THE PALMS 01' BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 



217 



like spinous prolon<j;'ations (dagella) of tlie rhachis, or of the spadix, 

 or of the leaf sheath ; stem simple, cyliiulric, ringed at the nodes, 

 upper internodes elothed with spinous leaf-sheaths. Leaves 

 pinnatisect. rarely digitate, alternate ; leaflets few or many, lanceo- 

 late, rarely broad, acuminate, nerves parallel ; sheath armed, 

 produced into a ligula or ochrea and with or without a lateral armed 

 tiagellum. Spadices axillary, usually elongate, much branched, 

 armed, sometimes produced into a spinous flagellum. Spathes 

 tubular or open, sheathing the peduncle and branches of the spadix, 

 and passing into bracts and bracteoles (spathels and spathellules). 

 Flowers small, usually potygamo-ditccious, in usualljr distichous 

 often scorpioid spikelets, solitary or binate (a female or male or both) 

 in the bracteoles. Male flowers : calyx cupular, 3-lobed or 3- 

 toothed, coriaceous ; petals 3, acute, coriaceous, valvate, sometimes 

 combined at the base into a stipes ; stamens 6, filaments shoi't, 

 anthers dorsifixed, versatile. Female flowers slightly accrescent ; 

 calyx as in male ; corolla tubular below, 3-fid, valvate ; staminodes 

 forming a cup ; ovary incompletelj^ 3-celled, clothed with retrorse 

 scales ; stjde short or rather long ; stigmas 3 ; ovule basilar, erect, 

 (Fig. 4 and 5.) 



Fig. 4 — Calamtm (iriffithinnui. 



1. Female flower with its involucre still closed ; back view of 



the involucrophorum [n). 



2. Female flower cut open ; jr = .staminal tube. 



3. Female flower without involucre ; d = calyx, e = corolla- 



Enlarged i; diam. (After Beccari), 



