e. erectus. | BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 123. 
bearing in robust specimens 8-10 spikelets on each side, but sometimes only 
2-3; the upper inflorescences often reduced to a single spikelet; primary and 
secondary spathes as in the male spadix; spikelets large, the lowest 15-25 cm. 
long, their axis rather thick and flexuose, with 10-15 flowers on each side; the 
upper shorter with fewer flowers; the uppermost usually depauperate ; spathels larger 
than in the male spikelets, infundibuliform, produecd at one side into a subulate 
point, this ultimately, in the fruiting stage, split and marcescent; involucrophorum 
laterally attached near the bottom of its own .spathel, attenuate at the base or 
nearly pedicellate, two-keeled next to the axis, embracing the involucre; in- 
voluere cupular, rather shallow, truncate, not or bardly exceeding the involucro- 
phorum; areola of the neuter flower very distinctly lunate with acute and very 
sharply defined borders. Female flowers broadly conical, about 6 mm. long; calyx 
shortly and acutely 3-toothed ; corolla hardly longer than the calyx, divided into 3. 
ovate-acute segments; stamens with filaments highly connate at the base, broadly 
triangular and subulate at the apex in the free portion. Neuter flowers relatively 
large, similar to the male, but more slender, 6-7 mm. long, with calyx very deeply 
trilobate. Fruiting pertanth explanate, the calyx irregularly split, somewhat thickened 
and suberous at the base. Fruit regularly ellipsoid, 28-37 mm. long, 20-22 mm. in 
diam. ; rounded and hardly candiculate at the base, abruptly and shortly beaked- 
manimillate at the apex, apparently not crowned by the stigmas, these being very 
small and connivent; scales in 12 longitudinal series, trapezoid, broader than long 
(8-10 mm. wide) deeply and broadly channelled along the middle, rather shining, 
yellowish-reddish or chestnut-orown, darker towards the apex, with a very dark or 
nearly black intramarginal line, and with a narrowly scarious, pale and erosely- 
toothed margin. Seed oblong or elongate-ovoid, 25-27 mm. long by 15.mm. wide 
in tne largest fruits, rounded to both ends, but somewhat broader at the | base,. 
neatly circular in section, not costate or furrowed outside, but only rather minutcly 
pitted and tubercled when divested of the thin dry, once fleshy integument ; 
chalazal fovea superficial and indistinct ; albumen ruminate, penetrated by numerous 
very narrow channels (1-4 mm. deep) which are filled with a brown resinous. 
material; embryo lateral near the base, obliquely penetrating nearly one-third of th> 
albumen. 
Hasirat.—The plant originally described by Roxburgh as C, erectus was a native 
of Sylhet, and it seems very common on the not very distant Khasia Hills 
(Griffith, Hooker f. & Thomson in Herb. Kew, and G. Mann in Herb. Becc.); from 
theso hills I have also received good specimens collected by C. B. Clarke at Lakkat. 
(80 m.), at Monsto (760 m.) at Mahadeo (900 m.); in Upper Assam (0. collinus 
Griff. near Koreahparah, one of the Bhutan Duars; in Manipur at Kassome at an 
elevation of 900 m. (Watt Nos. 5122, 5135 in Herb. Kew). Kurz writes (Journ. 
As. Soc. Beng. xlii. pt. 2, 1874, p. 210) that this species is found in Pegu, but as 
this author has confused C. erectus with C. longiseius, this locality very probably 
belongs to the last mentioned species. A Calamus (in Herb. Kew) gathered by 
Hooker f. & Thomson at Seetakoond in Chittagong, near the seashore, does not 
seem to me to differ from the most typical specimens of C. erectus from the hills. 
Roxburgh says that in Sylhet “sun-gutta” is the vernacular name of this plant, 
and that the poorer natives use the seed as a substitute for that of Areca, j 
Ann. Roy. Bor. Garp. Catcurra Vor. XI. 
