=3.= COCOINEÆ. With pinnate leaves. Monœcious inflorescence. The carpels are united into a 3-locular ovary. The fruit is most frequently 1-locular, only 1 of the loculi becoming developed, rarely 3-locular; it is a drupe with a large, fibrous, external layer (_mesocarp_) and most frequently a very hard inner layer (_endocarp_, stone) which has 3 germ-pores, the 2 of these, however, which correspond to the suppressed loculi are closed; internal to the third lies the small embryo (Fig. 299). Endosperm containing abundance of oil. _Cocos_ (the Cocoanut-palm), _Attalea_, _Elæis_, _Acrocomia_, _Bactris_. =4.= LEPIDOCARYINÆ. The floral-leaves and flowers are borne in 2 rows on the spadix. The carpels are united into one 3-locular ovary; the fruit is coated by a layer of hard, shining, imbricate scales. The majority of the species are thorny, and climb by means of the thorny leaves. Some have fan-like (_Mauritia_), others pinnate leaves (_Raphia_, _Calamus_, _Eugeissonia_, _Metroxylon_; the stems of the latter die after the first flowering). =5.= BORASSINÆ. Large Fan-palms without thorns, with 3-locular ovary. Drupe with separate stones. _Latania_ and _Lodoicea_ have many stamens; _Hyphæne_; _Borassus_ (Palmyra-palm). =6.= ARECINEÆ. The most numerous group. Feather-palms. Berry. _Areca_, _Euterpe_, _Oreodoxa_, _Ceroxylon_, _Chamædorea_, _Geonoma_, _Caryota_ with bipinnate leaves. =7.= PHYTELEPHANTINÆ. Flowers with rudimentary perianth united in close capitula. _Phytelephas_ (Vegetable-ivory). _Nipa._ DISTRIBUTION. About 1,100 species are known. In Europe only the Dwarf-palm (_Chamærops humilis_) is wild (Western Mediterranean). The Date palm (_Phœnix dactylifera_) belongs to North Africa and West Asia. Other African genera are _Hyphæne_ (Doum-palm) and _Elæis_ (_E. guineensis_, Oil-palm). A large majority of the genera are found in South America and in the East Indies. The following are AMERICAN:--_Mauritia_, _Acrocomia_, _Bactris_, _Chamædorea_, _Oreodoxa_, _Euterpe_, _Attalea_, etc. ASIATIC:--_Metroxylon_, _Calamus_, _Areca_, _Borassus_, _Lodoicea_ (“Double-cocoanuts,” Seychelles) and others. The Cocoanut-palm has perhaps an American origin; all the other species of the same genus being endemic in America; it is the only Palm found on the coral islands of the Pacific Ocean, and is also the only one which is common to both hemispheres.