C. melanorhynchus.) BECCARI. THE SPECIES OF CALAMUS.—SUPPLEMENT. 21 
spathes, the lowerst of which is about 40 ecm. long and of the uniform 
thickness of 12 mm., is very slightly flattened with very blunt edges, very 
obliquely truncate or briefly open at its mouth, where the partial inflorescence 
arises, and is prolonged above into a rather elongate, lanceolate, dorsally 
keeled apex: its entire surface is almost smooth on the axial side, and is 
covered all over on the opposite side with small scattered claws; the second and 
other sputhes are also very closely sheathing, are subterete and sprinkled with 
minute claws above, and gradually pass below into a thinner very elongate axial 
part, which is flattish and smooth on the inner side and is very powerfully armed 
externally with robust claws, more or less confluent in groups of 2-5, but rarely 
so regularly as to form the asual half whorls, Mak spadiz with the partial inflor- 
escences very elongate and branched again; in one specimen the lowest partial inflor- 
escence is 1°2 m. long and carries about 10 gradually diminishing secondary or 
spikelet bearing branches on each side; secondary spathes closely sheathing, elongate- 
infundibuliform, flattened or somewhat concave and with sharp edges on the axial 
side, obliquely truncate and smooth at the mouth, produced at one side into a 
long, acuminate, triangular, dorsally keeled apex and sprinkled with very small claws 
on their upper part; the branches of the partial inflorescences are inserted at a rather 
acute angle just at the mouths of their respective spathes; the lowest are 20-25 
em. long, and carry 8-10 spikelets on each side; the uppermost are only 10-12 
em. long and with 7-8 more approximate spikelets; spathes of the branches tubular- 
infundibuliform, flat on the inner side, produced above into a triangular point, 
slightly prickly or also smooth; spikelets also inserted just at the mouths of their 
spathes at a rather acnte angle, slightly arched: the largest, (the lowest) 3-4 cm, long 
with 10-12 flowers on each side: the uppermost smaller; the spathels are very 
approximate, broadly infundibuliform and with their acuminate points suffulting the 
base of the flowers; involucre hidden within its spathel, dimidiately cupular or like 
a swallow’s nest, lunately excavate and bidentate on the side next to the axis. 
Male flowers ovoid-oblong, bluntish, obsoletely trigonous, 4°5-5 mm. long; the calyx 
tubular-cyathiform, broadly tridentate; the corolla one-third longer than the calyx. 
Female spadiz simply branched; partial inflorescences elongate, strict or with the 
spikelets erect and very appressed to the straight main axis: the lowest partial 
inflorescence is {in one specimen) 75 cm. long and carries about 25 gradually 
diminishing spikelets, which when loaded with fruits cover entirely the main axis 
and form a long and very strict spike; secondary spathes similar to those of 
the male partial inflorescences, but somewhat shorter and slightly broader; spikelets 
inserted at the mouths of their respective spathes and arising erect from these; the 
lowest, largest, about 10 cm. long, with 18-20 distichally set flowers on each side; 
spathels broadly  infundibuliform, acute at one side; involucrophorum obliquely 
attached at the base of the spathel above its own, concave, shallow; involucre 
cupular, rather deep, entire and exactly truncate at the ‘mouth. Fruiting perianth 
not pedicelliform; the calyx split down to the base into 3 ovate segments; the 
segments of the corolla lanceolate, acute, as long as, but smaller than those of the 
calyx. Fruit globular-ovoid, being slightly longer than broad, surmounted by a 
relatively conspicuous, broadly conical, blunt, black beak, 13-14 mm, long, inclusive 
of beak and perianth, and 10 mm. in diameter; scales arranged in 15 longitudinal 
series, straw coloured with a narrow almost black margin (which is minutely 
