C. nambariensis. | BECCARI, MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 433: 
very suddenly mucronate and with a short caudiculum at the base which enters into. 
the perianth, 26-27 mm. long including the mucro and the caudiculum and 2 cm. 
in diam.; scales in 18 series, shining, deeply and narrowly channelled along the 
middle, yellowish, with a narrow intramarginal brown line more extended towards 
the small triangular point, margin very narrow, finely erose. Seed globular, about 
15 mm, long, 13 mm. broad, strongly and coarsely pitted on the entire surface, 
with a narrow longitudinal furrow on the raphal side parting from the central 
indistinct punctiform chalazal fovea; albumen superficially ruminate; embryo basal. 
Hasitat.—I consider as type specimens of this species those that Mr. G. Mann 
collected with mature fruit in June 1888 in the Khasia Hills and which were kindly 
forwarded to me. I have little doubt, however, that the specimens collected by Sir 
J. D. Hooker and Dr. T. Thomson in August 1850 with immature fruit at Churra 
and Nowgong in the Ladder Valley, also in the Khasia Hills, must be referred to 
C. khasianus, as also some other sterile specimens from Tura (Garo Hills) and Lakkat 
(700 m.) collected by Mr. C. B. Clarke. A note by Clarke appended to specimens. 
from Lakkat (probably detached from a young not yet fertile plant) declares these 
to belong to a tree 15 feet high and quite erect with spiral rows of prickles in 
many series up the stem; the fronds 1-pinnate. Another note to the specimen 
from Tura says:—“ Tenga. Fruit edible. The same rottang cultivated below 
Nonghedem.” 
OnsERYVATIONS.—I have been long hesitating whether I ought to consider this 
Calamus as distinct specifically from C. inermis or as only a variety of it. And indeed. 
‘the name inermis is a very inappropriate one for C. khasianus, which sometimes, especially 
in young plants, has the leaf-sheaths armed with formidable spines. This character 
would not have been, however, sufficient for basing upon it alone a new species of 
Calamus; but C. khasianus differs further from C. inermis in its diffuse and not strict. 
spadices with larger spreading partial inflorescences inserted outside their own spathes 
often with a distinct axillary callus; in the spikelets also spreading, arched and callous. 
at their insertion; in the not subventricose spathels and in the spheric not elliptic 
fruit, in the globose seed and in the fruiting perianth not distinctly ventricose, 
Nevertheless the affinities of C. khasianus with C. inermis are so great, that 
probably the first is only a local form of the second, and it is not impossible that 
intermediate forms may occur, though, as Griffith has already pointed out (Griff. 
Palms, p. 108), ‘the plants of Khasia Hills are generally distinct from those of 
the Himalayas.” The young plants of C. khasianus seem to be erect and with 
non-cirriferous leaves. | 
khasianus Bece. Portion of the sheathed stem; an inter. 
under-surface); partial inflorescence with mature fruit ; 
f these longitudinally cut.--From Mann’s speci- 
Pratt 192.—Calamus 
mediate portion of a leaf ( 
detached fruits and seeds, one 0 
mens in Herb. Bece. 
164. CALAMUS NAMBARIENSIS Becc. sp. n. 
Descriprion.—Scandent, rather robust. Shesthed stem 3-4 cm. in diam. Leaf- 
sheaths of a light-cinnamon colour when dry, glabrescent or lightly scaly-furfuraceous, 
Ays. Roy. Bor. GARD., Qatcurra Vor. XI. 
