NOTES ON THE FLORA OF CEYLON. 269 



Calamus ovoideus Thw. ms. — Stem stout ; leaf-slieaths 

 densely set with many close rings of broad, flat, often lacerate, 

 deflexed black prickles ; racliis with deciduous down when young, 

 concave above, the lateral ridges set with short sharp prickles, 

 convex beneath, with distant solitary sharp rcflexed spines, 

 becoming more numerous on the petiole, extending into a long 

 cirrhus set with numerous closely-placed semicirclets of stout 

 hooks ; leaflets equidistant, broadly linear, attenuate, many-nerved, 

 the two principal ones (besides the midrib) with a few long weak 

 setae on the upper surface ; apex bristly ; spadix branched, the 

 lower spathes with stout deflexed hooks, the smaller ones smooth ; 

 no lora ; flowers not seen ; fruit -^-^ in. long, oblong-ovoid, beaked, 

 tapering slightly at base, which is supported by the much enlarged 

 persistent perianth ; scales numerous, small, furrowed down the 

 centre, pale greyish yellow, very narrowly edged with orange-brown. 



Hab. Safl'ragam District, Western Prov., 1866. (C. P. 3925 

 in Hb. Perad.). Native name, " Tambutu-wel." A large species, 

 a specimen of which is in the Botanic Garden ; leaves 14 ft. long 

 or more, of which 4 ft. is occupied by the long tendril ; longest 

 leaflets about 14 in. long, bright shining apple-green above, duller 

 beneath. 



Judging from the fruit only, this species appears to be near C. 

 acantliospathus Grifi'. (Palm. Brit. Ind. p. 50, t. cxc. A, 1), from 

 Khasya, but the foliage of that plant is not described. 



Cryptocoryne Beckettii Thw. ms. — Petiole slender, from 

 1^-3 times as long as the blade, sheathing at base ; blade lanceo- 

 late-oblong, the base cordate or subauriculate, the apex subacute, 

 entire, undulated, glabrous, minutely dotted above, 5-7-nerved, 

 texture thin; spathe sessile, small; tube narrow, straight, glabrous, 

 striate, scarcely contracted above the inflorescence ; blade small, 

 not more than half as long as the tube, ending in a short tail ; 

 stalk of male inflorescence shorter than it; female flowers (carpels) 

 5 ; fruit not seen, 



Hab. Matale East, Feb. 1865, Mr. T. W. N. Beckett (C. P. 3868 

 in Herb. Perad.). Kootstock small; petioles 4-8 in. long; leaf- 

 blades 2^-4 in. ; spathe sessile, not an inch long. In some 

 specimens (? submerged) the leaves are larger and narrower than 

 above described, and less cordate. 



I have only herbarium specimens, and only one has an in- 

 florescence, which is perhaps not fully matured. The species is 

 apparently near C. cordata Grifi". (Ic. t. 172), from which it diti'ers 

 in its narrower and differently-veined leaves, sessile inflorescence, 

 and shorter spathe. 



Lagenandra insignis Trim. — Leaves with long petioles, the 

 blade oblong-oval, acute at both ends, especially at apex, glabrous 

 above, closely dotted beneath ; midrib beneath very thick and pro- 

 minent, and with the numerous close lateral veins rough or woolly 

 with short harsh scurfy hairs or papillfe ; spathe very large, the 

 tube short, funnel-shaped, the limb many times longer, expanded, 

 thin in texture, crisped and undulated, suddenly narrowed into a 

 short tail, the upper part falling over (like an Arisicma), glabrous. 



