282 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [C, tetradactylus» 
densely armed with fine, often irregularly confluent claws. Leaves not cirriferous, 
rather short, about 45 cm. long; petiole very short, flat above, smooth or with 
a few prickles at the side or even almost obsolete; rachis trigonous, bifaced 
and smooth above, armed beneath with a few scattered, rather strong and 
sometimes long-tipped claws; these more numerous towards the apex; leaflets 
few, grouped into 3-5 subopposite, 5-10 cm. apart, fascicles of 3-4 (the 
fascicles formed by two very approximate leaflets on each side of the rachis), 
lanceolate-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, suddenly acuminate at the apex, gradually 
attenuate at the base, where callous at the insertion, papyraceous, rigidulous, 
glabrous, slightly paler beneath than above, spreading or radiately divaricate, 
3-costulate or with the mid-costa acute accompanied on each side with a secondary 
nerve stronger than the others; all nerves and costae smooth on both surfaces; 
transverse veinlets very minute, crowded and much interrupted; the largest leaflets, 
the mesial, 15-20 cm. long, 2°5 cm. broad, the 4 of the terminal group approxi- 
mate and almost digitate, somewhat shorter and broader than the others and more 
distinctly bristly-penicillate at the apex; the two of the terminal pair connate 
up to the middle. Male spadiz altradecompound, slender, longer than the leaves, 
arched, inserted with a distinct tumescent callus near the mouth of the sheath ; 
primary spathes tubular, very narrow, closely sheathing, the lowest slightly compressed, 
two-keeled, the keels spinulous; the upper one cylindraceous, aculeolate; partial 
inflorescences short, the lowest in one specimen 10 cm. long, rather lax, arched, 
with a few spreading branches, of which the lowest a good deal longer than the 
upper ones; spikelets slender, their axis filiform; the lower ones, the largest, 
10-12 mm. long with 4-6 rather remote flowers on each side; spathels cylindra- 
ceous at the base, suddenly expanded into a rather broad infundibuliform striately 
veined limb, which is prolonged at one side into an acuminate point; involucre 
subbracteifurm, slightly concave, trilobate, the lobes striately veined, acute. Male flowers 
small, 3 mm. long, ovate, acute; the calyx flat and subcallous at the base, strongly 
striately veined, divided down to about the middle into 3 triangular acute lobes; 
corolla (in full-grown flowers) about twice as long as the calyx; the segments 
finely striolate outside, narrowed and apiculate at the apex. Female spadiz simply 
decompound, elongate, ending in a long slender clawed flagellum; primary spathes 
closely sheathing; the lowest faintly two-keeled, glabrous, smooth or feebly armed 
on the keels with very few small aculei, very obliquely truncate and acute on 
one side at the mouth; partial inflorescences few (3-4) not very large, about 
15 cm. long, strongly arched, inserted inside the mouth of their respective spathes ; 
the largest on each side with 6-7 distichous, alternate, rather distant spikelets 
which decrease in length from the base of the inflorescence upwards ; secondary 
spathes tubular, slightly enlarged above, obliquely truncate and acute on one side at 
the mouth; spikelets attached just at or a little above the mouth of their own 
spathes, conspicuously callous at their upper axilla, spreading - and arched downwards, 
slender, the lower ones, the largest, 4-5 cm. long, with 5-6 remote distichous flowers 
on each side; the upper ones 15-20 mm. long and with very few flowers; 
spathels tubular at the base, rather suddenly broadened into an obliquely infundibuli- 
form limb, this truncate, entire, ciliolate at the mouth and apiculate at one side ; 
involucrophorum laterally attached outside its own spathel at the base of the one 
