236 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
membrane traversed by numerous web-like fibers; endocarp also a thin mem- 
brane traversed by numerous fragile fibers. 
Seed oval, larger above the middle: seed coat a very thin membrane, deli- 
cately fibrous; albumen uniform; embryo basal, protected by a fragile, rather 
fleshy cap, the flattened, disk-like outer end of the embryo attached to the cap; 
embryo cavity large, conical. 
Type species, Weittinella quinaria, 
Distinguished from Wettinia Poepp. by the compound spadix and the very 
large sepals, broader than the petals and nearly as long. 
Wettinella quinaria sp. nov. 
Puiates 54 (B), facing p. 230, 56 (C), facing p. 280, 63 (B), facing 
p. 235, 64, 65. 
Trunk 7 meters long, 12 to 20 cm. in diameter 1 meter from base; internodes 
20 cm. long; surface smooth. 
Leaves pinnate, 12 to 15 in a head, largest below the middle; leaf bases 
woody, 168 cm. long by 84 cm. wide at base, splitting into coarse, strong fibers; 
surface covered with a very closely adherent grayish scurf; with age the leaf 
bases becoming black and deeply wrinkled; young bases pale blue; petiole very 
short (15 ecm. long) by 8 to 4 cm. in diameter; lower surface rounded, covered 
with grayish scurf like that on base; upper surface with deep central groove 1.5 
em. wide and 1 cm. deep. 
Rachis 315 cm. long by 3.4 cm. broad at base, the deep groove of the petiole 
gradually becoming a broadly rounded ridge 1 cm. in width; on either side 
this central ridge paralleled by rather deep grooves, the pinn# inserted in 
these; toward the tip of the leaf the grooves becoming flattened and the cen- 
tral ridge more prominent and rather sharp; lower surface rounded, flattening 
toward the tip, tomentose, except a narrow strip along the center, this smooth 
and light colored; central ridge and grooves of the upper surface covered with 
a rich brownish tomentum becoming grayish toward the tip; upper surface 
also marked with longitudinal strie 1 mm. apart, distinct at base, gradually 
disappearing toward tip; just below the insertion of each pinna the rachis bare 
and smooth for 4 cm. or less. 
Pinne 40 to 44 on each side, divided irregularly into 3 to 20 segments, 12 
mm. or less in width; upper surface dark green, covered for 15 cm. or less 
outward from point of insertion with tomentum like that found on lower part 
of rachis; on the pinnz of the upper half of the leaf the tomentum changing 
to a light gray color and extending for only 2 cm. or less; lower surface of 
pinne of slightly lighter shade than the upper and very densely covered with 
reddish brown tomentum about 1 mm. in length; all the prominent veins more 
densely tomentose; lowest segments the longest in some pinnw and the central 
ones in others, each segment notched at the apex, giving the whole margin a 
very ragged appearance; toward the end of the leaf the segments becoming 
more nearly equal in length. 
Lowest pinnz very small, scarcely 10 cm. in length and only 2 em. broad at 
widest part, 1 cm. at base, consisting of 3 or 4 narrow segments; second pinnse 
larger, 58 cm. long, 6 cm. wide just below the middle, consisting of 10 segments, 
each less than 1 cm. in width; middle pinne 112 cm. long by 10 to 11 em. in 
width and 3 cm. at base, consisting of 16 narrow segments, the widest only 1 
cm. wide; terminal pinnze 40 cm. long by 4 to 8 cm. in width and 8 to 9 cm. at 
base, consisting of 11 to 16 segments, less than 1 cm. in width; largest pinnz 
found between the base and the middle of the leaf, reaching a length of 110 
cm. and a width of 14 cm. and consisting of about 20 segments. 
Spathes 6, woody, covered with reddish hairs. 
