Sclerosperma.] cxLvii. palm^e (weight). 101 



the linear hiliim and form a loose network towards their extremities ; 

 albumen copious, very hard, homogeneous ; embryo dorsal near the 

 apex, almost opposite the hilum. — Slender, gregarious, unarmed palms. 

 Stems very short, densely fastigiate. Leaves fascicled, erecto-patent, 

 imparipinnate ; leaflets subopposite. Spadix short, simple, bearing at 

 the base two male flowers at the side of each female, in the upper part 

 male flowers only ; spathes 2, persistent ; bracts membranous. 

 Endemic, monotypic. 



1. S. Mannii, Weiidl. in Titans. Linn. Soc. xxiv. 427, t. 38, Jig. C, 

 and t. 40, Jig. A. Slender csespitose palms. Stem very short. Leaves 10- 

 13 ft. long, rigid, sparingly clothed with rusty evanescent scurf; sheath 

 1-1 1 ft. long, breaking up at the margin into reticulate fibres : petiole 

 7-8 ft. long, subterete ; blade elliptic-oblong, 4-5 ft. by 2 ft. ; rhachis 

 acute above, convex beneath ; leaflets 9-12 on each side, obliquely 

 truncate, slightly contracted at the base, light green, smooth and 

 shining above, whitish and covered with deciduous rusty scales beneath, 

 crenate and minutely toothed at the apex, lJ-2 ft. by 2-3 in., 3-5- 

 nerved ; terminal leaflets unequal, confluent below, 12-17-nerved. 

 Primary spadix about 8 in. long, the lateral erect, concealed amongst 

 the leaf-bases ; peduncle 4 in. long, 9 lin. thick, brownish tomentose. 

 Spathes 2, persistent, fuscous ; outer 5-6 in. long, irregularly laciniate 

 at the apex ; inner about 8 in. long, ellipsoid, breaking up at the apex 

 into reticulate fibres. Flowers spirally arranged, in the lower part one 

 female between two male, in the upper part male only densely crowded ; 

 bracts broadly ovate, acute, concave ; male bracteoles small or obsolete, 

 female broadly ovate, acute. Male flower : Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 

 concave, keeled, membranous, lJ-2 lin. long, those of the apical flowers 

 one-half the size, linear-spathulate, obtuse, incurved, membranous 

 below. Corolla-lobes elliptic-oval, rigid, thick, 3-4 lin. long, those of 

 the upper flowers broadly obovate, mucronate, incurved, 5 lin. long, 

 reddish. Filaments very short, hemispherical ; anthers linear ; con- 

 nective percurrent. Female flowers : Sepals free or shortly united, 

 broadly ovate, acute, incrassate, concave, slightly keeled, margin with 

 deciduous scales. Petals ovate, abruptly acuminate, concave, marces- 

 cent, as long as or slightly longer than the sepals. Staminodes 6 or 9, 

 minute, lanceolate. Ovary ellipsoid, shorter than the petals ; stigma 

 large, suberect ; ovule basal. Drupe 1 J in, diam., subglobose, obliquely 

 depressed, bearing the stigmatic scar near the apex; epicarp brown, 

 thin, rather shiny ; mesocarp of very thin fibres ; endocarp thin, 

 stony. Seed 1 in. by 9 lin. ; hilum slightly excentric, with radiating 

 anastomosing fibres ; albumen copious, very hard ; embryo near the 

 apex. — Drude in Engl. Jahrb. xxi. 112. 



Xiower Guinea. Gaboon : in swampy places near tbe River Gaboon, frc m 

 Point Clara upwards, 3Iann, 1046 ! Soyaux (ex Drude). 



