Plectocomia.'] CLXIII. PALMED. (Beccari & Hook, f.) 479 



A lofty climber. Leaflets approaching in pairs, 12-18 in. long, linear-lanceolate, 

 finely acuminate ; petiole and rachis spinous, spines straight. Branches of spadix 

 4-5 ft. ; spathels l-2 in. long, blackish towards the upper border. Fruit unknown. 

 I have seen no specimen. J.D.H. 



5. P. assamica. Griff, in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 97 ; Palms Brit. 

 jTw<?. v 107, t. 218 a. a. ; leaflets white and finely furfuraceous beneath, tip not 

 thread like, costae slender, branches of fruiting spadix very stout scurfy, 

 spathelfi 2|- in. long, sepals broadly ovate in. long, petals lanceolate i in. 

 long j*rtrit villous from the deeply ciliate split recurved points of the scales. 

 Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 199, t. 176, f. 11. 



ASSAM ; Sort. Bot. Gale. 



Leaves very large ; leaflets 18-24 by 2-2 in., lateral costse marginal; petiole 

 Ij in. broad, with short stout marginal spines and short seriate scattered clusters of 

 more slender dorsal ones. Branches of fruiting spadix 4-5 ft. long by 4-5 in. across the 

 large subacute neaily glabrous spathels ; rachis rusty tomentose. Spikelets 8-10 fld. 

 Male calyx cupular, 3-toothed ; petals lanceolate, -| in. long. Fruiting sepals 

 broadly ovate, ^ in. long ; petals lanceolate, ^ in. Fruit 1 in. dianu, bright rusty red. 

 A mutilated spadix-branch of this or a nearly allied species, sent by the late Major 

 Hannay from Debraghur to the Calcutta Gardens, has narrower spathels, brown 

 mealy externally, ovate-lanceolate fern, sepals in. long and petals narrowly lanceo- 

 late f in. long ; the very young fruit is clothed with recurved lacerate scales. 



6. P. elongata, Mart, in JBoem. $ Sch. Syst. vii. 1333 ; Hist Nat. 

 Palm. 199, t. 114 and 116, f. 1 ; leaflets sparsely white furfnraceous beneath 

 tip not filiferous, costae 3 very slender, branches of spadix very long, 

 spathels 1| in . sub-3-lobed acute glabrous, flowers very small, calyx of 

 male minute 3-toothed, petals in. obliquely oblong-ovate acute, calyx of 

 fern, larger urceolate 3-toothed, petals small linear-lanceolate, fruit 1 in. 

 diam., densely villous from the long lacerate spreading tips of the scales. 

 Kunth Enum. iii. 202 ; Blume, Rumphia, iii. 68, 1. 158 and Ic3 A. Calamus 

 maximus, Reinw. ex Blume Cat. Hort. Bogor. 59. 



PENANG, Jack, Wallich; alt. 2500ft., Curtis. DISTRIB. Sumatra, Java. 



Leaves very large ; petiole stout ; leaflets 1-1 ^ ft. by 2 in. broad, rather mem- 

 branous, lateral costse marginal. Branches of spadix 3-4 ft., 2 3>in. across the 

 spreading spathels, which have acutely angled sides. 



29. PXiECTOCOIKXOPSXS, Becc. mss. 



Characters of Plectocomia, but upper leaves reduced to sheaths with 

 long flagella and no leaflets, spathels small, infundibular, and fruit clothed 

 with very minute almost microscopic scales, arranged in vertical series. 

 Seed globose, smooth ; albumen equable ; embryo basilar. Species 3, 

 Malayan. 



1. P. greminiflorus, Becc. mss. ; leaves subsessile, leaflets very 

 many and narrow equidistant finely acuminate, spadices with long 

 pendulous spikes, the lower branched, spikelets very short 2-3-fld., fruit 

 subturbinate with more than 35 rows of minute scales. Calamus gemini- 

 florus, Griff, ex Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 338; Palms Brit. Ind. 70, t. 

 199 A. Plectocomia geminiflora, H. Wenll. mss. 



MALAY PENINSULA,; Malacca, Fernandez; Perak, Scortechini (No. 283 b ). 



