g. acanthospathus. | . BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 985 
truncate, obsoletely 2-toothed next to the axis; in the lower part many of the 
spikelets subpedicelliform representing rudimentary branchlets. Male flowers ovate 
(when young); the calyx strongly striately veined. Female spadiz decompound or 
partly ultradecompound, rather rigid, 1'3-2 m. long, more or less distinctly flagelliferous . 
at its summit and with many partial inflorescences; primary spathes tubular, closely 
sheathing ; the lowest about 20 cm. long, rather thickly coriaceous, somewhat flattened, 
usually armed on the rather acute edges, chiefly near the base, with pectinate spines 
and on the faces, especially in the upper part, with short conic spines; the upper 
primary spathes cylindraceous, slightly enlarged above, more or less split longitudinally, 
prolonged at one side into a short triangular acute point, attenuate bui rather stout 
and subcylindraceous or somewhat compressed at the base, where not rarely clawed 
on the back, otherwise smooth or slightly armed ; partial inflorescences relatively short 
and dense, rigid, panicled, rather remotely inserted near the mouth of their own 
spathe, at first ascendent, then arched, decreasing in size from the base of the 
spadix upwards; the largest, the lowest, sometimes slightly decompound or with their 
lowest spikelets branched; in vigorous specimens 20-30 cm. long and with 5-6 
spikelets on each side and with a spikelet larger than the side ones at their 
summit ; secondary spathes tubular-infundibuliform, very closely sheathing, rather short, 
nicely truncate and entire at the mouth and shortly apiculate at one side; spikelets 
attached above the mouth of their own spathe, slightly callous at the axilla and with 
a distinct transverse rima, spreading, arched, rigid, rather stout and relatively short; 
the larger ones, the lowest, 5-7 cm. long with 10-14 flowers in all, these not 
exactly on one plane but somewhat subunilaterally arranged in two collateral series 
and turned upwards; spathels shortly tubular-infundibuliform, truncate, entire and 
acute at one side; involucrophorum exsert from its own spaihel and laterally attached 
to the base of the one above, shallowly cupular with a small axillary callus and a 
transverse rima next to the axis; involucre regularly cupular with entire truncate 
margin; areola of the neuter flower superficial, often obsolete and marked by a small 
punetiform scar. . Female flowers ovate, rether distant, 5-6 mm. apart, rather large 
(5 mm. long); the calyx campanulate, obsoletely veined, its teeth superficial, very 
broad, acute; corolla divided down almost to the middle into 3 ovate-acute faintly 
veined segments, which are a good deal narrower than the lobes of the calyx and 
about as long; stamens with the ‘filaments united by their bases as high as the 
undivided portion of the corolla and forming a cup, then suddenly subulate. 
Fruiting perianth pedicelliform, thick and short (3-3:5 mm. long). Fruit broadly 
ovoid, suddenly narrowed at the summit into a small conic beak, caudiculate at the 
base, 24-25 mm. long, including the beak and the perianth, 14-15 mm. in diam. ; 
the scales of an uniform cinnamon-brown colour, in 15 series, rhomboid, about as 
long as broad, superficially but distinctly channelled along the middle, almost shining 
but under the lens very minutely scabridulous; the tip rather obtuse and ciliately 
fringed, the margins finely ciliolate. Seed ovoid-oblong, rounded at both ends, convex 
and very deeply pitted on the back, flattish and with a deeply penetrating elliptic 
chalazal fovea on the raphal side; albumen subruminate or with rather deep intrusions 
of the integument of the sced ; embryo basal, 
Hasrrat.—Khasia Hills, between 700-1300 metr, Grifith in Herb. Kew; at 
Nowgong, and at Churra, Hooker & Thomson; Sikkim Himalaya up to 2,000 m, 
