Materials for a Flora of ike Malayan Peninsula. 



137 



This elegant little palm also occurs in Sarawak on Matang (Hul- 

 lett) and in British North Borneo at Bongaya. 



A. Catechu, L. Sp. PL 1189. The Betel nut palm " Pinang " is 

 largely cultivated but not native. Its original habitat appears to be 

 unknown. It does not seem to establish itself here, though it remains 

 in old cultivations for a long time. The plant is mentioned as cultivat- 

 ed in Malacca by Garcia da Orta (Hist. Arom. 99. A.D. 1593) but as in 

 small quantities only, the supply being insufficient for the natives. It 

 is also mentioned in a Chinese work dated B.C. 140-86 under the name 

 of Pin Lang evidently a perversion of Pinang. 



2. PlXANGA, Bl. 



Small to moderately tall palms, usually several stemmed, unarmed. 

 Leaves pinnatisect more rarely entire. Spadix simple or compound, 

 emerging below the leaves. Flowers small, two males with one female 

 between. Male flowers symmetric. Stamens 6 or more. Female 

 flowers smaller ovoid or globose, sepals and petals orbicular. Ovule 

 basilar erect. Drupe ovoid or elliptic, pericarp pulpy, fibrous. Albumen 

 ruminate. 



Species about 50. Tropical Asia. 



1. SPIRANTHEAE, Flowers spirally arrang- 

 ed on a compound spadix. 



Leaflets linear acuminate ... 

 Leaflets few trapezoid 

 Leaflets falcate sigmoid ••• 



1. P. Scortcchiuii. 



2. P. canina. 



3. P. polymorpha. 



2. Orthostichaxtheae. Flowers dis- 

 tichously arranged on the spadix. 



Dwarf palms with slender stems. Leaf 

 cuneate entire or rarely with a few unequal 

 leaflets. 



Leaf half as broad as long. 



Karely lobed. Stems several slender 

 Usually lobed. Stems solitary slender ... 

 Lobed or entire almost stemless ... 



Leaf more than twice as long as broad. 

 Spadix stout simple 

 Spadix very slender simple 

 Leaf pinnate leaflets about 30 linear 



Tall palms 5 to 15 feet or more stem 

 stout. Leaves pinnate leaflets linear acumi- 

 nate. 



P. 

 P. 

 P. 



P. 

 P. 

 P. 



clisticha. 



Umosa. 



acaulis. 



subruminata. 



subintcgra. 



calamifrons. 



