476 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA, te siphonospathus 
Some specimens collected by Jagor in Luzon in 1861 (Herb. Berol. 
apparently belong to this variety, having the leaflets with 5 bristly costae above. 
Vidal’s No. 921 in Herb. Kew with male spadices also apparently tus to 
this variety, the leaflets being very similar to those of the preceding. 
Prate 215.—Calamus siphonospathus var. oligolepis Becc. Lower portion of a 
leaf (upper surface); summit of the same leaf, male spadix. From a specimen 
colleeted in the year 1861 by Jagor in Luzon and preserved in the Berlin Herbarium. 
CALAMUS SIPHONOSPATHUS var. OLIGOLEPIS (MINOR) Becc. in Webbia, p. 353. 
DESCRIPTION.— Leaf-sheaihs densely covered with very ‘slender, acicular-subcri- 
niform, fulvous 10-15 mm. long, horizontal, brown spines; those near the mouth up to 
3 cm. long and erect. Leaves terminating in a slender about 1 m. long cirrus, which 
is rather regularly armed with half or three-fourth whorled claws; petiole (in one leaf) 
40 em. long, somewhat flattened-biconvex with obtuse angles, densely covered with 
unequal, short, subbulbous light-based, black-tipped horizontal spines; rachis in the 
upper surface sparsely aculeolate in its first portion, naked and bifaced upwards, 
Leaflets very numerous, equidistant, very closely set, linear-lanceolate, the largest, the 
intermediate ones, 18-19 cm. long, l cm. broad, distinetly 3-costulate, the mid- 
costa stronger than the side ones, the 3 costaegbristly-spinulous on the upper surface, 
and underneath rather closely and finely bristly-spinulous on the mid-costa only. 
Female spadiz as in the type, but the primary spathes unarmed or nearly so; partial 
inflorescences less branched ; spikelets somewhat shorter and thicker than in the type 
oligolepis ; spathels scaly-furfuraceous and subscabrid. Fruiting perianth very distinctly 
pedicelliform ; the calyx cylindraceous polished. Fruit very small, subglobose-ovoid, 
suddenly narrowing into a conic beak, 6-7 mm. long, including the beak and the 
perianth, 4mm. broad; scales in 12 series, convex, shining, not channelled along the 
middle, pale greyish, the margin lighter, scarious, erosely-toothed, their point short, 
spotted with reddish-brown. 
HaBrrAT.— The Philippine Islands at Malunu in North Luzon (Warburg in Herb. 
Berol.). 
OssERVATIONs.— This is distinguished from the var. oligolepis major by its leaves with 
smaller very closely set equidistant leaflets, which have only 3 distinct spinulous 
costae, though sometimes with the vestiges of another (naked) nerve near the margins; 
by the almost unarmed primary spathes and smaller partial inflorescences, The rather 
remarkable differences in the leaflets may possibly arise from the different age of the 
plants. Even the bristles on the costae are smaller, more adpressed and less conspicuous 
than in var. oligolepis major and also the spadices and partial inflorescences are smaller 
and these less branched. I have seen of this variety an entire leaf with the upper 
part of its sheath and two spadices with nearly ripe fruit. The spines of the leaf- 
sheaths of this variety are more slender than in the type, being almost criniform. 
. Prare 217,—Calamus siphonospathus var. oligolepis minor Bece. Lower portion 
of a leaf (upper surface); the summit of the same leaf (lower surface); fruit spadix. 
From Warburg’s specimen in Herb, Berol. 
