BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 53 



alternate linear pinnules are one and a-half to two feet long ; upper 

 pinnules cuneate and deeply bipartite. 



Above this region of Pinanga is the Bertam Palm, a stemless 

 species, growing in thick tufts which are surrounded by the 

 withering fragments of old leaves. This is the Eugeissona triste 

 (Griffith, p. 110, pi. 220, A. B. C.) The leaves are numerous, the 

 outer ones spreading, and fifteen or twenty feet in length. The 

 stalks throughout the lower seven or ten feet are roundish, armed 

 with brown, fiat ascending thorns ; but between the pinnules they 

 are triangular and unarmed ; the pinnules long and narrow, 

 25 or 30 inches in length. This is one of the most useful 

 of palm-trees and in its industrial application it divides the 

 honours with Nipa fruticans. Most of the partitions of houses 

 are made of it, and often the walls ; while the leaves with the 

 pinnules plaited over one another make a very eSective roofing. 

 It is common everywhere in the Straits Settlements, and adds 

 much to the impenetrability of the vegetation. The Bertam con- 

 tinued up to about 3,000 feet and then we had nothing but 

 Licuala. These were very handsome trees even though they 

 are almost stemless, but as the leaves are fan-shaped or sometimes 

 circular the appearance is very elegant. The natives call them 

 generally by the name of " Plass," but most of the species occur 

 on the lower grounds in wet places. Here, however, I met 

 with them on dry slopes, altogether above the usual region of 

 palms, and this was quite a discovery. The leaves were circular 

 and peltate, and I have little doubt that this was Licuala peltata, a 

 species peculiar to the woody mountainous country of the Hima- 

 layas below Darjeling. I never saw it anywhere except on this 

 mountain, nor below a height of 3,000 feet ; but I must add that 

 my experience of mountain ranges was somewhat limited in the 

 Malay Peninsula. Griffith says that this is the largest and finest 

 species of the genus, and not likely to be confounded with any 

 other. Its large peltate orbicular leaves, simple, large pendulous 

 spikes, and comparatively very large fiowers will at once distinguish 

 it. In its leaves it resembles Z. longipes, but that is an almost 

 stemless palm, while this, though a low species, has a stout stem 



