Aug. 25, 1919] 



Palms of the Philippine Islands 



30-11 



with slender or else bristle-like spines, the panicle is 

 composed of 5 to 7 superposed and gradually diminishing 

 partial inflorescences; the main axis, branches and spikelets 

 glabrous and slightly rusty furfuraceous. Primary spathes 

 papyraceous, exsuccous, narrow, elongately acuminate, 

 covered irregularly throughout with bristle-like spinules. 

 Partial fruit bearing inflorescence spreading and having 

 a very conspicuous callus at their axilla, the lower ones 

 are 8 to 10 cm. long ,and 'carry on each sid^ 4 or 5 

 gradually smaller spreading divaricate spikelets; the lower 

 spikelets in every partial inflorescence are 4 to 5 cm. 

 long and contain 5 to 7 flowers on each side, occasionally 

 the spikelets are longer and with 8 to 10 flowers on 

 each side; the upper spikelets soon become shorter and 

 consequently with fewer flowers. The female flowers are 

 relatively large as is shown by the fruiting perianth 

 which forms a very narrow base and is broadly campanulate, 

 with spreading or recurved conspicuous triangular per- 

 sistent petals. The involucrophorum is distinctly pedicelli- 

 form and together with the involucre raised, it forms 

 a pedicel to the fruit at times as much as 5 to 8 

 mm. long yet frequently less, the pedicels at the fruiting 

 stage are kept spreading by a conspicuous callosity at 

 their axilla; areola of the neuter flower obscurely niche- 

 like. Fruit giobosely ovoid or ovoidly elliptic, equally 

 rounded at both ends, suddenly and obtusely beaked, 

 12 to 17 mm. long including the beak and perianth, 9 

 to 11 mm. broad; scales in 15 vertical series, shiny, of 

 a dirty straw color, more or less distinctly bordered 

 all around with a narrow purplish or purplish black 

 band, rather deeply groved along the center especially 

 in their posticous parts; the apices slightly produced, 

 blunt; the extreme margins very narrowly scarious and 

 minutely erose toothed. Seed oblong, 8 to 10 mm. in 

 length, rounded at both ends, boldly tubercled; chalazal 

 fovea quite superficial and indistinct; albumen ruminate, 

 embryo basal. 



Field-note for 14132:— Scandent and of middle size; 

 old stem looping, less than 0.5 inch thick, the joints 6 

 inches apart and rather smooth; the leafy portion at 

 least twice as thick and densely spiny; leaves scattering 

 alternatingly every, 6 inches or nearly so; petiole 6 inches 

 long, flat, spiny along the sides or edges and along the 

 lower side only; the upper and lower half of the shoulder 

 base smooth, otherwise spiny; sheaths dark green, densely 

 covered with subfumosus colored flattened ascending 0.75 

 inch long numerous spines which are obliquely arranged 



