353 



NEW PALMS COLLECTED IN THE VALLEY OF TEE 



AMAZON m NORTH BRAZIL, IN 1874. 



By James W. H. Teail, M.A., M.B., F.L.S. 



(Tab. 183.) 



{Continued from p. 333.) 



CocoiNE^. 

 Genus Desmoncus, Mart. 



14. D. PALusTRis, sp. n. (Trail hb. Palm., 81). — Vagina et costse 

 aculeis rectis nigris •0l0'"-'025'" armatis et tomento albido-badio sparse 

 vestitis ; foliis l'5™-2-0"; pinnis \%-jugis, lanceolatis, acuminatis, 

 crassiusculis, '18™-*22'"x '018'°-"28™, SM/Tfl^advenammediamplerumque 

 aculeis 4-5, sparsis, nigris, rectis, siibtus aculeis 1-2 similibus armatis ; 

 cirrhi subinermis hamis 8-jugis validis, subulatis ; spatha interiore 

 spathulata, "60 , sublignea, extus sparse tomentosa et aculeis nigris 

 •005m-'010 armata ; spadicis pedunculo '60 aculeissparsisiiss-path.se 

 similibus armato, ramos 8-10, "OTS"", tenues emittente ; fi. ? corolla 

 calyce quadruple longiore, ore profunde trifide. 



E.db. — In paludibus ad fl. Padauiri, brachium fluminis Negro. 



Ohs. — This species seems to come very near in some points to 

 D. horridus Splitgerber (Palmet. Orbign., p. 51), from which, how- 

 ever, it differs in the characters italicised ; possibly it may prove, on 

 comparison of specimens, to be a subspecies of D. horridus. 



15.D.PUMiLiJs,s^. w.(Trailhb. Palm., 75).— Caudicel'"-2 x -005 ; 

 vagina aculeis setiformibus nigris rectis, costse aculeis nigris aduncis a 

 basi incrassata ortis valide armatis; foliis •50'", pinnis 4-5- (raro 6-) 

 jugis, lanceolatis, acuminatis, crassiusculis, valide plicatis, ad venam 

 mediam supra aculeis 6-8 rectis, sparsis, nigris, armatis, •06'"-"ll" 

 X03 ; cirrhi hamis 4- 5 -jugis subulatis, validis ; spathis inermibus, 

 interiore anguste fusiformi, "25 -•38'" X "012 , interdum aculeolis 

 caducis ad basin sparse armata ; spadicis •25'"--37'" rachi filiformi 

 ramos 5 tenues •OJ37 emittente ; fl. J corolla quam calyx duplo 

 longiore trifida; drupa obovata, •Q 12 x'009 ,aurantiaca; endocarpio 

 nigro. [Tab. 183, fig. iv.] 



Hal. — In campis arenosis inter Gramina, Cyperos, et Melastomas 

 adscendens, ad fl. Padauiri, sub Alquatore, 



Ohs. — In some points this species approaches the description of 

 B. leptospadix, Mart. (Palmet. Orb., p. 52), but it differs sufficiently 

 in the armed vagina of the leaf, in the spines on the pinnae, in the 

 obovate fruit, and in the habitat, growing among herbs and low shrubs 

 on open campos instead of in virgin forest. In addition, the descrip- 

 tion of D. leptospadix makes no mention of the small size of the 

 plant, and of the hard and strongly plicated character of the pinnag, 

 all very noticeable points in Z). pumilus. At Manaos (no. 105, Ti'ail 

 hb. Palm), and on the Rio Javary I met with a Lesmoncus in virgin 

 forest that agreed with D. leptospadix in stem and leaves, so far as 



U.S. VOL. 5. [December, 1876.] 2 a 



