60 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. C. benkulensis- 
distant appressed spinule here and there. The intermediate leaflets are the largest, 
elongate-spathulate, 36.—38 em. long and 45—5z mm. wide in their broadest part 
somewhat above the middle, and narrowing considerably from above the middle to an 
acute base, while above they contract rather suddenly into a short, subulate and 
at the sides slightly spinulous tip; the lowest leaflets are smaller, oblanceolate: 
the mesials narrower and more gradually acuminate: the uppermost narrowing almost 
equally towards beth ends, and slightly smaller than the intermediate ones. 
Male spadiz slender, simply branched, sparingly and thinly rusty pulverulent in 
every part, elongate flagelliform but not clawed at its upper end; it springs erec 
from near the base of its leaf-sheath which is rather deeply impressed by the 
base of the lowest spathe; it is about 1 m. long and terminates in a small tail- 
like flattened minutely prickly appendage, and has six partial inflorescences; upper 
primary spathes elongate, closely sheathing, minutely scabrid and moreover armed 
with a few large prickles; the lowest spathe is slightly flattened, very obliquely 
truncate, conspicuously ciliate-bearded at the mouth and produced into an elongate, 
triangular, subulate point; below, the spathes gradually narrow into the axial part, 
which is flattened, has acute margins, and is smooth or occasionally sparingly 
prickly externally; the lowest spathe is similar to the upper ones but larger, 
17 cm. long and 6 mm. broad, more flattened and with sharp edges armed 
with a few lorg straight spines. The partial inflorescences spring erect from 
inside the mouth of iheir respective spathes, are long, slender and nodding: the 
lowest is about 25 cm. long, and carries 6-7 spikelets on each side: the others are 
somewhat shorter, and have fewer spikelets; secondary spathes smooth or slightly 
scabrid, tubular in their lower part, split open above into an auriculiform acuminate 
limb, ciliate-bearded at the margins; the spikelets are short, spring erect from 
inside their respective spathes, and are distinctly scorpioid: the lowest and largest 
are 20—25 mm. long, with two somewhat unilateral series of 12—15 flowers each; 
the upper spikelets diminish gradually, though only slightly, in size; spathes huiry, 
furfuraceous, very approximate, concave, bracteiform, produced at one side into a 
triangular spreading point subtending its own flowers; involucre also striately veined, 
slightly concave, deeply bilobed, or as if it were formed by two sub-triangular 
acute bracts united by their bases. Male flowers ovoid, very acute, of a firm carti- 
laginous texture; the calyx hard and callous at the base, divided down to about 
the middle into three semi-ovate, acute, strongly  striately veined lobes; the corolla 
a third longer than the calyx, its segments ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, sharply 
striately veined. 
.  Hasrrar.-West coast of Sumatra at Benkulen. The type specimen in the 
Buitenzorg Herbarium. Collector unknown. Native name, ‘‘Rotan Sabut,” 
OssERvATIONS,— Apparently related to C. scaberrimus. Well characterized by the 
leaf-sheaths which are very scabrid, and moreover armed with peculiar triangular, 
ascendent spines; by the short epetiolate cirriferous? leaves having very few spa- 
thulate, 5-costulate leaflets (bald and smooth on both surfaces); by the slender, 
simply branched, elongate, flagelliform spadices, terminating in a short caudieulate 
(not clawed and cirriform) appendage, and with remote partial inflorescences inserted 
