C. giganteus.) BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 441 
in its first portion; cirrus armed with half-whorled claws; leaflets (in the small 
portion of rachis seen by me) apparently subequidistant, numerous, 6-8 cm. apart. 
on each side, papyraceous, opaque, glabrous, subglaucous beneath, plicately sub- 
5-costulate, with other rather prominent secondary nerves between the stronger 
coste (all nerves naked on both surfaces) broadly ensiform, 55-60 cm. long, 3-4 cm. 
broad, very gradually attenuate to both ends, acute at the base, acuminate at the 
summit into a subulate tip; transverse veinlets not very conspicuous, approximate, margins. 
smooth. Male spadiz ultra-decompound with many large panicled partial inflorescences }. 
one of these about 45 cm. long with 5 stout gradually decreasing branchlets or 
compound spikelets on each side; primary spathes . . . . . 3 secondary spathes 
tubular-infundibuliform, about 3 em. long, closely sheathing, somewhat narrowed to the 
base where flat on the inner side, with acute margins, convex on the back, sparingly 
aculeolate, truncate and entire at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a 
triangular acute or acuminate erect point; branchlets inserted s little above the 
mouth of their own spathe with a rather distinct axillary callus; the lower ones, the 
largest, 20-22 cm. long, with 5-7 very closely alternately and flatly bifarious. 
spikelets on each side; tertiary spathes (those of the branchlets) shortly and broadly 
infundibuliform, truncate, entire at the mouth and apiculate at one side; spikelets 
inserted at an angle of 45° just at the mouth of their own spathe, flattened, short, 
15-20 mm. long, with 5-10 perfectly flatly bifarious and closely packed flowers on 
each side; spathels concave, broadly bracteiform, extended at one side into a broad, 
slightly apiculate point, which is longer than the involucre and subtends its 
flower; involucre half-enclosed in its own spathe and attached at the base of 
the one above, dimidiately cupular or like a swallow’s nest, deep, lunately excavate, 
bidentate, and acutely two-keeled on the side next to the axis. Male flowers not 
seen as they had fallen when the specimens were gathered. Female spadiz simply 
decompound, a good deal larger than the male one, with a very stout axis and many 
partial inflorescences and terminating in a caudate somewhat aculeate appendix ; 
primary spathes tubular, coriaceous, very closely sheathing; the two first very short 
and broad (10-15 cm. long, 3-3°5 cm. broad) distinctly flattened, and acutely two-edged, 
densely and sparsely aculeate ; the upper ones more elongate and more cylindra- 
ceous, slightly narrowing towards the base, where flat on the inner side, densely 
armed with small stout blackish hooked scattered prickles, obliquely truncate 
at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a triangular erect dorsally keeled 
point; partial inflorescences about 30 cm. apart one from the other, elongate, 
inserted at the mouth of their own spathe; their axes very stout, in one specimen 
70 cm. long, with 10 distichous spikelets on each side, and terminating in a 
short aculeate taillike appendix; secondary spathes as in the male spadix, but 
slightly larger; spikelets inserted at the mouth of their own spathe with a rather 
distinct axillary callus, very robust and rigid, somewhat flattened, arched and 
deflexed, 10-16. cm. long with 14-18 distichous flowers on each side, the upper ones 
the shortest; spathels asymmetrically broadly infundibuliform, short, truncate, entire, 
dirty-furfuraceous, smooth; involucrophorum sessile, eupular, attached almost outside 
its own spathel at the base of the one above; involucrue cupular, shallow, entire, 
slightly excavate and bidentate on the side of the neuter flower of which the areola 
is very distinct, lunate and sharply bordered. Fruiting perianth distinctly pedicelli- 
form, 6 mm. long; tubular cylindraceous, slightly inflated at the base, polished 
Axs. Roy. Bor. Garn., CALCUTTA Wok. AL 
