478 CLXIII. PALMED. (Beccari & Hook, f.) [Plectocomia . 



Spikelets short, male many-fld., fern, shorter few-fld. ; bracts and bracteoles 

 subulate., Male fl. Calyx cupular, 3-toothed ; petals lanceolate, valvate ; 

 stamens 6-12, filaments cuneate below, anthers linear. Fern. fl. larger, 

 perianth accrescent; corolla 3-fid, lobes valvate; staminodes 6. Ovary 

 3-celled; ovules basilar. Fruit globose, 1- rarely 3-seeded, beaked; pericarp 

 thin, tessellated with reflexed shining scales. Seed erect ; albumen equ&ble, 

 embryo basilar. Species 6 or 7, Himalayan and Malayan. 



1. P. khasyana, Griff, in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 106; Palais Brit. 

 Ind. 106. t. 218 ; leaflets strongly 3-costate finely furfuraceous beneath tip 

 not filiferous, rachis of spadix glabrate, of spikelets white-tomejitose, 

 spathels rusty-puberulous, male petals ^ in. long elongate-lanceolate, 

 fruit-scales ciliate and with deciduous recurved fimbriate tips. Mart. 

 Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 199. P. assamica, Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 1505 (excl. 

 syn.). 



KHASIA HILLS, alt. 4-5000 ft., Griffith, &c. 



Stem 60-80 ft., as thick as the arm. Leaves 30 ft. including the flagellum; 

 leaflets 8-16 by 2-3 in., broadly lanceolate ; rachis armed beneath with very short 

 digitate spines. Male spadix branched from the base ; branches 3 ft. long by 2 ft. 

 across the spathels, which are 1^ in. long, oblong, white with broad green acute or 

 acuminate tips and a broad brown interposed band. Spikelets 1 in., many-fld. 

 Stamens 8-12. Fruit 1-1 in. diam., globose, abrubtly beaked. 



2. P. himalayana, Griff, in Cole. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 100; Palms 

 Brit. Ind. 108, t. 218; leaflets concolorous tips filiform, spadix and 

 spikelets scurfily tomentose, male petals % in, fruit-scales fimbriate tips 

 appressed. Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 129 ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. xi. 12. P. montana, Herb. Ind. Or. Hook.f. & Thorns. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA, alt! 4-7000 ft. 



Stem 1 in. diam. Leaves 6-8 ft. including the flagellum ; leaflets 12-16 by 

 1-1^ in., with 5 slender costse, margins aculeolate, rachis scurfy and flagellum armed 

 with recurved claws ; petiole unarmed or margins spiny ; sheath tubular, scurfy, 

 spines whorled. Spathes conduplicate, scurfy. Spadices erect ; branches 23 ft., 

 drooping ; spathels 1-2 in., rhomboid, acute ; spikelets 3-7-fld. Calyx (male and 

 fern.) cupular, 3-toothed, petals ovate-lanceolate. Fruit % in. diam., depressed- 

 globose ; scales very small. 



3. P. Griffith!!, Becc. mss. ; very stout, leaflets glaucous beneath, 

 spathels glabrous or scurfy towards the tips, male spikelets sparsely scurfy 

 sessile, fern. fl. pedicelled, scales of fruit fimbriate and toothed. P. elon- 

 gata, Griff, in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 96 ; Palms Brit. Ind. 104, 

 t. 217 A, B, C (not ofBlume). 



MALACCA, Griffith. 



A gigantic species. Stem as thick as a man's leg. Leases with the flagellum 

 about 20 ft. ; leaflets distant, 2-3 ft. by 2-3 in., decnrved ; rachis and flagellum 

 armed as in other species. Spadix very large, branches many, 2 -3 ft. Spathels 

 If in. broad. Fruits 3-5 in each spathel, " size of a carbine bullet," ^ in diam. 

 Allied to P. elongata, differing in the more numerous flowers of the fern, spikelet, 

 and by the much smaller fruit, the scales of which are not striated. I have seen no 

 specimen. J.D.H. 



4. P. macrostachya, Kurz in Journ. Beng. As. Soc. xliii. pt. ii. 

 207, t. 16, 17 ; For. Fl. ii. 514 ; leaflets white beneath, rachis of spadix 

 scurfy, spathels acute glabrous, male spikelets scurfy, flowers shortly 

 pedicelled, margins of calyx-teeth densely tomentose. 



TENASSERIM -, on the Bithoko hills, alt. 3000 ft., Kurz, Brandts. 



