THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 



55 



the apex ; the lowest ones are 



larger 



and measure 3-G inches 



in length ; the upper ones getting gradually shorter. Female flowers ; 

 ovate, acute ^ inch long ; involucellum membranaceous, yellow, form- 

 ing a cupule almost complete or more or less split on the back, 

 narrowly embracing the calyx. Calyx tubular-urceolate, truncate, 

 tmtire and slightly narrowing at the moiith from which rise the 

 conical apex of the ovary and the stigmas, which form a pyramidal 

 trigonous, aci;te poinr. Corolla invisible externally, being entirely 



/^.i 



ry 



\j/ 



Fig. 



1. — Raphia ruffia, Mart. Left: Female flower without spathellule. 

 seen from the axile side. Middle : Male flower. Right : 

 Median section of male flower. (After Beccari.) 



included in, r.nd slightly shorter than, the calyx, divided into 3 

 large, broadly triangailar, acuminate lobes. Staminodes forming a 

 membranous cupule which is irregularly sinuous — 6-dentate, the teeth 

 ])eing more or less triangular. Ovary ovate, stigmas o, triangular, 

 acute, connivent. Male flowers perfectly distichous and uniseriate, 

 •| inch long and .^L inch broad. Spathellule of male flower slight- 

 ly longer than the calyx of its own flower, acutely bicarinate, shortly 

 bidentate at the apex (fig. 1). Calyx tubular-cyathiform, superfici- 

 ally and obtusely 3-denticulate, slightly shorter than the corres- 

 ])onding spathellule. Stamens normally 6, sometimes 7-8, equal; 

 iilaments stout, clavate-fusiform, abruptly conti-acted at the 

 connective, connate at the base ; anthers linear, sagittate- auriculate 

 below, obtuse. Corolla about twice as long as the calyx, subterete, 

 divided to its lower fourth into 3 linear-lanceolate, thinly coria- 



i;eous segments. 



Fruits variable in shape and size, 1-2 inches long, 1^-1 5 inch 

 broad, more or less turbinate, or globose-ovate, and slightly longer 

 than broad, or subglobose, always slightly depressed at the apex 

 and terminated by a very short conical top, more or less attenuate 

 below into an acute and symmetrical base, more rarely rotundate 

 at the base. Scales disposed on 12-13 orthostichies, of chestnut or 



