Q. spathulatus.] BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 361 
above; rachis obsoletely bifaced above, armed beneath with rather strong broad and 
light-based.black-tipped claws, which are solitary at first and 2-3-nate upwards but 
gradually become smaller and weaker towards the summit; leaflets very few (5 in Lobb’s 
specimen ) inequidistant, remote alternate or opposite, never fascicled, spathulate or 
oblong-obovate, strongly concavo-convex or spoon-shaped at the summit, about 20 
em. long, 6-7 cm, broad (the lower ones smaller), tapering and acute towards 
the base; very suddenly contracted at the summit into a short obtuse bristly 
pevicillate tip, the bristles ultimately deciduous, firm, thinly coriaceous or subperga- 
mentaceous, shining and green on both surfaces, slightly paler beneath, with 3-5. 
primary sub-equal nerves or costulae and a few secondary ones, all naked on both 
surfaces, but feebler beneath; transverse veinlets very sharp and distinct on both 
surfaces, excessively numerous, very approximate and continuous across the blade; 
margins quite smooth and thickened by a rather strong nerve. Male spadix dd 
. . Female spadiz elongate, flagelliform, simply decompound, in one specimen about 
1 m, in length, including a slender apical, 10 cm. long, aculeolate tail.like appendix ; 
upper primary spathes tubular-cylindraceous, elongate, closely sheathing, coriaceous, 
densely aculeolate throughout, obliquely truncate and entire at the mouth, slightly 
prolonged at one side into a short rather obtuse triangular point, gradually passing 
at the base into the axial part, this flat on the inner side, convex and sparsely 
aculeate externally; lowest primary spathe flat on the inner side, convex and 
sparsely aculeate externally, the margins acute; partial inflorescences few, rather 
distant erecto-patent, inserted at or above the mouth of their respective spathes 
with a distinct axillary callus and a deep transverse rima; the lower ones, the 
largest 15-30 cm. long, with 6-13 spikelets on each side; secondary spathes tubular- 
infundibuliform, entire and truncate at the mouth, apieulate at one side, aculeolate or 
almost smooth; spikelets distichous, horizontal, inserted just at the mouth of their 
own spathe with an axillary callus, rather slender, rigid, slightly arched, 2°5-6 cm. 
long, with 8-15 rather approximate sub-horizontal flowers on each side; the upper- 
most scarcely shorter than the lower ones; spathels shortly and broadly infundibuli- 
form, truncate and entire at the mouth, slightly apiculate at one side; involu- 
crophorum laterally attached almost outside its own spathel at the base of the one 
above and distinctly callous at its upper axilla, sessile, shallowly cupular; 
involucre regularly cupular, barely exceeding the involucrophorum, the margin slightly 
undulate; areola of the neuter flower large, conspicuous, lunate, sharply bordered, 
callous and umbilicate in the centre. Female flowers small, ovoid, acute in bud. 
Neuter flowers very similar to the fertile ones and almost as large. Fruiting perianth 
shortly but distinctly pedicelliform, the calyx indurated and slightly ventricose at 
the base, divided midway down into 3 irregularly split lobes; the corolla almost 
twice as long as the calyx, its segments ovate-lanceolate acute, polished outside; 
staminal urceolum crowned by 6 broadly triangular subulate teeth. Fruit ( when 
nearly ripe) regularly ovoid-elliptic, equally rounded at both ends, caudiculate at its 
base, topped by a slender, 3 mm. long, exactly cylindricous beak, which is crowned by 
the small recurved stigmas, 12 mm. long including the beak and the perianth, and 7 
mm. broad; scales in 18 series, almost as long as broad, narrowly channelled along 
the middle, very light-coloured, subshining, with a lighter scarious margin and 
an obtuse and often reddish-brown tip. Seed oblong, above 8 mm. long, coarsely 
pitted on the back; albumen equable; embryo basal, 
Ann. Ror. Boy. Garp. Carcurta Vor. XI. 
