NATL KA[, OKDKRS. 1 H
cocoa nut, being, according to his description, at tlic base, as in that genus, whereas they are actuiilly at the apex. It is probable that Alfon^la o/cifcra oi Ilunibokh, Hoii- phmd and Kunth, belongs to Ekeis, and possibly it may not even differ from the African species.
It is a remarkable fact respecting the geographical dis- tribution of PalnitC, that E/ceis (juinccims, which is uni- versally, and I believe justly, considered as having been imported into the West India colonies from the west coast of Africa, and Coco>i i/idica, which there is no reason to doubt is indigenous to tke skores of ecpiinoctial Asia and its islands, skould be tke only two species of an extensive and very natural section of tke order, tkat are not contined to America.
To tkis section, wkose principal ckaracter consists in tke originally trilocular putamen kaving its cells wken fertile perforated opposite to tke seat of tke embryo, and when abortive indicated by foramina cgeca, as in tke Cocoa nut, tke name Cocoinsc may be given; tkougk it kas been ap- l)lied by M. Kuntlii to a more extensive and less natural group, wliick includes all palms kaving trilocular ovaria, and tke surface of wkose fruit is not covered witk imbricate scales. I may also remark tkat from tke fruits of Cocoi/ue only, as I kave kere })roposed to limit tke section, tke oil afforded by plants of this family, is obtained.
Professor Smith in his journal frequently mentions a species of Hyplicene, by whick lie evidently intended tke palm first seen abundantly at tke moutk of tke river, and afterwards occasionally in tke greater part of its course, especially near tke Banzas, where it is probably planted for tke sake of tke wine obtained from it.
According to tke gardener's information, tkis is a palm :i57 of moderate keigkt witk fan-skaped fronds and an undi- vided caudex. It tkerefore more probably Ijclongs to Corypka tkan to Gsertner's Ilypkccnc, one species of wkicli is tke Cucifera of Delile, tke Doom of l^per I'gypt ; the second, Ilt/jjJicene corlacca, is a native of Melinda, and
» Nova Gen. et Sp. Orb. Kov. ],7;. 211.
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