62 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL PROTAMIN GARDEN, CALCUTTA. 
numerous, frequently remote, partial ihasta, Female spikelets almost always 
distichously inserted, usually longer than the male ones, but similarly sheathed with 
short tubular infundibuliform spathels bearing a double usually cupuliform inyolucre ; 
the exterior or’ involucrophorum  (spathellule) sessile or more rarely pedicillate ; 
the interior (the true involucre or floral cup) moulded on the exterior and bearing 
externally a small areola or niche upon which is inserted a neuter or sterile 
flower. Female flowers usually flatly distichous on each side of the axis of the 
spikelets, or disposed in two collateral series where the flowers are more or less 
pointing upwards, almost always solitary, very rarely geminate at each spathel, 
always accompanied by a more or less speedily deciduous sterile flower. Fertile 
female flowers almost always smaller or at least less elongate than the male ones; 
calyx more or less tubular, 3-lobate; corolla usually as long as the calyx, 
3-partite ; both calyx and corolla persistent, split and expanded under the fruit 
or with the calyx slightly accrescent, callous and indurated at its base and forming 
a pedicel to it; staminodes forming a cup crowned by 6 short teeth and these 
bearing a sagittate abortive anther; ovary clothed with retrorse scales, 3-celled, 
with very thin membranous and very soon obliterated dissepiments ; style short or 
conic; stigmas 8, usually thickly subulate and internally lamellose; ovules 3, 
anatropous, basilar, erect. ^ Newter flowers usually smaller or at least more slender 
than the female ones, with well conformed calyx and corolla and 6 abortive 
stamens and an ovary generally more like the male than the female ones. Fruit — 
globose, ovoid or ellipsoid, topped by the short permanent style and often by the 
. recurved stigmas; pericarp thin crustaceous, clothed with appressed deflexed imbri- 
cating polished hard scales. Seed only one, or very exceptionally 2-5. oblong 
subglobose or lentieular, rarely angular or flattened, with smooth, pitted or grooved 
surface; generally concave or foveolate on the side of the  chalaza, usually 
enveloped by a scanty acidulous and mucilagmous fleshy integument; albumen 
equable or subruminate or with superficial intrusion of the integument or less 
frequently distinctly and deeply ruminate ; embryo commonly basal or nearly so, 
seldom lateral. 
GrocrarnicaL Disrrisution.—Tropical and subtropical Asia; Indian and 
Malayan  Archipelagos; the Philippines; New Guinea; North-East Coast of 
Australia; a few species in Tropical Africa. 
