976 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [C. Delessertianus- 
inflorescences arising erect from their own spathe, then arched, densely panicled, 
elongate-ovoid, one of the lowest about 30 em. long, with 12 spikelets on each side, 
of these the lower. ones compound, viz. branched into a few secondary spikelets, the 
others gradually diminishing, the intermediate ones 6-8 em. long. with 12-14 flowers 
on each side, those of the summit 2-3 cm. only; secondary spathes tubular-infundi- 
buliform, truncate, apiculate at one side and densely ciliate with brown deciduous 
bristles at the mouth; spikelets spreading or horizontal, attached slightly outside the 
mouth of their own spathe, their axis slender, cylindraceous, 1-2 mm. thick; spathels 
€ylindraceous at the base, suddenly expanded into a short broadly infundibuliform 
truncate limb, which is ciliate at the mouth at the secondary spathes; involucro- 
phorum attached laterally outside its own spathel at the base of the one above, very 
short, subdiscoid, with a narrow annular limb; involucre discoid, tumescent, with a 
very narrow annular limb; areola of the neuter flower not very distinct, depressed. 
Fruiting  perianth shortly but distinctly pedicelliform; the calyx broadly 3-dentate, 
callous at the base; the segments of the corolla almost twice as long as the calyx. 
Fruit small, broadly ovate, mucronulate, 10-11 mm. long, § mm. broad; scales shining, 
rather convex, not channelled along the middle, very pale with a narrow intramar- 
ginal fuscous line; margins narrowly scarious, finely erosely-toothed. Seed ovoid, 
slightly flattened, 7 mm. long, 6 mm. broad, 5 mm, thick, convex, coarsely irregularly 
and superficially pitted on the back; chalazal fovea superficial, indistinct; albumen 
equable; embryo basal.—Other parts unknown. The different parts of the plant 
retain, in Herbarium specimens, a greenish, almost glaucescent hue. | 
Hasitat.—Tonkin at Taukeiun near Zuang-yen, Balansa (No. 516 in Herb, 
St. Petersb. and Herb. Kew), collected on 15th September 1885. | 
OxservaTions.—Known by. the very fragmentary fruit specimens distributed by 
Balansa. Distinot by its bushy not scandent habit; the leaves with numerous equi- 
distant ensiform  3-costate leaflets; the leaf-rachis armed with straight long deflexed 
spines; the supradecompound female spadix with panicled, rather dense partial 
inflorescences ; the small ovoid fruit, Its affinities, however, are not very apparent; it 
has somewhat the facies of C. fascicularis. | 
Prate 100.—Calamus tonkinensis Bece. An intermediate portion of a leaf (upper 
Surface); portion of the spadix with an entire partial inflorescence bearing mature 
fruit; detached ^ seeds, one longitudinally cut through the embryo.—The parts 
mentioned above constitute the entire type-specimen in the St, Petersburg Herb. 
83, Carawus DELEssERTIANUS Becc. sp. n. 
Description.—Probably scandent and of moderate size. Stem... . . Leaf- 
sheaths . . . Leaves rather large; petiole 50; rachis in its upper portion 
subtrigonous, slightly convex beneath, where armed along the middle and near the 
margins with rather strong, numerous, solitary, light-based and black-tipped not much | 
hooked claws, bifaced on the upper surface, where armed with ascendent spinules on 
the angle; leaflets in the small portion seen by me (8 em. of rachis, probably taken 
from above the middle) equidistant, rather closely set at an angle of about 45° (4 
on one of the sides and 3 on the other) papyraceous, rigidulous, elongate-ensiform, 
