from dark brown to nearly black. 
Spines about the same. Leaves are clear, deep 
green, without the spots of preceding and are cleft 
only about half as deeply. They show a decided 
tendency to “buckle” instead of having an approxi¬ 
mately level surface. Filaments are sparingly pres¬ 
ent in young plants, but are few or often entirely 
absent on older ones, particularly after the leaves 
are fully developed. Under certain conditions, 
Palms of this species make a remarkable growth, 
attaining 60 to 80 ft., while the trunk has a uniform 
diameter of not much over a foot except for the 
bulge at the base. Under other conditions, where 
growth is not so vigorous, the trunk shows an 
elongated, conical outline. For general purposes 
this is probably the most satisfactory tall-growing, 
fan-leaved Palm. 
W. sonorae. Sonora and Lower California. This 
is not the species that has generally been called by 
this name in Northern California. The Palms so 
called really belong to the preceding species. There 
are probably no fully grown specimens in the State, 
but from appearance of young plants and also from 
reports and photographs of those growing naturally 
in Lower California, it will unquestionably prove 
very valuable. It is apparently more closely related 
to W. gracilis than to W. filifera robusta. From 
the former (W. gracilis) it is easily distinguished 
by the great profusion of filaments on the leaves; 
leafstalks tapering abruptly, instead of gradually, 
into the leaves; narrower leaf segments, hence 
shallower plaits. The leaves are larger, softer and 
more flexible; are cut far more deeply and never 
show any tendency to “buckle,” always having a 
surface perfectly level or very slightly concave 
above. On the upper surface of fully developed 
leaves the filaments show a tendency to form a 
distinct ring, following the bases of the clefts be¬ 
tween the segments. The rate of growth is very 
nearly the same as W. gracilis, but if anything is 
a little more rapid. At present this species is very 
rare. We have no hesitancy in recommending it 
as a decided acquisition to the list of hardy and 
rapid-growing Palms. The plants we offer were 
grown from seeds taken from the native trees in 
Mexico. 
Washingtonia filifera robusta 
California Fan Palm 
73 
