8 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. — [Q. rhytidomus. 
underneath; moreover between the spines are several transverse, interrupted, slightly 
raised, slender but sharp ridges, which are minutely scabrid on their crests. Ocrea 
membranous, later dry, brown and falling to pieces. Leaves 60-70 em, long on the 
whole with only 3-5 irregularly alternate leaflets on each side of the rachis and two 
at the apex, which latter are united in their lower part; petiole short, 5-7 em. long, 
4-5 mm. broad, flat and more or less prickly on the upper and convex on the lower 
surface, armed on tbe edges with short, straight spines, and along the centre on the 
back, with rather robust claws; the rachis has an acute smooth salient angle on the 
upper surface and is rather powerfully armed along the centre and at the sides with 
solitary, scattered, brown and black-tipped claws on the lower surface; leaflets rigid- 
papyraceous, acquiring a tobacco-brown colour in drying, concolorous, almost 
glossy and quite hairless and spineless on both surfaces; transverse veinlets extremely 
numerous and continuous, very fine and sharp on both surfaces; side leaflets 
lanceolate, oblanceolate or elliptical laneeoiate, sharply 5-7—costulate, 25-32 em. long, 
3-5-5°5 mun. broad, usually broadest above their middle, more gradually tapering 
towards the base than towards the apex, the latter triangular, acute and quite 
smooth as are also the margins; the two apical leaflets are united in their lower 
third or up to the middle and are somewhat shorter and broader than the side 
leaflets. Male spadiz ..... Female spadix very elongate, flagelliform, 2 mm. long 
in one specimen, very lax, with about 8 remote gradually diminishing partial 
inflorescences (the uppermost reduced to a single spikelet) that terminate in a very 
slender, very minutely clawed appendage, about 19 cm. long; primary spathes very 
elongate, tubular, strictly sheathing, armed with very small tuberculiform prickles, 
obliquely truncate at the mouth and terminating in a lanceolate acute point; the 
lowest spathe is 25 cm. long, somewhat flattened at its base and terete above where 
it is 6 mm. in diameter; the upper spathes are longer und gradually more slender and 
little by little narrow into the axial part, which is flat with sharp edges on the 
inner side aud is convex externally where armed with several, solitary, blackish 
claws; partial inflorescences inserted at the mouths of their respective spathes with a 
distinct axillary callus, elongate and flaccid; the lower are 50-60 em. long and 
have 12-15 spikelets on each side; the others are gradually smaller and have 
fewer spikelets; secondary spathes tubular, elongate, 15-25 mm. Jong, slightly 
enlarged, but strictly sheathing above where they are 2-3 mm. in diameter, scabridul- 
ous, obliquely trancate, entire and ciliolate at the mouth, produced at one side into 
a triangular acute point; spikelets inserted just at the mouth of their respective 
spathes, distinctly callous and with a transverse rima .at their axillas, strongly 
deflexed, their axis vermicular and rather slender; the lower spikelets are 5-6 em, 
long aud have 18-20 distichous approximate flowers on each side; the upper and those 
of the partial inflorescences near the end of the spadix are somewhat smaller; 
spathels very densely scabrid-papillose, shortly infundibuliform, entire, truncate and 
ciliolate at the mouth, very slightly produced at one side into a short triangular 
obtuse or subacute point; involucrophorum ` shallowly cupular, attached almost 
outside its own spathel at the base of the one above; involucre cupular, orbicular, 
slightly protruding beyond the involucrophorum, and with an irregular and crenulate 
edge; areola of the neuter flower conspicuous, flattish, callous, almost orbicular, sharply 
edged, at times slightly smaller than the involucre. Fruiting perianth explanate, the 
calyx smooth, broadly three-lobed; the corolla twice as long as the calyx, its lobes 
