Flora Medica

CYCADACEJE.1163. C. circinalis Linn. sp. pi. 1658. Lam. encycl.ii. 231.Bot. Mag. tt. 2826, 2827. (Rheede 1321. iii. t. i.jRumph. 87.t. 22, 23.) East Indies, especially the Moluccas.$ . Trunk, when attaining its full growth, from 15 to 20 feethigh, of an equal thickness throughout, marked with the scars whencethe old leaves have fallen, but scarcely annulated ;between whichscars, the trunk is shaggy with the old and jagged downy scalesor stipules, which accompany the base of the leaves ;these are cordateand turgid at their base, and very much acuminated. From amongstthem, and at the very top of the stem, is a crown of a most beautifulfoliage. The spread of the leaves is 12 feet, each 6 and 8 feet long,including the petiole for ; J of the length, from the extremity, pinnated,with linear-lanceolate, nearly horizontal, plane, subflexuoso-falcatepinna?, from 12 to 14 inches long, dark green on the upper side, palerbeneath, quite glabrous, having a strong, pale midrib running throughthe centre; rachis unarmed; petiole swollen at the base, clothedwith ferruginous, evanescent down, and unarmed ; upwards glabrous,and spinous at the margin, from abortive pinnae. The young leaveshave a very beautiful appearance, being of a delicate pale green, andhaving the pinnae singularly involute, like the young fronds of aFern. From among the crown of the leaves, at the top of the trunk,and nearly, if not entirely sessile, is the male amentum produced.This is between 4 and 5 inches long, ovate. Anthers large, looselyimbricated, ferruginously downy; the lower half tapering, insertedhorizontally, the upper half taking a curvature upwards and taperinginto an erect, sharpened, and long point. Upon these anthers, on theunder side of the lower half, the numerous pollen-cells are crowdedsometimes singly, sometimes 2, 3, or 4 together, in which lattercase the opening of each cell is interiorly. The consistence ofthese is horny and ; they contain within them a pale yellow pollen,which is roundish, angular, and pellucid. Hooker. A kind ofSago is said to be produced by the interior of the stem, but not thetrue Sago of the shops which is obtained from Sagus inermis. Thefruit is eaten in the Moluccas, and a kind of flour of bad quality isprocured from the kernels pounded in a mortar. It is supposed thatthe account given by Rheede of true Sago being the produce of theplant is a mistake. This species also yields a clear transparent gumsomething like Tragacanth.ZAMIA.Both $ and 5 in cones terminating the trunk. $ . Anthersopen, in the form of peltate, woody, stalked scales, bearing pollenon their under side. ? . Carpels open, woody, peltate,stalked, bearing 2 inverted ovules. Fruit the enlarged andripened cone ;seeds with a bony testa covered by a thin fleshycoating. Small trees, with scaly trunks which are either simpleor branched. Leaves pinnated, with the pinnae contracted at theirinsertion into the petiole.*** One of the best kinds of arrow root is prepared in theBahamas from the trunk of some species of this genus, but from whichis unknown ; no doubt some one of the following, all of which areWest Indian.550