The sun., 1896-06-21
RARE FLORIDA PAINS.
They Grow on tho Keys and Are OF Grsaa
Interest to Botanists.

Hom the Florida 7Tme.- Unton.


F,'om the Florida 7Ynes Unfon.
Prof. A. II. Curtisa returned recently from
nis seventh cruise among the Florida keys and
reports a number Of interesting botanical dis
coveries. including two additions to his list of
Florida trees. 1t was his special object to
study the palms peculiar to these coral islands,
and In this hesucceeded beyond his expectation,
determining the range OF each and securing the
material that had been needed for their acou.
rate identification and description.
There are three kinds Of palms on tho keys
that can hardly be distinguished from ono an.
other az a little distance. They have fan.
shaped leaves and stems seldom exceeding three
in6nes IN q d'ameter; though sometimes attaining
inhabitants with crawl poles " and materials
For the first time Prof Curtiss succeeded in
ending the grove OF pseudo Ph0ntr Sar0enti,
o. Long Key. few young trees OF the remark
in 1881 but were mistaken for yonns royai H
palms. FIVE years later he accompanied Prof.
exploring the same key ProI. Sargent was the
hrst 70 catch sight OF q mature and well-fruited
to bo wholly different from that Of the
Toysi rn, or any ny t othsr known palm Drawings
America" and material Tor study WAS a. sent to
% %Menaians the leading authority ON, palma.
tcally distipct from other known species,
This discovery led to tho detection Of quite
grove OF the same palm on Long Key. which
ttons, and the owner ordered its preservation.
which was most fortunate, an other wise this
remnrkahie tree might have been eYterminated
before being brought into cultivation.
Long Key is stuhtea about sixty miles north
eastward from Key West anu Is OF very irreRu
lar form, consisting of three arms or prongs,
ei.l eaoh abont two miles long Last sumuer Prof.
Cur''rS landed on the key with u Diagram furs
nished him 6y Commodore Monroe, who had
succee.e ed In finding the palms and also in sue
cessinlly transplanttng one OF them TO Cocoa
g urte, 10 failed to find anything besides cocoa.
nuts and inangroyGs. Now that he has suo
Gsedea IN reaching tho pHlms he finds that
nearly correct, but not as sim ple as they inieht
bRyo becn. nav
II ono viii land a few huna rel yards east ~
.hrtnt..A polnt OF Long Key. at large black
mnnSrnye standing alone at the waters edge.
ala viii then proceed directly inland ACROSS \
narrow >k!rt % -wang hr viii Sec On cmersinS
9rom the mangrovts. tho Pseudo PheniS
rarest and most Gniqu" OF North American
trees, and one which as 20 beauty OF fruIta0a IL
perhaps not excclled BY any tree In the world.
ously varlegated with alternate bands Oh Lrown
and greenlsh gray. Tho crown OF ieavaa
resembles that of the date palm, and at its
otse are borne gorgs0ua clusters OF red bsr-
hardly encircle one with his arms ina hssrinu huIi,u
area are about as large as average grapes, and
bitter, the kernel almost as hard as ivory
iroL ultlss secured enough OF the fruit tn
Ill two barrels which no shipped from Planter
on Fry Largo. u Prof. Sargent, who viii donbts
ltSs distrihut" them to all botanical gardsnS
hAG pam nurseries In the world Thus ths sv-
stehrs OF ne pseudo; Phwnix Is likely to DO pro-
In wild state. which IL evidently precSrioua
KAl1mAsoo. Mich, L. famous for oslsry. S.sz-.
4A''Ss Sn'E " RsASA main IRssk1liS