“ In eastern Asia the Palms, like other tropical families, extend along the coast reaching Korea and the south of Japan. In America a few small genera occur in the southern United States and California; and in South America the southern limit is reached in the Chilean genus Jubaea (the Chile coco-nut) at 37° S. latitude. The great centres of distribution are tropical America and tropical Asia; tropical Africa contains only 11 genera, though some of the species, like the Doum palm {Hyphaene thebaica) and the Deleb or Palmyra palm {Borassus flabellifer) have a wide distribution. ”

“ In the course of ripening of the fruit two of the carpels with their ovules may become absorbed, as in the coco-nut, the fruit of which contains only one seed though the three carpels are indicated by the three longitudinal sutures and by the presence of three germ-pores on the hard endocarp. ”

“ The fleshy mesocarp of the fruit of Elaeis guineensis of western tropical Africa yields, when crushed and boiled, " palm oil." Coco-nut oil is extracted from the oily endosperm of the coconut. Wax is exuded from the stem of Ceroxylon andicola and Copernicia cerifera. A variety of " dragon's blood, " a resin, is procured from Daemonorops Draco and other species. Edible fruits are yielded by the date, the staple food of some districts of northern Africa. The coco-nut is a source of wealth to its possessors; and many of the species, e.g. ”

“ Raphia has also species in both tropical Africa and tropical America.
The 132 genera of the order are ranged under seven tribes, distinguished by the nature of the foliage, the sexual conditions of the flower, the character of the seed, the position of the raphe, &c. Other characters serving to distinguish the minor groups are afforded by the habit, the position of the spathes, the " aestivation " of the flower, the nature of the stigma, the ovary, fruit, &c. ”

“ The internal structure of the stem does not differ fundamentally from that of a typical monocotyledonous stem, the taller, harder trunks owing their hardness not only to the fibrous or woody skeleton but also to the fact that, as growth goes on, the originally soft cellular ground tissue through which the fibres run becomes hardened by the deposit of woody matter within the cells, so that ultimately the cellular portions become as hard as the woody fibrous tissue. ”

“ There are several low growing palms, such as Rhapis flabelliformis, Chamaerops humilis, &c., which are suited for ordinary green-house culture, and many of which, from the thick texture of their leaves, are enabled to resist the dry and often gas-laden atmosphere of living rooms. ”

“ C, Upper portion of Coco-nut seed, showing e, embryo, embedded in a, endosperm.
marked with circular scars indicating the position of those leaves which have now fallen away. It varies in diameter from the thickness of a reed (as in Chamaedorea) to a sturdy pillar-like structure as seen in the date-palm. Palmyra palm (fig. 7) or Talipot. In other cases the very slender stem is prostrate, or
Fig. 2. — Daemonorops Draco (a Rattan Palm) . I, Young shoot much reduced. 2, Part of stem bearing male inflorescence. 3, Part of female inflorescence. ”