186 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. (C. filiformis 
Leaves short, on the whole 30-35 em, long.with very few (1-2) pairs of lanceolate 
or oblanceolate leaflets; the latter near the terminal pair; the lowest or basal pair 
transformed into two opposite, straight, flat, rigid, spreading, acicular spines, which 
are 3-3°5 cm. long and inserted very near the mouth of the sheath; the long vacant 
space of rachis between these spines and the leaflets has the appearance of a petiole 
and is densely furfuraceous and furnished with a very few straggling slender spines, 
Female spadix (small) shorter than the leaves, with very few partial inflorescences. 
Hasitat.—Borneo in Sarawak on Mount Mattang at about 290 m. elevation: 
collected by (Mr. R. H, Hullet in 1890). 
OssERVATIONS,—Of this very curious variety of C. javensis I have seen only one 
specimen which was forwarded to me by Mr. H. N. Ridley. This variety is so 
unlike any other that I should have been much tempted to assign to it a 
distinct specific name had I not found among the numerous specimens in my 
possession an intermediate form between this var. acicularis and the usual peninsularis. 
In this intermediate specimen, collected by F. Keheding in 1879 at Klang in the 
Malay Peninsula, the spines at the base of the petiole are shorter, but have the 
same morphological value and are in the same place as in VAR. acicularis, and 
consequently the leaves appear as if furnished with a very long furfaraceous 
petiole and have 2-3 pairs of leaflets approximate to the two of the terminal pair. 
Piare 41.—Calamus javensis var. acicularis Bece., The entire specimen described 
above (Herb. Beccari), 
92. CALAMUS FILIFORMIS Becc. Nelle Foreste di Borneo, 607, 608, and in Rec. 
^A Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 201. 
DzscRrPTION.— Exceedingly slender and delicate. Sheathed stem 3-5 mm. in diam. 
Leaf-sheaths flagelliferous, sparingly armed with small, short, scattered, slightly 
hooked aculei or quite smooth. Leaves 25-49 em. long; petiole very short or 
almost wanting; leaflets 5-6 on each side, somewhat inequidistant, alternate or 
subopposite, 3-costate, very narrowly lanceolate and very gradually attenuate at the base 
and acuminate at the apex, 8-12 cm. long, 8-14 mm. broad, the two of the terminal 
pair more or less highly connate at the base, the two of the basal pair deflexed and 
somewhat callous at their insertions, Male spadiz . . ,. . . Female spadiz filiform, 
very slender, with very few (1-3) partial inflorescences which are reduced to a single 
very slender spikelet 5-6 cm. long with 16-17  pectinate flowers on each side ; 
spathels obtuse with few strong and distinct nerves; involucrophorum laterally 
attached at the base of the spathel above its own, strongly striately veined as. is the 
involucre. Female flowers small, 2:5-3 mm. long; calyx callous at the base and 
divided down to about the' middle into 3 broad acute lobes, indistinctly striately 
veined; corolla about twice as long as the calyx or somewhat less, divided almost to 
the base into 3 lanceolate, acute segments; filaments of the stamens connate by 
their bases and forming a membranous urceolum which is as long as the third part 
of the corolla and is crowned with 6 broad, ovate-lanceolate, subulate teeth; anthers 
deeply sagittate with obtuse apex. | | 
