Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/780

740 1. R. sapida, ''Wendl. and Drude in Kerch. Palm.'' 255.—Stem rather slender, smooth, 10–25 ft. high, 6–9 in. diam., rarely more. Leaves 4–8 ft. long; rhachis clothed with copious lepidote scales; leaflets very numerous, 2–3 ft. long or more, 1–2 in. broad, linear-ensiform, midrib and main veins covered with lepidote scales; margins replicate at the base. Spadix 1–2 ft. long, much and closely branched, glabrous; spathes 2 or 3. Flowers very densely crowded, purplish-lilac. Drupe ½ in. long, elliptic-oblong, bright-red.—Areca sapida, ''Soland. ex Forst. f. Pl. Escul. 66; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 157; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 298; Raoul, Choix, 40; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 262, t. 59, 60; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 288; Bot. Mag.'' t. 5139. Kentia sapida, ''Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm.'' iii. 312.

2. R. Baueri, ''Wendl. and Drude in Bot. Zeit.'' xxxv. (1877) 638.—Very closely allied to the preceding species, but larger and stouter, sometimes attaining a height of 50 ft. with a trunk over 12 in. diam. Leaves larger and more numerous; segments usually longer and broader, inflorescence larger, the spadices said to be sometimes 3 ft. in length. Drupe altogether different in shape, globose or nearly so, ½–⅔ in. diam.—Kentia Baueri, ''Seem. Fl. Vit. 269; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst.'' xx. (1888) 174. Areca Baueri, ''Hook. f. in Illustr. Hortic.'' xv. (1868) 575; ''Bot. Mag.'' t. 5735. A. sapida, ''Endl. Prodr. Fl. Norfolc. 26 (not of Soland.)''.





Trees or shrubs or climbers, frequently with aerial roots. Leaves usually long and narrow, acuminate, sheathing at the base, coriaceous, keeled, margins and keel spinulose-serrate. Flowers diœcious, both sexes densely crowded on simple or branched