THE LEAVES. 11 
cases is inconspicuous or even obliterated, while in; others it is rather conspicuous. 
as in €. australis, C. pseudo-tenuis and especially in C.: Lobbianus. I suppose that this 
notch may possibly be the last trace of the derivation of an acuminate 
leaflet from « truncate one, Among Calami leaflets with a truncate transversely 
cut or premorse end, analogous to those of a typical Ptychosperma, are only found 
in €. caryotoides. 
The leaflets in Calami, without a single exception, are attached to the rachis by 
a very narrow point, tapering always more or less gradually or even abruptly 
towards the base where the lamina, commonly doubled downwards, forms just at 
the junction with the rachis a small cavity on the lower surface, within which in 
many cases nestles a small swelling which resembles an extra-nuptial nectary. In 
Calamus the leaflets are never decurrent along the rachis. 
Very important characters are derived from the main nerves or ‘ coste” of 
the leaflets, as their varying distribution appears to correspond to a varying group- 
ing of the fibro-vascular bundles in the axial parts of the plant. 
Most of the Calami have narrow leaflets with one or three primary nerves or 
costee, running throughout their entire length, sharply prominent on the upper surface 
and usually less distinct on the lower. In not a few species there are five main or 
primary nerves, less often seven to nine, and even, in C. rhomboideus, twelve; but, 
whatever the number of the costze may be, the central or midrib is almost always 
the strongest. All the primary nerves in the leaflets of Calamus traverse the entire 
length of the blade and meet at its apex, except in the species of the C. rhom- 
boideus group, where the -nerves nearer to the margins usually disappear at different 
levels and do not reach the apex. 
Between the primary nerves we find interposed others more numerous and more 
slender; very frequently one of these secondary nerves runs along or very near the 
lower. margin so as usually to slightly thicken it; in the leaflets of Calamus a 
primary nerve is never found running along the margin. 
- When the leaflets are rather broad, as is the case in (C. palustris, C. latifolius, 
C. javensis, etc. their lower margin is often bordered on the upper surface by a 
polished shining band a few millimetres wide; sometimes a few more similar bands 
are found also in different places along the lamina; these lines correspond with 
the portions of the leaflet that are outermost in the leaf-bud. As the leaflets before 
the leaves expand are longitudinally plicate and closely packed together, these 
polished bands look as if they had been produced by friction as they were being 
forced out from the central terminal shoot. 
The primary and secondary nerves are connected by means of ME 
veinlets which are more or less interrupted and anastomosed. In some species 
secondary venation forms a very elegant network and is very conspicuous, the 
component veinlets being close together, slightly sinuous, thin but very well 
defined and continuous, that is to say crossing transversely the whole width of 
the lamina; good instances of this style: of venation are seen in C. insignis, 
C. heteracanthus, ete, Usually these transverse veinlets are more distinct on the upper 
than on the lower surface. 
Ann. Roy. Bor. Garp. Carcurra Vor, XI. 
