DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 173 
even when it is not a means of barter, is one of many articles 
of trade and they have neither the desire, knowledge, nor fa- 
cilities for handling it on a large scale. 
From what has been said in preceding pages, it will be seen 
that the Philippines offer a promising field for the export of 
rattan, but that before success is attained in this direction the 
whole industry must be much more highly organized than it is 
at the present time. Considerable discussion of the difficulties 
and their possible remedies is given by Arnold.* 
Conspectus of the species. 
a’. Leaves noncirriferous (the rachis not prolonged into a filiform, clawed 
or aculeate appendix). 
b’. Female flowers and fruits sessile or nearly so; that is, not furnished 
with a distinct pedicel derived from the lengthened involucrophore. 
c. Leaflets almost equally green on both surfaces. 
d’. Leaflets narrow, linear or linear-lanceolate, 1- to 3-costulate. 
e’. Spadices shortly flagelliferous, about as long as the leaves; 
fruits small, ovoid; seeds with equable albumen. 
jf’. Leaf-sheaths armed with slender straight spines; primary 
spathes also spinulous; leaflets very numerous; spathels 
of the female spikelets very short, bracteiform. A very 
variable plant, of which it is difficult to establish well- 
defined varieties, as one merges into the other by inter- 
Me dTatect OMS ote eae eee eee oe 1. C. usitatus. 
g’. Sheathed stem usually 15 to 20 mm in diameter; leaf- 
sheaths more or less densely spinous; leaves 50 to 80 cm 
DONS oe rhe Re C. usitatus (forma typica). 
g. Robust; sheathed stem 2.5 to 3 cm in diameter; leaves 
AMP COw less GL ONG eerste ee Oe C. usitatus var. major. 
g°. Slender; sheathed stem 12 to 15 mm in diameter; leaf- 
sheaths almost spineless.... C. usitatus var. palawanensis. 
f°. Leaf-sheaths and spathes unarmed; leaflets numerous; 
spathels of the female spikelets very short, bracteiform. 
2. C. meyenianus. 
f°. Very slender; leaflets very few and very inequidistant; 
spathels of the female spikelets shortly infundibuliform. 
3. C. Blancoi. 
e. Spadices (male and female) extremely long, and flagelliform, 
considerably longer than the leaves. 
jf’. Leaflets sparingly spinulous on three nerves above, the midrib 
alone minutely hairy-spinulous underneath; female spadix 
with thickish spikelets drawn together around the main 
axis; fruit nearly spherical (13 to 14 by 10 mm), with a 
broad, blunt, black beak; seed pitted-ruminate. 
4. C. melanorhynchus. 

* Arnold, J. R., Rattan supply of the Philippines. Bureau of Foreign 
and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce. Special Agents Series 
No. 95 (1915), pages 3 to 23. 
