Scindapsus.'] CLXVI. AROIDE^E. (J. U. Hooker.) 543 



uniform anastomosing, petiole as long as the blade or longer stout winged 

 to the knee, peduncle very stout, spathe 3 in. cymbiform acuminate, spadix 

 stout. S. marantsefolius, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 187. Cucuaria maranti* 

 folia, Schott Gen. t. 80 ; Prodr. 398 ; Engler Arac. 251. C. spuria, Schott 

 in Bonpland. ix. (1861), 367. Aglaonema? cuscuaria, Miq. I.e. 217. 

 C. Rumphii, Schott in Miq. Ann. Mus. Lugd. Sot. i. 130. 



NICOBAR ISLDS. ; (Jelink. in Herb. Calcutt.) DISTRIB. Malay Islds. 



Rootstock very stout. Leaves coriaceous, costa stout, base unequal-sided. 

 The only specimen is an imperfect one, but agrees so far with the Javan plant. I 

 have taken the synonymy from Engler. 



25. RHAPHXDOPHORA, Schott. 



Habit and characters of Anadendrum, but spadix sessile, perianth 0, 

 ovules many parietal; the many-seeded berries confluent and their tissue 

 loaded with intercellular needles ; seed albuminous, embryo axile. 

 Species about 30, tropical Asiatic, Australian and Polynesian. 



I greatly doubt the value of characters taken from the stigmas of dried 

 specimens of this genus, Scindapsus and Epipremnum, whether raised or sessile in 

 the crown of the ovary, and whether orbicular or oblong, or linear ; they appear to 

 change in form with age, and certainly do so in drying. The nerves of the leaves 

 which afford characters in the dried state are often invisible in the fresh. 



* Leaves entire and imperforate (see also R. pertusa}. 



f" Petiole not more than half the length of the blade (a rather variable 

 character). 



1. R. crassifolia, HooJc.f. ; leaves 6-7 by 1^-2 in. subfalcately lanceo- 

 late acuminate thickly coriaceous base narrowed acute or rounded, nerves 

 very obscure, petiole li~2 in. slender channelled up to the blade, peduncle 

 very short, spathe 3 in. cylindric apiculate, stigma raised. 



PERAIT, King's Collector. 



Stem 20-30 ft. as thick as a goose-quill or thicker. Leaves very dark grey and 

 opaque when dried, with recurved margins; costa rather slender, nerves sunk in the 

 tissue, most obscure above and there marked only by superficial wrinkles, absolutely 

 concealed beneath under the smooth epidermis. Spathe thickly coriaceous, cream - 

 colrd. Ovaries -Jg- in. diam., with raised pulvinate central stigmas. Closely 

 resembles R. angustifolia, Schott, in form of foliage, but quite distinct in the 

 texture and nervation of the leaves and in the large spathes. In the Calcutta 

 collection of drawings is that of a plant named Pothos ventricosa, Wall. mss. from 

 N. E. Bengal, which resembles this; the spathe is represented as purple. 



2. R. DXaingrayi, Hook.f. ; leaves 6-8 by 2-2 in. oblong-lanceolate 

 acute shining above, base acute, nerves uniform and raised on the upper 

 surface primary very slender but distinct beneath erecto-patent, petiole 

 short, spathe sessile ? 4 in. cylindric beaked, stigma circular depressed on 

 the surface of the (dry) ovary. 



MALACCA, on trees, Maingay. 



The specimens are imperfect, the leaves being detached from a portion of appa- 

 rently a tortuous branch as thick as the little finder. Leaves coriaceous, drying 

 yellow brown, costa rather slender, the apparent difference between the nervation of 

 the two surfaces is great, the nerves in the upper being raised through the shrinking of 

 the tissues, whilst beneath the erecto-patent primaries are capillary, the secondaries 



