Aug. 25, 1919] 



Palms of the Philippine Islands 



3063 



the side next to the axis, embracing 2 equal female 

 flowers, each of which is provided with its own orbicular 

 shallowly cupular involucre; between the 2 involucrae is 

 a distinct elliptical areola for the insertion of a neuter 

 flower. Fruiting perianth about 3 mm. in length, distinctly 

 pedicelliform, the hardened calyx is somewhat broadened 

 at the base. Fruit ovoidly ellipsoid, equally rounded at 

 both ends, 16 to 18 mm. long, 12 to 14 mm. through, 

 very shortly beaked at the apex and upon a short caudicu- 

 late base; scales subsquarrose, not quite appressed, arranged 

 in 12 vertical series, glossy, slightly convex, not deeply 

 grooved along the center, of a reddish brown color when 

 dry, the apex slightly produced and more or less tinged 

 with purplish red as are frequently the margins, when fully 

 mature wine red. Seed enveloped by a copious fleshy 

 acid integument, somewhat irregularly flattened, lenticular, 

 8 mm. broad, 4 mm. thick; the chalazal fovea puncti- 

 form on the center of one of the faces. Albumen ho 

 mogeneous. 



Mindanao: Cabadbaran (Mt. Urdaneta), Province of 

 Agusan, October 1912, number 14158. Discovered this 

 alpine rattan in rocky though moist ground of deep 

 forested and sheltered ravines near the summit ridge of 

 Cawilanan peak at 4750 feet altitude. Its large infrutes 

 cence loaded with ripe red fruits could be seen long 

 distances. The native Manobo had no name for this 

 our most characteristic of our Philippine species, or the 

 only red fruited rattan known. 



Field-note: — A middle sized tree climber; leaf bear- 

 ing stem 2 inches thick, very dark green; leaves al- 

 ternatingly scattered every 8 inches, horizontal and re- 

 curved, their rachises extended into dangling hooked 

 flagellae, the leaflet bearing portion 6 feet in length; 

 petiole 1 foot long, 1 inch wide, flat and spiny on the 

 upper side and along the edges, the thickened plate quite 

 smooth; sheaths provided with bristle-like spines which are 

 denser and longer toward the top or along the margins; 

 leaflets chartaceous or rather parchment-like, very strong- 

 ly recurved or pendant, shining above, a trifle paler 

 beneath; infrutescence arising from near the leaf axil, 

 more or less recurved, 3 to 5 feet long or longer, quite 

 rigid, the rachis compressed toward the base; spathels 

 smooth except the fringe of bristle-like spines toward 

 the throat; branches alternating every 4 inches, divari 

 cate and slightly recurved, rebranched, the fruit bearing 

 segments a trifle ascending; nuts upon short green ped- 

 icels, short ellipsoid, very bluntly pointed at the apex, 



