212 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL MIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



with a brown, cellular substance ; albumen hornj-, ruminate. Embrj'o 

 obconical, ventral. 



Habitat. — Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 



rLECTOCOMIA, Mart, and Bl. Sclmlt. Syst. VII, 2, 1333. 



(From the Greek " Plectos, " plaited, and " come," hair.) 



Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. Ill, 198, 325, t. 114, 116, Fig. 11, 12. ; Bl. Humph. 

 Ill, 68. 1. 158, 159, 163 ; Kunth Enum. PL HI, 202. ; Griff. Palms Brit. Ind. 

 103, app. 20, t. 217-219. ; Bot. Mag. t. 5105. ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. III. 78. 

 suppl. 592. ; Kiirz. For. Fl. II, 514. ; Walp. Ann. Ill, 474. ; Wendl. Bot 

 Zeitg. 1859, 165. ; T. Anders. Journ. Linn. Soc. XI, ]] ; Benth. and Hook. 

 Gen. PI. Ill, II, 9.34, 107. ; Hook. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI, 477. 



Scandent, monocarpic, spinous palms ; stem verj^ long. Leaves 

 flagelliferous ; leaflets linear-lanceolate. 



Spadix simply branched ; branches very long, pendulous, clothed 

 with closely imbricating distichous, inflated, coriaceous, persistent 

 spathes which conceal the spicate, dioecious flowers. Spikelets 

 short, male many-flowered, female shorter, few-flowered ; bracts and 

 bracteoles subulate. Male flowers : Calyx cupular, 3-toothed, petals 

 lanceolate, valvate ; stamens 6-12, filaments cuneate below, anthers 

 linear. Female flowers larger, perianth accrescent; corolla 3-fid, 

 lobes valvate ; staminodes 6. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules basilar. 



Fruit globose, 1-, rarely 3-seeded, beaked; pericarp thin, 

 tessellated, with reflexed shining scales. Seed erect ; albumen 

 equable ; embryo basilar. 



Species 6 — Himalaj^an and Malayan. 



Ctdtivation in JSurope. — Very handsome stove plants and of easy 

 cultivation. A compost of loam and peat, in about equal parts, is 

 suitable. Freely propagated by suckers. 



PLECTOCOMIA KHASIYANA, Griff, in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. V, 

 106 ; Palms Brit. Ind. 106. t. 218 ; Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. Ill, 199 ; Hook. 

 Fl. Brit. Ind. VI, 478.— P. Assamica, Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 1505 (excl. syn.). 



Stem 60-80 feet, as thick as the arm. Leaves 30 feet, including 

 the flagellum ; leaflets 8-16 inches long, 2-3 inches broad, broadly 

 lanceolate, strongly 3-ribbed. finely furfuraceous beneath tip, not 

 filiferous ; rhachis armed beneath with very short digitate spines. 



Male spadix branched from the base ; branches 3 feet long by 

 2 feet across the spathels, which are 1^ inch long, oblong, white, 

 with broad, green, acute or acuminate tips and a broad, brown, 

 interposed band (fig. 3). Spikelets 1-incli, many-flowered ; petals 

 ^ inch long, elongate- lanceolate ; stamens 8-12. Female spadix: 

 Spathes of the peduncle with erect, oblong-lanceolate limbs ; flower- 

 bearing branches 1-2 feet long, secund, pendulous ; spathes at the 

 base half amplectent, rather distant, distichous, and laxly imbricated ; 

 outline obovate, towards the apex broadlj^ obcuneate, margins below 

 this part incurved ; spikes concealed by the spathes, furfuraceous, 



