C. ralis | -BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. - 219 
Ld 
DzscgrPTION.—Seandent, rather slender, more or less rusty-furfuraceous on the 
different parts of the spadix, on the leaf-sheaths and on the _leaf-rachis ( when 
young) and more permanently on the flowers and their involucres. Sheathed 
stem 1-2 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths sometimes  flagelliferous, gibbous above, 
armed with scattered, flat, rigid, subulate, straight or sinuous, solitary, yellowish, 
horizontal or slightly deflexed spines which are 8-10 mm. long, more or less 
scaly-furfuraceous on the margins in youth and glabrous and polished later; those 
near the base of the petiole longer, more slender and erect. Ocrea (of the full. 
grown leaves) short, obliquely truncate, glabrous and finally brittle and deciduous, 
Leaves about 1 m. long, not cirriferous; petiole sometimes not more than 
2-3 cm. in length; broadly channelled above, rounded beneath, armed at the 
margins and in the first portion of the rachis with spreading straight spines, which 
are of variable length and are gradually transformed into claws; rachis in the upper 
portion acutely bifaced above, rounded beneath, where armed with solitary claws 
throughout along the middle and only at the margins in its first portion ; leatlets 
numerous, rather closely and very regularly set, alternate or sub-opposite, almost — 
of the same colour on both surfaces, linear-lanceolate or ensiform, shortly attenuate 
and abruptly plicate at the base, very gradually acuminate into a bristly-brushed 
tip, rather distinctly 3-costate; on the upper surface the mid-costa acute and pro: 
minent, naked throughout or spinulous near the apex, and with the side costz slender 
and usually, but not always, sparingly spinulous; beneath, the mid-costa bears 
some long. bristles and the  side-nerves are weak and smooth; margins 
slightly thickened by a secondary rather distinct nerve, which is  spinulous, 
remotely near the base and closer towards the apex; transverse veinlets rather 
crowded, fine, very distinct; the largest leaflets, those near’ the base, 40-45 cm. 
long, 15-20 mm. broad, the upper ones gradually smaller, the two of the 
terminal pair (the smallest) 11-12 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, opposite and 
free. at the base. Male spadiz partially ultra-decompound, elongate, about 2 m, 
in length, including. a terminal slender, not very long, finely clawed flagellum ; 
partial inflorescences few, remote and very long, as much as 60-65 cm. long, 
terminating in a very short (1-2 cm. long ) caudate appendix and furnished with 
some compound spikes in their lower portion and many simple spikelets upwards 
(20-26 on each side in all); primary spathes tubular, closely sheathing, very 
narrow; the lowest somewhat compressed and two-edged, truncate at the mouth, 
more or less armed, mainly on the edges, with short straight horizontal or deflexed 
spines; the upper ones very elongate, 30 cm. in length or even longer, cylindrical, 
very closely sheathing, obliquely truncate at the mouth where they are extended at 
one side into a short triangular point, sparsely armed with small slender recurved 
needle-like spines; the attenuated axial portions of the spadix (or lower por- 
tion , of every . spathe ) concave on the inner side, convex and clawed on the 
back; secondary spathes 1:5-3 cm. long, unarmed or sparsely spinous, narrowly 
infundibuliform, attenuated at the base, finely striate, truncate at the mouth where 
produced at one side into a triangular point; compound male spikes 8-12 cm. 
long, bearing on each side 3-8 up to 10 arched secondary spikelets; these 1-2 emi. 
long; simple spikes (or larger spikelets) also arched distichously, inserted just at the 
mouth of their respective- spathes, flattened, 2-5 cm. long, with 6-10  bifarious 
Ann. Roy. Bor. Garp, CarcurrA Vor. XI. 
