330 The Philippine Journal of Science 1919 
ONCOSPERMA Blume 
Conspectus of the species. 
a’. Gregarious. Floriferous branches of the spadix numerous, long, slender, 
and inserted at different levels on the rachis. Male flowers with 6 
stamens. Fruit small, spherical, 11 to 12 mm in diameter. 
1. O. filamentosa. 
a’. Stem very tall, solitary. Spathe very densely covered with criniform 
spines. Spadix with numerous, long, floriferous branches, which 
gradually narrow from a very thick base to a slender apex. Fruit 
large, spherical, 20 to 22 mm in diameter........................ 2. O. horrida. 
a‘, Rather large and growing in clumps. Spadix with rather short and 
thick floriferous branches; the latter clustered together and very 
closely scrobiculate. Fruit spherical or very slightly longer than 
broad, 15 to 16 mm in diameter, with the remains of the stigmas placed 
laterally, about half way or a little above.................. 3. O. platyphylla. 
a‘. Trunk slender. Spadix with relatively few, clustered, thickish, very 
closely scrobiculate, floriferous branches. Spathe not densely spinose. 
Fruit spherical, 14 to 15 mm in diameter, with nearly apical remains 
of the stigmas. Fruiting perianth 12 mm in diameter... 4. O. gracilipes. 
1. ONCOSPERMA FILAMENTOSA BI. Rumphia 2 (1836) 97, t. 82, 103; 
Bece. in Philip. Journ. Sci. 4 (1909) Bot. 610. 
PALAWAN, Caranagan River, For. Bur. 3790 Curran; Brooke’s Point, 
Elmer 12662. Quite identical with the Malayan plant. 
2. ONCOSPERMA HORRIDA Scheff. in Nat. Tijdsch. Nederl. Ind. 32 
(1871) 189; Bece. in Philip. Journ. Sci. 4 (1909) Bot. 610. 
MINDANAO, Zamboanga District, San Ramon, Copeland 1626: Agusan 
Province, Cabadbaran, Elmer 13886: Davao District, Todaya, Mount Apo, 
Elmer 11876. PoutLLo, Bur. Sci. 9277 Robinson. 
This is slightly different from the Malayan plant, but it seems 
to me not sufficiently so to consider it as even a variety. In the 
specimens I have examined the spines that cover the spathe are 
criniform or considerably slenderer than in the typical Malayan 
form. The fruit also has the pericarp slightly thinner, and the 
remains of the stigmas are less prominent in the dry fruit than 
in the Malayan plant. 
3. ONCOSPERMA PLATYPHYLLA Bece. in Philip. Journ. Sci. 4 (1909) 
Bot. 609. 
Necros, Gimagaan River, Whitford 1670, For. Bur. 17847 Curran. 
4. ONCOSPERMA GRACILIPES Bece. in Philip. Journ. Sci. 2 (1907) Bot. 
228, 4 (1909) Bot. 610. 
Luzon, Tayabas Province, Atimonan, Merrill 4010; Guinayangan, Bur. 
Sci. 13213 Ramos; between Paete and Piapi, For. Bur. 10148 Curran. 
BiuirRAN, Bur. Sct. 18490 McGregor. 
The type specimen is Merrill 4010, of which it is stated that 
the trunk was 7 to 10 m high. Curran’s field note indicates 
that the plant grows in clumps, and that the trunk is 10 m high 
and 12 cm in diameter. 
