Fig. 299.—A Longitudinal section of a Cocoanut (diminished), the inner layer only (the stone) not being divided B End view of the stone, showing the sutures for the 3 carpels (a), and the 3 germ-pores; the embryo emerges from the lowest one when germination begins. C Germinating; inside the stone is seen the hollow endosperm and the enlarging cotyledon.
3. Cocoineæ. With pinnate leaves. Monœcious inflorescence. The carpels are united into a 3-locular ovary. The fruit is most frequently 1-locular, only 1 of the loculi becoming developed, rarely 3-locular; it is a drupe with a large, fibrous, external layer (mesocarp) and most frequently a very hard inner layer (endocarp, stone) which has 3 germ-pores, the 2 of these, however, which correspond to the suppressed loculi are closed; internal to the third lies the small embryo (Fig. [299]). Endosperm containing abundance of oil. Cocos (the Cocoanut-palm), Attalea, Elæis, Acrocomia, Bactris.
4. Lepidocaryinæ. The floral-leaves and flowers are borne in 2 rows on the spadix. The carpels are united into one 3-locular ovary; the fruit is coated by a layer of hard, shining, imbricate scales. The majority of the species are thorny, and climb by means of the thorny leaves. Some have fan-like (Mauritia), others pinnate leaves (Raphia, Calamus, Eugeissonia, Metroxylon; the stems of the latter die after the first flowering).
5. Borassinæ. Large Fan-palms without thorns, with 3-locular ovary. Drupe with separate stones. Latania and Lodoicea have many stamens; Hyphæne; Borassus (Palmyra-palm).
6. Arecineæ. The most numerous group. Feather-palms. Berry. Areca, Euterpe, Oreodoxa, Ceroxylon, Chamædorea, Geonoma, Caryota with bipinnate leaves.
7. Phytelephantinæ. Flowers with rudimentary perianth united in close capitula. Phytelephas (Vegetable-ivory). Nipa.
Distribution. About 1,100 species are known. In Europe only the Dwarf-palm (Chamærops humilis) is wild (Western Mediterranean). The Date palm (Phœnix dactylifera) belongs to North Africa and West Asia. Other African genera are Hyphæne (Doum-palm) and Elæis (E. guineensis, Oil-palm). A large majority of the genera are found in South America and in the East Indies. The following are American:—Mauritia, Acrocomia, Bactris, Chamædorea, Oreodoxa, Euterpe, Attalea, etc. Asiatic:—Metroxylon, Calamus, Areca, Borassus, Lodoicea (“Double-cocoanuts,” Seychelles) and others. The Cocoanut-palm has perhaps an American origin; all the other species of the same genus being endemic in America; it is the only Palm found on the coral islands of the Pacific Ocean, and is also the only one which is common to both hemispheres.
Uses. Palms belong to the most useful plants; they contain no poison, and are of little medicinal interest, but are largely employed in the arts and manufactures, the hard timber being adapted for many purposes on account of the hard tissue in which the vascular bundles are embedded. “Cane” is the stem of Calamus-species (from India). Sago is obtained from the pith of Metroxylon rumphii (Sago-palm, Sunda-Is., Moluccas), Mauritia flexuosa, etc. Sugar-containing sap (“palm wine”) is obtained from the American Mauritia vinifera and flexuosa, Borassus flabelliformis (Asiatic Palmyra-palm), Arenga saccharifera, etc., by cutting off the young inflorescences, or by perforating the stem before the flowering (arrack is distilled from this). Vascular strands for the manufacture of mats and brushes, etc., are obtained from the outer covering (mesocarp) of the Cocoanut, and from the detached leaf-sheaths of Attalea funifera (Brazil) (Fig. [296]). Wax is yielded by the leaves of Copernicia cerifera (carnaueba-wax, Amazon region), and by the stem of Ceroxylon andicola (palm-wax, Andes); East Indian Dragon’s blood is from the fruit of Calamus draco; the young buds of many species, especially Euterpe, Cocos, Attalea, etc., are used as “cabbage.” Palm-oil is obtained from the oily mesocarp of the plum-like fruits of Elæis guineensis (W. Africa), and from the seeds, when it is largely used in the manufacture of soap. Edible Fruits from the Date-palm (Phœnix dactylifera, Arabia, Egypt, W. Africa), and the endosperm of the Cocoanut (Cocos nucifera). The seeds and the unripe fruits of the Areca-palm (Areca catechu) are chewed with the leaves of the Betelpeper, principally in Asia. Vegetable Ivory from the hard endosperm of Phytelephas macrocarpa (S. America.)—Many species are cultivated in the tropics as ornamental plants, but in this country only Chamærops humilis, Livistona australis and chinensis are generally grown. In addition to the few just mentioned, many others are of importance, but these are much the most useful.
Order 2. Cyclanthaceæ. This is a small order related to the Palms (44 species from Tropical America), with fan-like, folded leaves. The flowers are unisexual and arranged in whorls or close spirals on an unbranched spadix. Ovary unilocular, ovules numerous. To this belongs Carludovica palmata, whose leaves are used for Panama hats.