BACTRIS

(Lat.), n. £. Ba?k(ba®k)'tri2s. Gen., bac’tridos (-dis), From Béx7pov, a cane, because one species is made into walkingsticks ed by A genus of palms establish y Jacquin, belonging to the Bactrideæ (Drude). It is characterized by the urceolate oothed corolla of the female flowers, surrounded by or Pre: jecting from the urceolate or ring-shaped calyx; by the central rib of the leaves ending with the terminal pinna; and by the rounded or oblong putamen, the open germinal pore of which is not equidistant with the two closed pores from the apex of the putamen. By Drude it is divided into the subgenera Eubactris(the B. of Karsten), ‘Aug us tinea (the genus Aug us tinea [Karsten] or Oocarpos [Martius)), and Guilielma (the genus Guitietma [Martius]). |B, 245.]— B. a can tho carp a [Martius]. A Brazilian species the leaves of which furnish a strong thread. [B, 173.]—13. gasipaés [Kunth]. Syn.: Guilielma specivsa [Martius]. A South American species known as chon to, chontadura, pirijao (in Venezuela), pupunha (in Brazil), and gachipaés. It bears fruit abundantly, although but once in several years. The fruit resembles an apricot in COR is juicy and of agreeable taste, contains a large amount of starch, and is much used as an article of food. [B, 88, 178, 188, 245.)—B. guineensis [Linnzus]. See B. minor.—B. major [Jacquin]. A Carthagena species with large rounded, edible fruit. [B, 71, 188.]—13. maraja [Martius]. A Brazilian species, from the fruit of which is made a sort of wine. {B, 49.)—B. minima [Gärtner], B. minor {Jacquin}. Syn.: Cocos guineensis [Linneus}. A species indigenous to the West Indies and South America. From its stalks black walking-sticks, called Tabago canes, are made; the fresh leaves are eaten as a salad; the pulp of the fruit is used as a remedy in catarrhal thoracic affections, and contains a fixed oil used for illumination and soap-making; and the seeds contain an edible fixed oil. [B, 178, 180, 188.]—I8. Setosa. A Brazilian species, the leaves of which furnish a textile fibre called tecun, stronger and finer than that of hemp, but incapable of being used for ordinary fabrics. [B, 104.]—B. speciosa [Martius]. See B. gasipaès.