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Pritchardia (Named after W T Pritchard)
(named after W. T. Pritchard, author of "Polynesian Reminiscences"). ORD. Palmae.
A small genus (about seven species) of very ornamental, stove, unarmed palms, natives of the Friendly and Sandwich Islands. Flowers rather large, hermaphrodite, with a three-parted calyx and corolla, and six stamens; spathe ample, affixed to the peduncle, often silvery-furfuraceous; spadices long-pedunculate, about 3ft. long, with ascending branchlets. Fruit small or rather large, globose or ellipsoid, one-seeded. Leaves terminal, large, often white-furfuraceous, orbicular or cuneate at base, not deeply plicate-multifid; segments narrow, bifid at the apex, and induplicate; petioles concave; sheaths short. The species thrive best in a compost of two parts peat and one of loam and sand. A liberal supply of water is essential. Propagated by seeds only. P. filifera (thread-bearing). A synonym of Washingtonia filifera. P. Gaudichaudii (Gaudichaud's). l. slightly rayed, cuneate at base, the rachis extended near the middle; laciniae nearly twenty above the middle, bifid at the apex, coriaceous-membranous, lepidoted beneath, about twelve-nerved; petioles totally unarmed. Trunk low. Sandwich Islands. P. grandis (great). A synonym of Licuala grandis.
P. macrocarpa (large-fruited). l. larger than in P. Martii, roundish-flabellate, plicate, divided one-third the way down into numerous linear-lanceolate, acute segments. Sandwich Islands, 1879. This species somewhat resembles P. Martii, but is more robust in habit. (I. H. 352.) P. Martii (Martius'). l. dark green, flabelliform, plaited; petioles smooth, unarmed, inclosed at the base in a few rough, brown fibres. Sandwich Islands. A species of recent introduction, quite distinct from P. pacifica, and having very small seeds.
P. pacifica (Pacific Islands).* l. of a rich dark green, large, flabellate, palmatisect, plaited, covered with white down when young; petioles clothed with a white, scaly tomentum, flat above, rounded below, inclosed at the base in a few coarse, brown fibres, and totally unarmed. h. 10ft. Pacific Islands, 1870. A fine species. (F. d. S. 2262-3; I. H. n. s. 161.) P. pericularum (Dangerous Archipelago).* A handsome, fanleaved palm, resembling P. Vuylstekiana, but differing in having dark brownish-golden petioles, and obliquely spherical fruit. Pomotou Islands, 1883. P. Vuylstekiana (Vuylsteke's).* l. large, deep green, crowded on the young plant, which is short and thick-set. Pomotou Islands of the Dangerous Archipelago.(G. C. n. s., xix. 692.)