id 
C. Guruba.]. BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 301 
callous with a transverse rima at. the axilla; the lower ones 6-7 cm. long, with 
8-9 spikelets on each side; these very regularly distichous, horizontally inserted with 
a conspicuous axillary callus, gradually shorter, complanate; the lowest. ones, . the 
largest, 18-22 mm. long, with 10-12 very regularly inserted flowers on each side; 
those of the summit few-flowered; the axis of the spikelets very slender and closely 
sinuous; spathels narrow at the base with a suddenly expanded broad concave. sub. 
brecteiform deflexed veined acute limb; involuere subtended by its spathel, shallowly 
calyculiform, rather acutely 2—3-toothed. Male flowers contiguous, distichous or pectinate 
on one plane, inserted at an angle of 45°, elongate-cylindraceous, acute, 3 mm. long, 
1 mm. thick; the calyx tubular, flattish at the base, obsoletely striately veined 
outside, divided down almost to or a little above the middle into 3 broad acute 
lobes, these with a slender subscarious margin; the corolla twice as long as the 
calyx, divided almost to the base into 3 lanceolate, acute, rather opaque segments; 
stamens sub-biseriate, 3 of them being longer than the others, the filaments subulate 
with inflected apices when in the bud; anthers ovate-oblong, sub-sagittate, obtuse 
at the apex; rudimentary ovary formed by 3 small agglutinate bodies which reach 
about to the base of the anthers. Female spadix simply decompound, otherwise similar 
to the male one, in some specimens rather strongly clawed in the attenuated portions 
of the axis between two partial inflorescences; primary spathes as in the male, but 
commonly partially rotten and deciduous at the maturity of the fruit; partial inflore- 
scences erect when in flower, nodding when in fruit, more slender than in the 
male spadix, more or less shorter than their own spathes, the larger ones 30-35 em, 
long at most and with many spikelets, but usually 15-20 cm. long, and with 6-10 
spikelets ‘on each side; these at first erect, later horizontal, very conspicuously 
callous in their axilla, usually 5-7 cm. long with 10-14 flowers on each side, 
and with the axis closely sinuous and somewhat tumescent between the insertion of 
each flower; the young spikelets with four distinct series of flowers, the neuter ones 
being rather conspicuous; spathels tubular-infundibuliform, closely sheathing, apiculate 
at one side; involucrophorum exsert from its own spathel, laterally attached at the 
base of the one above (apparently to the axis), disciform, almost flat, with a small 
entire or lobulate limb; involucre very shallow, flat, similar to the involucrsphorum; 
areola of the neuter flower much depressed, linear with a central tuberculiform scar, 
Female flowers conic-ovoid, acute, obsoletely trigonous, 3 mm. long; the calyx shortly 
and acutely 3-toothed, subinflated and callous at the base, not or indistinctly veined 
outside; the corolla slightly longer than the calyx, the segments lanceolate, very 
acute; stamens with the filaments united into a cup, which is crowned by 6 subulate 
teeth; anthers sagittate. Neuter flowers slightly smaller than the female ones, thinner 
and with the corolla much longer than the calyx. Fruiting perianth shortly pedic- 
elliform. Fruit very small, sphaeric, pisiform (7 mm. in diam.), topped by. a small 
distinct beak; scales in 18 series, narrowly and sometimes very faintly channelled 
along the middle, subshining, lightyellow with a very distinct chocolate-brown intra- 
marginal line which is more extended towards the point, this rather prolonged and. 
erosely fringed; margins narrowly scarious, pale, erosely toothed, Seed depressedly 
orbicular, 5-6 mm. in diam., convex and boldly tubercled on the dorsal side, depressed 
on tbe raphal side with a central circular deep chalazal fovea; albumen equable ; 
embryo basal.—The plant acquires in herbarium specimens an uniform reddish-brown 
colour. i 
