130 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. (0. Semoi . 
densely with small solitary claws, Zeaflets equidistant, about 3 cm. apart on each 
side, papyraceous, rigidulous, almost glossy on both surfaces, slightly paler under- 
neath, ensiform and broadest about their middle whence they taper almost 
equally towards both ends: they have the base acute, and the apex very finely 
and minutely bristly: are 3-costulate or else  sub-5-costulate ; the 3 main costae 
are very acute and sparingly bristly-spinulous on the upper surface, the other 2 
costue, if present, are slender and run very near the margins; underneath the 
costae are not prominent, and all 5 are spinuliferous; transverse veinlets short, 
and very fine above, obsolete underneath; margins very minutely spinulous; inter- 
mediate leaflets 30-32 cm. long, 14-16 mm. broad; those near the upper end 
shorter but not narrower, and those of the base, shorter and narrower. Male 
spadiz . . . Female spadix elongate-flagelliform, simply branched: it bas very 
few (4) distant partial inflorescences, is 1'5 m. long in the floriferous part (in 
one specimen) and terminates in a long filiform flagellum, which is almost smooth 
or very feebly armed with a few small, scattered, solitary claws; primary spathes 
tubular, elongate, very closely sheathing, thinly and partially fugaciously rusty- 
furfuraceous; the lowest is somewhat flattened, 8-9 mm. broad, has rather acute 
edges, and is armed with numerous horizontal, short and broad or narrowly 
triangular, solitary or irregularly confluent, brownish spines, which have a lighter 
coloured and swollen base; the two following spathes do not bear partial inflores- 
cences in the specimen seen by me, are cylindraceous, truncate at the mouths, 
and minutely prickly all round; the upper primary spathes are tubular in their 
lower part, split and spread open upwards into a membranous, brown, dry, marces- 
cent, not quite explanate, linear, usually lacerate limb; this is more or less spinulous 
externally in its lower part; axial parts of the spadix plano-convex, with very 
sharp edges, unarmed; the partial inflorescences are simple, elongate, flabby, have 
their axes slender, terete, smooth, as thick as a packtnread, and carry distichaily 6-8 
spikelets on each side; secondary spathes about 3 em. long, with a short tubular 
part which very abruptly spreads out into an ovate or ovate-lanceolate, auriculi- 
form, acute, membranous, brown, dry, marcescent limb; spikelets inserted in 
the axillas of their respective spathes, and at first entirely enwrapped by 
these, and always slightly shorter; the spikelets are slightly arched-scorpioids. 
have 4 series of collateral, assurgent, very closely packed flowers: the two 
central series are of female and the outer ones of neuter flowers: each series 
contains 10-14 flowers in the larger lower spikelets which are 2-2°5 cm. long: 
upper spikelets shorter, and with fewer flowers; spathels very approximate, iot À 
produced at one side into a triangular acute point; inyolucrophorum shallowly 
dimidiate-cupular, flat, two-keeled and bidentate on the side next to the axis; 
involucre irregularly cupular, rather shallow, lunately excavate and produced "i 
two acute teeth on tle side of the neuter flower; areola of the neuter flower 
large and conspicuous, especially in the lower part of the lowest spikelets, 
lunate, sharply defined, bidentate or  bicornute; spathels and involucra of a 
reddish brown colour, and distinctly — striately-veined. Female flowers conical- 
ovoid, 45-5 mm. long; the calyx narrows from a broad base towards the 
mouth, has 3 deltoid acute teeth and is strongly striately veined; the segments 
of the corolla are lanceolate, acuminate, a little longer than-the calyx; ovary 
globose, style very short, stigmata relatively large and thick, trigonous, spreading. 
