A Plant in flower. B Inflorescence. C Flower (the ovary cut lengthwise).

PALMAE.

FLOW. PL. AFR.

Pl. 10.

J. Fleischmann del.

Raphia Laurentii De Wild.

A Young plant. B Group of fruits. C Fruit. D Seed. (A from De Wildeman, Expedition Laurent).

4. Male flowers many in each pit of the spadix. 5
Male flowers solitary in each pit of the spadix. 6
5. Male flowers 20-30 in each pit of the spadix. Stamens about 30. Fruit nearly always with a single stone. Seeds deeply 2-lobed.—Species 1.
Seychelles. The fruit (“double cocoa-nut”) is eaten and used in medicine. Lodoicea Labill.
Male flowers 10 in each pit of the spadix. Stamens 6. Fruit with 3 stones.
Seeds emarginate. Species 1 (B. flabellifer L., Palmyra palm). Tropics.
It yields timber, fibre (piassave), starch (sago), gum, vegetables, edible fruits, wine, vinegar, alcohol, sugar, and medicaments. Borassus L.
6. Stamens 15-30. Fruit with 3 stones, very rarely with 1-2. Medium-sized trees.—Species 3. Madagascar and Mascarene Islands. They furnish fibre for plaiting-work and are used as ornamental plants; one species has edible fruits. Latania Comm.
Stamens 6. Fruit with a single stone. Tall trees. 7
7. Albumen ruminate. Fruit medium-sized (the size of a walnut). Stem simple.—Species 3. Upper Nile and Madagascar. They yield timber, fibre, edible pith, and alcohol. (Including Bismarckia Hildebr. &
Wendl.) Medemia G. de Wuert. & Braun
Albumen homogeneous. Fruit large. Stem usually branched.—Species
13. Tropics to Natal and Egypt. They yield wood, fibre, edible fruits, and wine. “Dum palm.” Hyphaene Gaertn.
8. (3.) Ovary and fruit clothed with imbricate scales. Fruit one-seeded.
Flowers with bracts and bracteoles. Leaf-segments reduplicate in bud. [Subfamily LEPIDOCARYOIDEAE, tribe METROXYLEAE.] 9
Ovary and fruit without scales. Flowers usually without bracts. [Subfamily
CEROXYLOIDEAE.] 15
9. Ovary incompletely 3-celled. [Subtribe CALAMINAE.] 10
Ovary completely 3-celled. [Subtribe RAPHIINAE.] 11
10. Stem erect. Leaves without tendrils. Spadices terminal. Seed depressed-globose.—Species
1 (M. Rumphii Mart.) Cultivated in Madagascar and the Mascarenes. It yields wood, fibre for plaiting and weaving, vegetables, and starch (sago). (Sagus Blume). Metroxylon Rottb.
Stem climbing. Leaves with tendrils. Spadices lateral.—Species 6.
Tropics. The stems (cane) are used for plaiting-work and for the manufacture of walking-sticks and various utensils. “Rattan-palm.” Calamus L.
11. Stem erect. Flowers monoecious, the male and female on the same branches of the much-branched terminal spadices. Seed oblong or ovate.—Species
10. Tropics. The leaf-stalks (false bamboo) are used for building houses and making furniture, the fibres (piassave) for plaiting, weaving, and brush-making. The stems, leaf-buds, and fruits of some species yield starch, meal, vegetables, wine, and oil. (Plates 10 and 11.) Raphia Beauv.
Stem climbing. Leaves with tendrils. 12
12. Flowers monoecious, in cymes on the primary branches of the lateral spadices; cymes consisting of one female and several male flowers.—Species
2. Equatorial West Africa. They furnish cane for plaiting-work and for the manufacture of various utensils. (Under Calamus L.) Oncocalamus Mann & Wendl.
Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous, in pairs on the branches of the spadices. 13
13. Spadices lateral. Spathes none.—Species 5. West Africa to the upper
Nile. They furnish cane for plaiting-work and for the manufacture of various utensils. (Under Calamus L.) Eremospatha Mann & Wendl.
Spadices terminal. Spathes tubular. 14
14. Seed flattened, with a thick raphe. Leaves with a short stalk and narrow segments.—Species 1. West Africa to the upper Nile. They furnish cane for plaiting-work and for the manufacture of various utensils.
(Under Calamus L.) Ancistrophyllum Mann & Wendl.
Seed roundish, deeply grooved, kidney-shaped in transverse section. Leaves with a rather long stalk and rather broad segments.—Species 2. West
Africa. They furnish cane for plaiting-work and for the manufacture of various utensils. (Under Ancistrophyllum Mann & Wendl. or Calamus
L.) Laccosperma Mann & Wendl.
15. (8.) Fruit a drupe; endocarp very hard, with 3 pores. [Tribe COCOEAE.] 16
Fruit a berry; endocarp membranous, rarely woody. [Tribe ARECEAE.] 17
16. Flowers sunk singly in deep pits of the spadix-branches. Spadices unisexual, with 2 deciduous spathes. Stamens united high up. Fruit rather small; pericarp spongy outside; pores towards the top of the stone.—Species 1 (E. guineensis L. oil-palm). Central Africa. The stem and the leaves furnish wood, fibre, vegetables, and wine; the fruits are edible and used for making oil. [Subtribe ELAEIDINAE.] Elaeis Jacq.
Flowers inserted singly or in groups of three in shallow pits or notches of the spadix-branches. Spadices bisexual, with a woody, persistent spathe. Stamens free or united at the base. Fruit large; pericarp fibrous; pores towards the base of the stone.—Species 1 (C. nucifera L., coco-nut-palm). Cultivated and sometimes naturalised on the shores of the tropics. The stem and the leaves furnish wood, fibre, tanning materials, vegetables, wine, and medicaments; the fruits are edible and yield oil, fodder, and a drink. [Subtribe ATTALEINAE.] Cocos L.
