Fig. 93. — Royal Palm (Oreodoxa regia). The royal palm is an important honey plant in Porto Rico and Cuba, where it forms large forests, and in southern Florida. It blooms throughout the year and yields nectar when there are no other sources of honey.

good year it secretes nectar very freely, and on the St. Lucie River 65 colonies gathered 3500 pounds of extracted honey in two weeks. (Fig. 95.)

The honey is nearly white, or light amber-colored, and has a characteristic aroma, which does not resemble at all that of scrub palmetto. It is very thin, and in warm weather runs almost like water; and even in cold weather it never thickens. The flavor is extremely mild, but it is inferior to that of scrub palmetto. Gas bubbles may frequently be seen under the cappings of the sealed cells, and during extracting the honey foams considerably, as though it were fermenting, but after it has stood for a few days the bubbles wholly disappear. But honey from unsealed cells will ferment enough to deprive it of its flavor. As it is a mild honey it