Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 edition. Excerpt: ... Nititoezhabia, R. et Pav. (1794). Chamaedorea, Wittd. (1803). This genus, although placed so far apart from Geonoma in the arrangement of Kunth, is plainly its near ally. The slim graceful habit is the same; and so is the essential character of the tripartite ovary, the two minute, abortive, and indurated carpels persisting at the base of the ripened fertile carpel, as they sometimes do in Geonoma. The differences, however, are numerous and important, viz. rhachis exalveolate, inflorescence dioicous, calyx gamophyllous, anther-cells connate, androeceum wanting to $ flowers, berries with polished cuticle, &c. I gathered but one species, certainly referable to Nwrmezharia, viz. the N. fragrans of Buiz and Pavon, which is widely distributed along the eastern roots of the Peruvian Andes, having been gathered by those authors in the space between the rivers Huallaga and Ucayali, and by myself on the western side of the Huallaga, in the hills of Tarapoto, at an elevation of 2000 to 3000 feet. There it forms large beds under the tall trees, and perfumes the forest far and wide, with its orange-coloured male flowers, all through the latter half of the year, but especially in the month of August. The Peruvian girls, who call it " Sangapilla," stick it in their hair, put it under their pillows, and use it largely in decorating the little crosses which they set up at the junction of forestpaths. My specimens, dried fourteen years ago, still give out their fine odour of mignonnette with a dash of primrose when hot water is poured on them. Whether or not this premorse-leaved species be truly a congener of the others, with entire pinnae, referred to Chamcedorea by Martius, there can be no doubt that the name Nunnezharia has precedence and must stand....
