158 Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 



catkins with setaceous bracteoles, very small. Sepals linear tips broad 

 in flexed, petals similar smaller. Stamens 3, filaments short cuneate, 

 anthers linear basifixed. Female flowers terminal in a capitulum, 

 perianth lobes 6. Carpels 3. Stigma linear oblique. Ovules 3 erect. Fruit 

 an enormous syncarp of obovoid compressed irregularly shaped carpels, 

 with pyramidal angled tops, 1 celled and 1 seeded, perieai'p fibrous, 

 endocarp spongy. Seed erect grooved on one side, albumen soft lining 

 the testa. Embryo basilar. 



NlPA FRUTICANS, Wurmb. Verb. Bat. Genootsch. I. 349. 

 Creeping stem fleshy two feet or more through. Leaves 15-20 

 feet tall dark green, glaucescent beneath, leaflets. Inflorescence huge 

 on a long peduncle. Bracts orange. Male spikes 2 inches long. 

 Fruit about 2 feet through, dark brown. 



Blume, Eumphia III. 76, pi. 164, 165. Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm 

 III. 305, t. 208. Lam. 111. t. 89, 7. Labill. Men. Mus. Par. V. t. 21, 

 22. Gaud. Voy. Bonit. t. 67. Kth. Enum. III. 110, 589. Miq. Fl. 

 Ind. Bat. III. 170. Griff. Notul. III. 168. Ic. Pi. As. 211. Poxb. Fl. 

 Ind. III. 650. Hook. fil. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI. 424. 



Tidal rivers over the whole peninsula also occurring in the Suud- 

 erbunds, Ceylon, Malay Islands and Australia. Fossil fruits of a very 

 similar species occur in the London Clay in England. Native name 

 " Nipah." The leaflets of unopened leaves are used for cigarette 

 papers, and the albumen of the fruit is eaten. The leaves are used for 

 the manufacture of ataps and are considered among the best for this 

 purpose. In some places the plant is being planted for this purpose. 



4. Phoeniceae. 



13. Phoenix, L. 



Palms unisexual with short rarely tall stems, simple or tufted. 

 Leaves pinnate stiff, spiny, leaflets linear or lanceolate acute pungent, 

 sides folded in at base. Inflorescences interlobar, erect, branched, 

 spathe complete coriaceous large. Flowers small yellow. Male calyx 

 flat or cup-shaped 3 lobed. Petals linear ovate, or oblong. Stamens 

 3-9, filaments subulate, anthers dorsifixed. Pistillode minute or want- 

 ing. Female flowers, sepals as in male. Petals rounded, longer. 

 Staminodes 6 or connate into a cup. Carpels 3 free, stigmas sessile, 

 Ovules erect. Drupe 1 seeded oblong, stigma terminal, pericarp 

 fleshy, endocarp membranous. Seed oblong ventrally grooved, album- 

 en equable or slightly ruminate. 



Species 10 or more. African, Indian, Siam, and Malay Peninsula. 



P. PALUDOSA Roxb. Ilort. Bang. 75 Fl. Ind. 789. Stems several 5 

 to 8 feet tall and 3 inches through ringed. Leaves 4-8 feet long, petiole 

 spiny, leaflets 12-24 inches long ■£ inch wide linear acuminate grey 

 beneath. Male inflorescenco 1-li feet long, peduncle broad and 

 flat, branches slender sinuate 3-4 inches long spreading. Flowers 



