137. PALMACEM. [10. Calamus. 



nodes long each covered by a long tubular spathe with oblique 

 acuminate mouth, surface with scattered reflexed small prickles. 

 Main branches of spadix 7-15" bearing in male many slightly decurved 

 sec. branches 3-6" long Avith short scorpioid distichous spikes, lower 

 •3" long with very small ovate acute bracts each Avith a cupular 

 bracteole and flower. Sepals free ovate -06" long, petals oblong 

 acute -1" long, many-nerved. Spathes on the branches tubular with 

 an acuminate tip, mouth glabrous or slightly minutely ciliolate. 

 Fruiting catyx explanate. Fruit subglobose, -3" (--o", F.B.I.), pale. 



Purneali ! Damp ravines in Singbhum, occasional ! Pari, very common ! Fl. 

 Sept. -Oct. Fr. April-May. 



Young parts with a white powdery toinentum, Setse on the leaflets erecto- 

 patent. Spines on the flagella? scattei-ed hooked. E'emale spikes 2-3" long with 

 oblique truncate close l^racts "08" long. Bracteole of M. with short obtuse lateral 

 lobes, of female larger more acute. Albumen equable. 



The cane is used for baskets, etc., but is considered inferior, 



3. C. tenuis, Roxh. 



A very slender cane with feathery pari-pinnatisect leaves and 

 numerous close equidistant linear-ensiform 3-costate leaflets, the 

 3 costse \Aith slender sparse bristles above, mid-rib only sparingly 

 spinulose beneath. Leaf-sheaths Avith very slender flagellse, com- 

 pressed and unarmed or nearly unarmed in their basal portion, terete 

 and armed upv,-ards with scattered solitary or somewhat confluent 

 claws. Rhachis of inflorescence very long and flagelliferous, bearing 

 partial decompound inflorescences at intervals, spathes elongate 

 tubular, lower with a short limb and scattered recurved spines, 

 partial spathes unarmed and scurfy when young, spathels densely 

 crowded cymbiform. Male fls. quite exserted from the involucres 

 and corolla Avith an unusually long tube. Fem. fl. exsert accompanied 

 by a Avell -developed neuter. 



Along our northern boundary. Bettiah, Hieronymusl Purneah! Fl. r.s. 



The canes are '-l-- 75" diam. Avheu sheathed, only about the size of a quill Avhen 

 stripped. Leaves A^ery like those of gnraha, Avith 20-30 Iflts. each side, 8-12" long- 

 by '3-'o", the setfe on the costse however far more slender, often •25" long, onlj^ their 

 base thickened, Fls. distinctly 3-4-seriate. Fruit -5" diam., mucronate, seated on 

 the pedicelliform perianth, scales pale with a shallow median channel. 



4. C. guruba, Ham. Kanta-bet, Or. 



A large climber Avith stems (covered Avith the leaf sheaths) often 

 glaucous, densely armed AAith flattened spines of A^arious lengths, 

 longer ones -7", shortest conical. Leaves 3-5 ft. long, shorter Avith 

 30-40 close equidistant dark-green linear leaflets each side 6-12" by 

 •5--7", smaller upAvards, setose on the 3 or 2 lateral costae beneath, 

 on the central one only above, margins setose, petiole and rhachis 

 armed AA'ith long recurA^ed and short conical spines beneath and on 

 the margins, not flagelliferous, but many of the leaf-sheaths flagelli- 

 ferous, spines sometimes geminate (not 3-5-claAved as in the somcAvhat 

 similar-looking Dcemonomjis). Inflorescence Avith numerous distant 

 spathes and much panicled branches on a A^ery slender rhachis ending 

 in a long flagellum. Spathes at first tubular throughout and enclosing 

 the panicles, splitting open aboA^e and -7" broad contracted to the 

 tubular base and persistent, broAvn and shining. Partial panicles 



887 



