402 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [.C. palustris 
base and numerous large spikelets upwards; secondary spathes tubular, elongate- 
infundibuliform, closely sheathing, narrowed to the base, where flat on the inner side 
and with very acute margins, more or less prickly, chiefly in their upper part, 
obliquely truncate at the mouth, where prolonged at one side into a triangular more 
or less decayed point, the lower ones, the largest, 3-4 cm. long, the upper ones 
gradually shorter; tertiary spathes shorter and more distinctly infundibuliform than 
the secondary ones, unarmed, prolonged at one side into an acute point, ciliate- 
paleaceous at the margin; spikelets patent, inserted at the mouth of their own 
spathe, not or indistinctly callous at the axilla; those of the apical portion of the 
inflorescences up to 5-6 cm. long, with 18-20 very crowded bifarious flowers on each 
side; those of the’ branchlets 1:5-2:5 em. long with fewer flowers; spathels very 
closely packed, subbracteiform, concave, broadly ovate, finely striately veined and 
sprinkled with brown scales, ciliate-paleaceous at the margin, apiculate at one side, 
the point subtending the flowers; involucre shorter than its spathel, dimidiately cupular 
or like a swallow’s nest, enclosed in its own spathel and attached at the base of 
the one above, bidentate, two-keeled and deeply lunately excavate on the side next 
to the axis. Male flowers ovate, about 4 mm. long; the calyx deeply 3-toothed, 
finely striately veined; the corolla almost twice as long as the calyx, opaque outside, 
finely striately veined. Female spadiz simply decompound, shorter than the leaves, 
not very diffuse; primary spathes coriaceous, tubular, closely sheathing; the first 
short, flattened; the upper ones cylindraceous, slightly enlarged above, 8-10 cm. long, - 
more or less armed with rather slender scattered horizontal or slightly deflexed 
straight prickles, prolonged at the mouth into a decayed and often lacerated limb, 
the dead part sharply defined from the living one; partial inflorescences many, 
rather approximate, the lower ones, the largest, 40-50 cm. long, terminating in a 
very short tail-like appendix, spreading, arched, inserted very near but inside the 
mouth of their own spathe, bearing 6-8 distichous spikelets on each side; secondary 
spathes elongate-infundibuliform, more or less aculeolate on the back, obliquely 
truncate at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a short point and often 
withered and lacerated in the oldest inflorescences; spikelets spreading, slightly arched, 
inserted at the mouth of their own spathe and not distinctly callus at the axilla; 
the lower ones, the largest, 8-10 cm. long, with 12-13 distichous flowers on each side à 
the upper ones slightly shorter; spathels short infundibular-cyathiform, asymmetric, 
narrowed a good deal to the base, truncate, entire, prolonged at one side into a 
short acute point, ciliolate at the margin and sprinkled with brown scales; involu- 
erophorum short, subcupular, shaped like a swallow's nest, very obliquely truneate, 
‘half exsert from its own spathel, adnate to the base of the one above, bidentate 
and two-keeled on the side next to the axis; involucre slightly exceeding the 
involucrophorum, more or less irregularly cupular, often asymmetric, excavate and 
bidentate on the side of the neuter flower, the areola of which is depressedly lunate. 
Female flowers about 4 mm. long; the calyx divided down to the middle into 3 
ovate-acute lobes; segments of the corolla lanceolate-acute, as long as the lobes of 
the calyx; stamens forming by the united bases of their filaments a cup as high as 
the third-part of the corolla and crowned by 6 broadly triangular and suddenly 
subulate teeth. Fruiting perianth not distinctly pedicelliform, with the calyx split 
not quite to the base. Fruit ovoid-elliptic or subobovoid, suddenly narrowed into a 
‘short, conic beak, 15-18 mm. long, 10-12 mm. broad; scales in 18 series, flattish, 
