6. CoRTPHA.] 137. PALM ACE jE. 



long. At flowering time the top of the tree is a huge pyramidal yellow panicle 

 10-20 ft. in height. After fruiting it dies. 

 Only occasionally cultivated ; chiefly in Orissa. 



2. C. elata, Roxh. Bajur, Beng. is nearly as tall with spirally ridged trunk and 

 more slender petiole 6-12 ft. long. Panicle much smaller ovoid. Occasionally 

 planted. 



7. Lieu ALA, Thunb. 

 Short- rarely tall-stemmed palms with more or less orbicular or 

 flabellate plicate deeply partite or palmately divided leaves and usually 

 spinose petioles. Spadices interfoliar, sheathed by tubular coriaceous 

 persistent spathes. Flowers usually small, scattered, 2-sexual. 

 Bracts and bracteoles obscure or 0. Calyx cupular or tubular, lobed. 

 Corolla tubular at base, lobes coriaceous, valvate. Stamens 6 with 

 cordate anthers, filaments compressed subulate, united into a tube 

 at base, sometimes adnate to corolla-tube. Ovary of 3 free or nearly 

 free truncate 1-ovuled 3-gonous carpels, stj'les filiform. Ovules 

 erect. Drupes small with style terminal. Seed erect, globose, free, 

 often hollowed on ventral face, albumen equable. Embryo dorsal. 



1. L. peltata, Roxh. Thai, Kol ; Kurud, Beng. 



Stems erect 2-5 ft., rarely 10 ft., with very large erect palmately 

 compound orbicular leaves 3-5 ft. diam., segments narrowly ob- 

 cuneate, about 20, 4-10" wide at the top, 3-5-lobed with the lobes 

 again 2 -lobed, retuse, or emarginate. Spadix erect 4-8 ft. long with 

 simple drooping racemes 8-18" long of subsessile white and green 

 flowers, turning brown with age. Fruit ellipsoid, orange-coloured, 

 •5" long. 



In muddy streams or swamps with moving water in the forests of Saranda, 

 Chota Nagpur ! Similar localities in the Mais of Orissa (Sulia reserve, Aran 

 forest, etc.)! Fls. Dec. -April. Fr. March-May. 



Young leaves with a deciduous rufous tomentum, lobes of median leaflets blunt, 

 of lateral acuminate, strongly plicate. Petiole flat above keeled below, with 2 

 rows of short recurved black prickles. Racemes (or spikes) woolly or tomentose. 

 about 5-8 only, spathes 12" with 3-4 sharp teeth. Calyx obconic -'d-'b" long, 

 toothed or shallowly lobed. Cor.-tube scarcely longer with spreading or reflexed 

 acutely triangular downy lobes •25--3" long. Carpels 3-gonous appressed united 

 above in the style. 



Leaves used for mats, etc. Elephants feed on the lower parts of the stems. 



8. LIVISTONA, Br. 



Tall palms with annulate trunk and large orbicular, flabellately 

 plicate leaves split to the middle into 2-fid narrow lobes, petiole long 

 with spinose margins. Spadices interfoliar, long-peduncled, erect, 

 fruiting pendulous, loosely panicled. Spathes many, tubular, sheath- 

 ing. Flowers minute 2-sexual, sepals 3 rounded, imbricate. Corolla 

 valvately 3-lobed, coriaceous. Stamens 6, filaments subulate, united 

 in a ring, anthers cordate. Ovary of 3 nearly free globose carpels, 

 styles short free or coherent, stigmas minute. Ovules basilar, erect. 

 Drupes 1-3, globose oblong or ellipsoid with subterminal style. Seed 

 erect, ventral face holloAved, albumen equable. Embryo dorsal. 



1. L. chinensis, Br. i.s often cultivated in gardens and attains 25 ft. but in 

 its young state often grown in tubs. Leaves reniform with the segments deeply 

 2-fid, long acuminate and pendulous. Drupe olive-coloured. 



Other species of Livistona are also occasionall3^ cultivated. 



884 



