€. albus. ] BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 445 
lower ones somewhat narrower, the upper ones gradually smaller. Male spadiz 
supradecompound, forming a large and rather dense pyramidate panicle up to 
2m. in length, always shorter than the leaves, with a short and very robust 
slightly flattened peduncular part (this 10 cm. long, 3 cm. thick), with many 
approximate and gradually diminishing partial inflorescences; the uppermost of 
these very small and bearing at its base a short inconspicuous tail-like few cm. 
long appendix, which is the rudiment of the flagellum; primary spathes similar 
in the male and female spadix, thiniy coriaceous very short, tubular, the lowest 
15 em, long at most, the upper ones 5-8 cm. narrowly infundibuliform or 
somewhat narrowed towards the base where flat on the inner side, very 
closely sheathing, thinly coriaceous or  pergamentuceous, truncate, entire and 
naked at the mouth, prolonged at one side into a triangular elongate dorsally 
keeled point, smooth in their lower part and armed upwards, often rather 
densely, with short prickles; lowest partial inflorescences 50-60 cm. long (the upper 
ones gradually shorter) with many branchlets on each side, of these the larger 
ones, the lowest, 20 cm. long, with 12-13 spikelets on each side; secondary 
spathes unarmed or nearly so, narrowly infundibvliform, closely sheathing, 2-2:5 cm. 
long, obliquely truncate and entire at the mouth, prolonged at one side into a 
triangular acute point; male spikelets small, 3-4 cm. long; the upper ones shorter, 
with 12-15 very approximate flowers on each side, arched, spreading attached at the 
mouth ‘of their own spathe; spathels bracteiform, ovate, concave, strongly striately 
veined, deflexed, with an acute ascendent point; involucre cupular, truncate, with an 
acute tooth on each side. Female spadiz very robust, in one specimen 1'5 m. in 
length, simply decompovnd, witb many rather approximate distichous partial 
inflorescences and terminatiog with an  aculeolate tail-like, 15 cm. long, appendix; 
primary spathes as described above; partial inflorescences inserted. at the mouth of 
their own spathe with a rather distinct axillary callus, rigid, spreading and somewhat 
arched; the larger ones, the lowest, up to l m. in length and with 12 spikelets 
on each side; the upper ones much shorter; secondary spathes tubular, slightly 
 infundibuliform, 2-3 cm. long, entire, truncate at the mouth, prolonged at one side 
into a triangular acute erect point, finely striately veined, flat at the base on the 
unarmed or with 1-2 small spinules on the back near the summit; 
inserted at the mouth of their own spathe, with a distinct 
axillary callus, arched, rigid, slightly zig-zag-sinuous, the larger ones (the lowest) 
uam Pug long, with about 18-20 flowers on each side; the uppermost 6-7 
em. only, with fewer flowers; spathels infundibuliform, narrowed a good deal 
towards the base, horizontally truncate and entire at the mouth, slightly prolonged 
at one side into a very short, broadly triangular point, glabrous, finely striately 
veined; involucrophorum almost exsert from its own spathel and laterally attached to 
the base of the one above, short, cupular, two-keeled and obsoletely bidentate on 
the side next to the axis; involucre cupular, very slightly exceeding the 
involucrophorum, truncate, obsoletely bidentate on the side of the neuter flower, of 
which the areola is rather large, distinctly lunate and rather sharply bordered. 
Female flowers remote (about 1 cm. apart), patent, about 4 mm. long. Fruiting 
perianth pedicelliform. The calyx campanulate, almost polished outside and not or indis- 
tinctly striately veined, split midway down into 3 broadly triangular lobes; the segments 
inner side, 
spikelets horizontally 
