96 



20 cm. long and 15-20 mm. broad ; those of the terminal group somewhat 

 smaller ; the two terminal are the smallest, free, or more or less connate, 

 at the base. Male and female spadices similar, flagelliform, very long and 

 slender, with a very few distant partial inflorescences ; primary spathes very 

 narrowly tubular and elongate, very closely sheathing, more or less armed 

 with scattered small claws ; the lowest slightly compressed, the others 

 cylindraceous. Male partial inflorescences (primary branches) zigzag 

 sinuous, spreading, inserted outside their respective spathes with a distinct 

 axillary callus ; the lowest 18-20 cm. long, with 7-8 rather distant spikelets 

 on each side; the upper ones gradually shorter, and with fewer spikelets; 

 secondary spathes 8-10 mm. long, smooth or at times very slightly spinulous, 

 tubular -infundibuliform, or with a narrow flattened base, and slightly 

 enlarged above, very closely sheathing, obliquely truncate and glabrous at 

 the mouth, where acute at one side ; spikelets flattened, 6 mm. broad, comb- 

 like with very approximate or contiguous bifarious flowers ; spikelets 

 strongly deflexed, inserted just at the mouths of their respective spathes ; 

 the lower spikelets 15-18 mm. long, bearing 13-15 flowers on each side; the 

 others gradually shorter; spathels bracteiform, broad, concave, acute, strongly 

 striately-veined; involucre cupular, obsoletely two-keeled and two-toothed 

 on the side next to the axis. Male /lowers very close together, ovate, sub- 

 acute, 2 - 5 mm. long; the calyx deeply 3-lobed, strongly striately-veined ; 

 the corolla twice as long as the calyx. Female spadix has shorter partial 

 inflorescences and fewer but larger spikelets than the male spadix ; the 

 largest (lowest) spikelets are 4-5 cm. long, and carry 8-10 flowers on each 

 side; spathels broadly infundibuliform, truncate; involucrophorum obliquely 

 campanulate ; involucre deeply cupular, truncate, as long as the involucro- 

 phorum ; areola of the neuter flower rather conspicuous, subcupular. Female 

 flowers ovate, inserted at an angle of about 45. Fruiting perianth almost 

 explanate, not pedicelliform. Fruit broadly ovoid-elliptical, 17-18 mm. long 

 (not taking into account the beak), 15 mm. broad, equally rounded at both 

 ends, suddenly topped by a beak 2'5 mm. long ; scales in 21 longitudinal 

 series, rather deeply grooved along the centre, straw-yellowish with a very 

 narrow dark brown marginal line; tip bluntish. Seed irregularly globose, 

 with homogeneous albumen. 



Hob. Arfak Mts., Angi lakes, common all through the forest round ? lake 

 at 7000-8000'. "A small rotang, excellent for tying." 5977 (? type- 

 specimens) with the sheathed stem 8-10 mm. in diam. and rather densely 

 prickly leaf-sheaths. The male plant (6144, Dec., Mt. Arfak, 5000' on 

 the S.W. ridge, scrambling in high forest) : very slender; sheathed stem 

 8-10 mm. in diam. ; leaf-sheaths nearly smooth. 



It is evidently related to the Australian C. Muelleri, from which it mainly 

 differs in the leaflets not being distinctly 3-costulate, and in the female spadix 



