192 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [Q. floribundus 
very inequidistant, 6-10 on each side, or fewer in small specimens, and rather 
distant, but more or less distinctly approximate into 3 remote groups of 2-3 
on each side; the leaflets of the terminal group (3-7) approximate and almost 
digitate, the two of the terminal pair highly connate by their bases; the largest, 
the mesial, as much as 50 em. long and 35 em. broad, narrowly lanceolate, 
acuminate at the apex, narrowed down from the middle to an acute base; the 
uppermost shorter, but not narrower and with a bristly-penicillate, but less acuminate 
apex; all are sub-shining above, slightly paler beneath, usually 3-costulate, but 
sometimes with an additional costa near each margin; all coste (3 or 5) bristly 
spinulous above; beneath the  mid-eosta constantly and the side ones occasionally 
and sparingly bristly; margins rather closely ciliate, mainly near the apex, with 
spreading subspiny bristles; some of the leaflets, especially the uppermost, sometimes 
furnished on the upper surface on the mid-costa, near the base, with a few small 
spinules. Male spadiz ultradecompound, flagelliform, 1:5-2:5 m. long, ending in 
a slender flagellum which is irregularly armed with weak claws but intermingled 
with straight deflexed or hooked spines; partial inflorescences not very numerous, 
rather remote, pyramidally paniculate, rather dense, 20-40 cm. long, and composed 
of 8-16 distichously alternate and gradually decreasing branches (or compound spikes) 
which are inserted just above the mouth of their respective spathes and are distinctly 
callous in their upper axilla; lowest primary spathe tubular, closely sheathing, 
acutely two-edged, armed with siraight or variable spines or almost unarmed, more 
or less split longitudinally in the upper part and terminated by a lanceolate limb; 
upper primary spathes subcylindrical, closely sheathing at the base, slightly enlarged 
in the upper part, where often split longitudinally, acute or acuminate at the apex, 
more or less armed throughout, but chiefly at the base, with unequal scattered or 
aggregate claws of various sizes, which are often intermingled with small straight or 
tuberculiform spines; secondary spathes (spathes of the partial inflorescences) unarmed, 
tubular-infundibuliform, more or less furfuraceous and sprinkled with light or brown 
scales, truncate and entire at the mouth, where densely ciliate at the margin and 
prolonged at one side into an acute or subulate, ciliate or penicillate point; tertiary 
spathes similar to the secondary ones but smaller, somewhat angular, pubescent when 
young, narrowly tubular at the base and suddenly broadened into an acuminate 
ciliate limb; primary or compound spikes spreading and arched, the largest, the 
lowest, 15-25 cm. long, and with 10-12 spikelets on each side; these spikelets 
horizontally inserted at the mouth of their own spathe end gradually decreasing in 
length and number of flowers from the base upwards, the lowest, the largest, 2-3 
em, long, with 12-15 approximate flowers on each side, the uppermost very short 
and with very few flowers; spathels approximate, membranous, bracteiform, very 
broad, concave, pushed downwards by their respective flowers, prolonged into an 
acuminate fip, ciliate at the margins, finely striately veined; involucre. laterally 
attached to the axis of the spikelet, subcupular, very obviously formed by two 
concave, ovate, acute, finely striutely veined bracts which are united by their bases, 
Male flowers 3'5 mm. long, ovate, acute; the calyx’ rounded and almost smooth at 
the base, divided down beyond the middle into 3 ovate obsoletely striately veined 
acute lobes; the corolla twice as long as the calyx, its segments ovate-lanceolate, 
acuminate ; the stamens with subulate filaments which are inflected at the apex in the 
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