499 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [C. asperrimus. 
Puare 185.—Calamus mucronatus Becc.. The summit of a plant with a male 
spadix.—From P. B. No. 829. 
156. Caramus asperrmus Bl. in Roem. et Schult. Syst. Veg. vii. 2, 1827; 
Mart Hist. Nat. Palm, iii, 219 (lst edit.) and 341; Bl. Rumphia iii. 
36, t. 146; Kunth Enum. Pl, iii. 212; Walp. Ann. iii. 491 and v. 
832; Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 139, and De Palm. 28; Teysm. Cat. 
Hort. Bog. 74; H. Wendl. in Kerch. Les Palm. 235; Becc. in Rec. 
Bot. Surv. Ind. ii. 213. : 
Description.—Scandent, slender or of moderate size. Sheathed stem 7-20 mm. 
in diam.  Leaf-sheaths slightly gibbous above, obliquely truncate at the mouth, very 
seabrid owing to innumerable very short subspiny rufous bulbous hairs and many 
véry small ascendent triangular prickles and furthermore armed with a few solitary 
scattered horizontal or subreflexed straight broad-based subulate spines. Ocrea very 
short, liguliform, very densely covered with rigid bristles. Leaves of the upper part 
of the fertile plant cirriferous, epetiolate, about 60 cm. long in the pinniferous 
portion, with a filiform cirrus about as long; this very closely armed with very 
acute -aggregate or half-whorled claws; rachis rounded beneath near its base, armed 
throughout along the middle with at first solitary then geminate or ternate rather. 
robust black-tipped claws, acutely bifaced and smooth above; leaflets not very 
numerous, 8-10 on each side, very inequidistant, but not fascicled in distinet groups, 
thinly papyraceous, rather rigid, narrowly lanceolate, somewhat narrowed to and acute 
at the base, gradually acuminate at the summit into a subulate conspicuously bristly 
tip, green even when dry, opaque, slightly paler and almost silky beneath, with the 
mid-costa acute above where usually furnished with a few black bristles near the 
summit, superficial and naked beneath; side nerves slender, sometimes 2 in the 
upper surface more distinct than the others, smooth on both surfaces; transverse. 
veinlets fine, sharp, approximate, continuous; margins very remotely and adpressedly 
spinulous, the lower one bordered in the upper surface with a narrow shining band; 
the largest leaflets, those near the summit, 20-30 cm. long, 1°5-2°5 cm. broad, the 
lower ones smaller and more spreading. Male spadiz simply decompound, elongate, 
slender, flagelliform with 5-6 partial inflorescences terminating in a not very long 
filiform aculeolate appendix; primary spathes elongate, tubular, closely sheathing, 
truncate entire and densely bearded at the mouth and prolonged at one side into an 
erect triangular point more or less scabrid and furthermore armed with straight 
scattered prickles; the first flattened with acute and prickly edges; the upper ones 
gradually less flattened and more cylindraceous, rather suddenly narrowed at the base 
into a short axial part; this flat on the inner side, convex and usually not clawed 
on the back; partial inflorescences very slender, elongate, 20-30 cm. long, strict, 
inserted just at the mouth of their own spathes, with 12-15 spikelets on each side; 
secondary spathes infundibuliform, narrow at the base, enlarged and loose above, 
obliquely truncate and densely bearded at the mouth, prolonged at one side into a 
broadly triangular point, scabrid and finely striately veined ; spikelets small circinnate- 
scorpioid, subtended by the point of their own spathe and inserted at the mouth of 
this, 15-18 mm. long, with 12-14 very closely packed flowers on each side; spathels 
very approximate, bracteiform, concave, broadly ovate, concave, acute or acuminate, 
