2530

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

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W&l-*£2k

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Ckanue'rops hiimilis L.; Phoe'nix humilis Cat i. ; Palma humilis Bauh .; Pal-miste F/veutail, Fr .; Zwergpalme, Gcr .; the dwarf Fan Palm, or Palmetto;N. Du Ham., iii. t. 58., and our fig. 2404.; is a native of the south of Europe,and, in dry warm situations in England, will stand the winter with very littleprotection.

Though this palm is designated dwarf, yet, according to the Nouveau DuHamel, it grows to the height of 30 ft. or 40ft. in Spain; and one in theJardin des Plantes, in a tub, attained the height of 30 ft. In England, one inan old conservatory at Buckeridge House, near Godaiming, was, in 1836,upwards of 12 ft. high. The trunk of plants of this size is cylindrical, perfectlynaked from the ground to within a short distance of the leaves, where scalescommence, of a reddish hue, being the bases of the footstalks, which remainfor some years after the leaves and petioles have dropped off; and whichscales, with great plausibility, have been considered as giving the first hint forthe foliaged capitals of Corinthian columns. As this palm produces abun-dance of seed in Italy and Sardinia, if large quantities of it were imported, andthe plants raised from it exposed to the frost, some would doubtless be foundmore hardy than others; and these might be perpetuated from the suckers,which rise abundantly from the roots. The soil which this palm prefers is adeep sand ; in which soil it is said to grow in the south of Europe, and spread