17. Leaves with long prickles. Spadices branched; spathes 2 or more, complete.
Corolla of the female flowers imbricate in bud. Ovary 1-celled, with a laterally affixed ovule. Stigmas 3. 18
Leaves without prickles. 23
18. Leaves with a long sheath. Spadices below the leaves. Seed with homogeneous albumen. 19
Leaves with a rather short sheath. Spadices between the leaves. Seed with ruminate albumen. 20
19. Seed obtusely triquetrous. Stamens 9.—Species 1. Seychelles. Deckenia Wendl.
Seed ellipsoid, slightly compressed laterally. Stamens usually 12.—Species
3. Madagascar and Mascarenes. Used in house-building and as ornamental plants. Acanthophoenix Wendl.
20. Leaves 2-cleft, with pinnately toothed margins. 21
Leaves irregularly pinnatisect. 22
21. Stamens 6. Seed and endocarp furrowed. Spadices with 3 spathes. Leaf-stalk prickly.—Species 1. Seychelles. Used as an ornamental plant. Verschaffeltia Wendl.
Stamens 15-20. Seed and endocarp not furrowed. Spadices with 2 spathes. Leaf-stalk smooth.—Species 1. Seychelles. Used as an ornamental plant. (Stevensonia Duncan). Phoenicophorium Wendl.
22. Stamens 6. Seed elliptical. Spadices twice branched, with several spathes.—Species
1. Seychelles. Used as an ornamental plant. Roscheria Wendl.
Stamens 40-50. Seed kidney-shaped. Spadices once branched, with
2 spathes.—Species 1. Seychelles. Nephrosperma Balf.
23. (17.) Spadices with many tubular incomplete spathes, twice branched.
Stamens 6. Ovary 3-celled. Stem tree-like.—Species 4. Madagascar and Mascarenes. Used as ornamental plants. The fruit is said to be poisonous. Hyophorbe Gaertn.
Spadices with 1-4 spathes, all or the uppermost complete (i.e. completely enveloping the spadix, when young.) 24
24. Spadices with 4 spathes, simple. Flowers sunk in pits on the spadix.
Corolla valvate in bud. Stamens 6. Ovary 3-celled. Stem reed-like.—Species
1. West Africa. The fruit is edible. Podococcus Mann & Wendl.
Spadices with 1-3 spathes; if simple, then corolla of the female flowers imbricate in bud or stamens 3 or many. 25
25. Stamens numerous. Stigma 1. Ovary 1-celled. Corolla valvate in bud.
Spadices simple. Flowers sunk in pits on the spadix. Stem short.—Species
1. Equatorial West Africa. Sclerosperma Mann & Wendl.
Stamens 3-6. Stigmas usually 3. 26
26. Stamens in the male flowers 3, staminodes in the female 6. Ovary with 1 fertile and 2 empty cells. 27
Stamens 6. 28
27. Stamens opposite the petals, united at the base.—Species 3. Madagascar. Trichodypsis Baill.
Stamens alternating with the petals, free or almost free.—Species 7. Madagascar.
Used as ornamental plants. (Including Adelodypsis Becc.) Dypsis Nor.
28. Ovary 1-celled. 29
Ovary 3-celled, but usually one cell only fertile. 34
29. Spadices simple. Leaves deeply forked. Stem short, erect.—Species 5.
Madagascar. Haplophloga Baill.
Spadices branched. 30
30. Spadices once branched. Stigma usually 1. Stem tree-like.—Species
5. Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Used as ornamental plants.
The fibres of the leaves (piassave) are used in the manufacture of ropes and stuffs. Dictyosperma Wendl. & Drude
Spadices 2-3 times branched. Stigmas usually 3. 31
31. Spadices twice branched. Male flowers with valvate or subimbricate sepals. Anthers sagittate, basifixed, opening outwards or laterally.
Rudimentary pistil 3-cleft. Female flowers larger than the male.
Stigmas 3, subsessile. Tall trees.—Species 1 (A. Catechu L., betel palm).
Cultivated in East Africa. It yields wood, bark for tanning, fibre, vegetables, wine, and medicaments; the fruits are chewed. Areca L.
Spadices thrice branched. Male flowers with imbricate sepals. Anthers ovoid, opening inwards. Rudimentary pistil entire. 32
32. Styles basal. Stem reed-like.—Species 2. Madagascar. (Chrysalidocarpus
Wendl.) Neodypsis Baill.
Styles or stigmas terminal. 33
33. Leaves irregularly pinnatisect, with lanceolate segments. Stem low, reed-like.—Species 1. Madagascar. (Under Dypsidium Baill.) Neophloga Baill.
Leaves regularly pinnatisect, with linear segments. Stem tall.—Species
2. Madagascar and Comoro Islands. (Including Vonitra Becc.) Phlogella Baill.
34. Spadices simple. Petals lanceolate. Anther-halves linear. Style conical.—Species
3. Madagascar. Haplodypsis Baill.
Spadices much branched. Petals ovate or orbicular. Anther-halves oblong or ovate. Style 3-partite. 35
35. Flowers monoecious. Sepals of the male flowers orbicular. Stamens unequal in length. Stigmas awl-shaped. Albumen ruminate.—Species
5. Madagascar. Leaves used for plaiting-work. Phloga Nor.
Flowers dioecious. Sepals of the male flowers elliptical. Stamens subequal.
Stigmas short and thick. Albumen homogeneous.—Species 2. Madagascar and Comoro Islands. Ravenea Hildebr. & Bouché