228 BECCAUI. 
ONCOSPERMA Bluiue. 
Oncosperma gracilipes Becc. n. sp. 
Gracilis, caudice subelato, 4 cm. diam. in parte apicali rubiginoso- 
furfuraceo^ spiculis 1-4 cm. longis undique horrido. Folia ampla, vagina 
50 cm. longa spiculis nigris armata, petiolo brevi, parte pennifera 
eirciter 2 m. longa, rachi subinermi, segmentis nunicrosis aequidistan- 
tibus, 4-5 cm. inter se remotis, rectissimis, ensiformibus, apice acuminato- 
subulatis, basi attenuatis, subtus secus costam mediam paleolis nonnullis 
praeditis; intermediis GO-70 cm. longis, 28-30 em. latis. Spadix pro 
rata inter species affines brevis, 50 cm. longns, simpliciter-ramosua, 
ramulis ad 10 in apice partis peduncularis circ. 12 cm. longae, congestis, 
rigidis, crassis, 25-30 cm, longis, 8 mm. spissis, profimde crebreque 
scrobiculatis; fructibns mediocribus, periantbio circ. 12 mm. lato 
suffultis. 
A slender palm, 7-10 m. high. Stem 4 cm. in diameter with 
intemodes 5 cm, long^ rusty furfuraceous at its summit, covered through- 
out with very slender needle-like unequal, brittle, black, shining spiculas, 
which vary in length from 1 to 4 cm. and point in different directions. 
Leaves about 2 m. long not including the sheath; the sheath is rather 
thickly coriaceous, 50 cm. long, rusty-furfuraceous and strongly striated 
externally and more or less covered with the kind of spiculse described 
above, but smaller; the petiole is very short (about 15 cm. in one 
specimen) round beneath, flattish above where it is very densely covered 
r , 
with spiculse, which here however are appressed; its margins acute, 
the rachis more or less fugaceously rusty-furfuraceous with a few 
scattered spiculse in its lower part, smooth from the middle upwards, 
with a flat facet above which gradually narrows into a salient angle 
separating the two side facets where the leaflets are inserted, underneath 
the rachis is convex at first and flattish from the middle upwards. 
Leaflets papyraceous, very numerous, equidistant, 4-5 cm. apart, quite 
smooth (not spinulous) on both surfaces, almost shining above, dull and 
slightly paler beneath, straight, ensiform, somewhat narrowed to a 
rather acute base (where the margins are strongly deflexed), gradually 
acuminate to a subulate point from the middle upwards, longitudinally 
plicate along the 2-3 secondary nerves on each side of the mid-costa; 
the costa is rather strong a'nd prominent in the upper surface where 
the secondary nerves are slender; underneath the secondary nerves are 
prominent and as strong as the mid-costa, which is furnished with a few 
linear scales; the intermediate leaflets are 60-70 cm. long, 28-30 mm. 
broad; those near tlie simimit are gradually shorter and narrower; 
the ultimate ones narrowly linear and though acuminate have the cxtrenio 
apex obtuse. Fruiting perianth about 12 mm. in diameter; the divisions 
of the calyx and of the corolla broadly triangular and almost equal. 
Fruit-spadix about 50 em. long^ divided into about 10 simple branches 
