Acrocomia

A genus of palms having the rachides and trunks more or less covered with spines; the stems sometimes bulging. They are all American and the distinctions between some of the species are not very decided. So far as my experience goes they are strong, rapid growers and do well in Florida. A. sclerocarpa is West Indian and South American; A. lasiospatha has a small base and an evenly swollen trunk; A. total is a fine species which will probably prove hardy over South Florida; A. media is a very vigorous species from Porto Rico. All of these do well here on pine land.

Archontophoenix Alexandrae

Archontophoenix Alexandrae is a tall, rapid growing palm of great beauty and elegance from Queensland. The pinnae are more delicate than those of the next species and are silvery underneath. This generally goes under the name of Ptychos-perma alexandrae. A. cunninghami (Seaforthia elegans) is also a fine tree, a little more robust than the other. Both are doing well with me in pine land.

Areca

A fine genus of palms from the Oriental Tropics containing several species. A. triandra has leaves which are only partially pinnate, being cut into broad segments. It is a beautiful palm and is doing fairly well for me in sunshine but I think it would succeed better in partial shade. A. glandiformis is a superb palm and is growing strongly and rapidly for me.

A. Alicaea

A. Alicaea is doing fairly well for me in shade. A. catechu has never succeeded for me.

Arenga Saccharifera

Arenga Saccharifera is the Sugar Palm of India, a noble palm with peculiar leaflets. I have a fine specimen in pine land.

Astrocaryum Mexicanum

Astrocaryum Mexicanum has failed with me but I think it might succeed here. There are a number of species, A. muru-muru, A. ayri, A. argenteum, A. filiare, etc., and all are spiny.

Attalea

The name signifies magnificent and it is well applied. The species have long, beautiful pinnate leaves with numerous, elegant pinnae. A. cohune, the Monaco Palm from Central America, has nearly erect leaves and Mr. O. F. Cook informs me that he has measured these in Guatemala which were fifty-five feet long. A fine specimen has bloomed and fruited in the grounds of Commodore Monroe at Cocoanut Grove.

Bactris

Exceedingly spiny palms that have entirely failed with me, though repeatedly tried under various conditions.

B. Gasipaes

B. Gasipaes is the celebrated Peach Palm of the Amazon region. Balaka seemani is a slender pinnate palm from Fiji which would probably succeed in the shade.

Calamus, The Rattans

Oriental, tropical palms, many of which climb to great distances. Most of these would probably do well in hammocks in the lower part of the state. C. rotang and C. tenuis furnish the rattan of commerce.

Caryota, The Fish Tail Palms

A genus of striking palms, most of which sucker freely. Their leaves are twice pinnate and the leaflets are more or less fan-shaped and irregularly truncate. When they reach maturity they send out immense tassels of flowers at the top of the tree, continuing to produce others along down the stem until finally the plant dies. Around Fort Myers and Punta Gorda these palms do finely but here they do not always succeed. C. urens, C. blancoi, C. sobolifera, C. purpuracea and C. mitis are in the writer's collection.

Chamaedorea

A genus of slender palms some of which grow in clumps. They are from the American Tropics, are spineless and often reed-like. C. graminifolia is a strong growing, tufted species, C. multicaulis soon forms a large cluster; C. arenber-giana and C. corallina are growing in my hammock and are very slender and attractive. They should be grown in shade and will probably stand but little frost.

Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens

Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens is one of the most exquisitely graceful palms in cultivation. It forms large clumps, the stems rising to the height of thirty feet in time and crowned with elegant, glossy rich green leaves, tinted yellow. It is a native of Mauritius and is rather tender; it will grow equally well in sunshine or shade and it should be cultivated all over the lower part of the state. It has been generally sold as Areca lutescens.

Cocos

Besides the common coconut there are a number of fine species, most of which do well in Florida. Several of these are natives of southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and are therefore hardy throughout a considerable part of our territory. Mr. John Schnabel of Gainesville reports that C. plumosa, one of the hardiest species, does well at his place when grown in a sheltered situation. It was formerly believed that the common coconut originally came from the old world but there is good evidence to show that all the Cocos are natives of the new world only. There is a species said to come from Cuba which is growing in my grounds that looks something like a diminutive coconut. C. coronata, C. flexuosa, and C. romanzoffiana are fine species with beautiful, dark green foliage. C. australis, C. bonnetti, C. campestris, C. yatay, C. alphonsei, C. gaertneri, C. eriospatha and one Or two others have more or less glaucous foliage. All of the above are doing fairly well for me in pine land. Several of the species of the Australis group have edible fruits. C. weddel-liana and C. insignis are exceedingly dainty and beautiful but I have not been able to make them succeed, probably because of lime in the soil.

Daemonorops

Daemonorops contains about forty species of palms which are closely related to Calamus. I have tried a couple of species which seem to be very tender and have failed.

Desmoncus Major

Desmoncus Major is a climbing palm from Trinidad which is doing finely in my hammock. It is very spiny and holds on vegetation by means of anchor-like hooks at the ends of the rachides. It is a most interesting plant.