Tas. 7083. - 
CARLUDOVICA ROTUNDIFOLIA. 
Native of Costa Rica. 
Nat. Ord. CycLantHacexz.—Tribe CaRLUDOVICER. 
Genus Cariupovica, Ruiz § Pav.; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Pi. vol. iii. p. 953.) 
Cartupovica rotundifolia; foliorum lamina 4 ped, diametr. semi-orbiculari 
basi cordata fere 3-partita v. segmento medio fisso 4-partita, segmentis - 
multifidis, petiolo 6-8-pedali tenuiter furfuraceo, scapo pedali, spadice 
8 poll. longo cylindraceo, fl. masc. compresso cuneato, staminibus innu- 
meris, fl. foom. perianthii minuti segmentis ovatis apiculatis, stami- 
nodiis longissimis gracillimis tortis, stylis depresso-globosis radiantibus, 
stigmatibus pulvinatis, syncarpio 6-8 pollicari decurvo cylindraceo. 
C. rotundifolia, Wendland mss. 
This noble species is nearly allied to the well-known 0. 
palmata (of the leaves of which Panama hats are manu- 
factured), from which it differs in its much larger size, the 
leaf being at least four feet broad, and the ‘petiole six to 
nine feet high, as against a leaf hardly three feet broad, and 
a petiole four feet high in C. palmata ; moreover, the latter 
again, which is smooth, glossy, and little over one-third of an 
inch in diameter in C. palmata, isin this nearly two-thirds 
of an inch in diameter, and of a dull green, opaque, and 
covered with a very thin coat of furfuraceous pubes- 
cence that is very fugacious. Traces of a similar pubes- 
cence are to be found out at the top of the very young 
petiole of C. palmata. Then again the spadix, which in the 
last-named species is only four inches long, in this is eight 
inches with a scape nearly an inch in diameter. Lastly, 
the staminodes of C. palinata are very stout, and only one 
inch long, whereas those of the present species are filiform, 
and at least six inches long. , 
In the above comparison I have relied for the characters 
of C. palmata upon the beautiful figures and description 
given by Drude in Martiu’s Flora of Brazil, Cyclanth. 
p- 234, t. 54 and 55, fig. 2. The name palmata is, how- 
ever, probably very loosely applied, and to more than one 
species of Carludovica, for specimens so named, received 
from the Botanical Gardens of Jamaica, are undoubtedly C. 
rotundifolia. 
“November Isr, 1889. 
