74 



NOTE ON PLECTOCOJIIA GRIFFITHII BECC. 



A comparison of the following description, drawn up from our 

 specimens, will prove their identity with the plant of Griffith's 

 book : — 



P. Griffithii Becc. MSS. apud Hook. fil. in Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 

 478. P. elon<iata Griff, (uon Mart.) in Calc. Jotirn. Nat. Hist. v. 

 96 ; Palms Brit. East hid. 104, t. 217 a, b (?), c. Branch of male 

 inflorescence 1 in. or more in diameter ; beariug regularly arranged 

 distichous spathes 4 in. long by li across. Spadices narrow, 

 cylindrical, longest 18 in., diameter f in. Spathels closely imbri- 

 cated, distichous, margins connate, forming a tube widening gradu- 

 ally towards the mouth, where it is produced obliquely into a very 

 broad obtuse apex, H-1^ in. long, and about the same in circum- 

 ference at the mouth. Flowers closely crowded in a dense panicle, 

 shorter than the spathel, between the concave sides of which, the 

 axis of the spadix, and the next higher spathel, they are so com- 

 pressed as to become oblique in form. Generally 16 in number, 

 the short branches bearing a pair of subsessile flowers. Bracts 

 small, sharply acuminate. Eachis furfuraceous (scales dark chest- 

 nut-brown). Calyx dark-coloured; sepals forming a cup with a 

 shortly ciliate margin and three shallow teeth ; 1^ line long. 

 Petals lanceolate, less abruptly pointed than in P. elojujata Mart. ; 

 3-3^ by 1-lf lines. Anthers 6, linear-oblong, 1| lines long, 

 attached a little above the base to the filament, which is 1^ lines 

 long, and tapers rapidly above the middle. The flowers are rather 

 rotten, and allow no rudiment of a pistil to be seen. 



Female flowers very shortly stalked, arranged distichously 

 (8 in number) on the spike, which is completely protected by the 

 broadly ovate obtuse spathel, which measures If in. in length and 

 breadth. Calyx similar to but larger than in the male {\ in. long); 

 petals united below into a shallow cup, 1 line long, above which 

 they narrow into a broadly-linear limb with a subacute tip, 3^ by 

 1^ lines. Filaments 6, triangular-subulate, bearing smaller anthers 

 (apparently barren) than in the male. Styles 3, free to the base, 

 5 lines long. 



Fruits still seated in the persistent perianth, 4 to 5 in each 

 spathel which is now widely spreading. Globose, about 8 lines in 

 diameter. Scales quadrate, polished, dark cbestnut-brown in 

 colour, with a lighter thin fimbriated edge ; produced above into 

 a long membranous tapering fimbriated tip. Seeds one or more. 



P. Griffithii differs from P. eloiujala in the narrow cylindrical 

 spadices and tubular spathels of the male inflorescence, and in its 

 smaller fruits and the greater number which are borne in one 

 spathel. 



A fruiting spadix received from Mr. Ridley, and collected by him 

 on Penang Hill, Pulau Penang,in Dec. 1895 (No. 7098), also belongs 

 to this species. 



