PLECTOCOMIA. 19 
PLECTOCOMIA MART. ET BL. * 
Mart. et Blume in Schult. Syst. Veg. vii, 2, 1333; Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. iii, 
198, t. 114, 116, f. 1; Blume, Rumphia, iu, 68, t. 158, 159, 163; Griff. in Cale. 
Journ. Nat. Hist. v, 5, 95 and Palm. Brit. Ind. 103, App. XXI, t. 217, 218, 219; 
Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii, 78, and Prodr. Fl. Sum. 592; Kurz. For. Fl. Brit. Burma, 
ii, 514 and in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xlii, II, 207 t. xvi—xxvii; T. Anders. in 
Journ. Linn. Soc. xi, 11; H. Wendl. in Bot. Zeit. 1859, 165; Bot. Magaz. t. 5105; 
Hook. et Benth. Gen. Plant. iii, 934; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 477 ; Ridley, Mat, 
Fl. Mal. Penins. ii, 219; Rendle in Journ. of Bot. 1897, 73; Brandis, Ind. Trees, 
649; Gamble, Man. Ind. Timb. 737 (2nd ed.). . 
Large climbing, monocarpic, dicecious, spinose, calamoid palms, ending in a 
terminal inflorescence composed of several partial panicles, issuing from the axillas 
of the uppermost, gradually much reduced leaves. Leaves of the adult plant terminat- 
ing in a clawed cirrus, pinnate. Leaf-sheaths elongate, not flagelliferous, not gibbous 
above, and gradually passing into the petiole without axillary ligula and without 
ocrea at the mouth. Leaflets lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, aeuminate, unicostate 
and usually furnished on each margin with a nerve about as strong as the 
mid-costa; secondary nerves slender; no spines or bristles on the mid-costa and 
lateral nerves; lower surface without scales or microlepidia, frequently discolorous. 
Male and female partial inflorescences or panicles similar, simply branched; the 
branches very long, spiciform, pendulous, having some tubular spathes in their basal 
part, otherwise entirely covered with closely imbricating, distichous, thinly coriaceous, 
persistent, concave spathels, embracing and shielding in their axillas the spicate 
dicecious flowers. Spikelets shorter than their respective spathels; male many- 
flowered ; female shorter, few-flowered, both provided with small bracts and bracteoles. 
The male spikelets have two collateral flowers at each indenture of their smal] 
slender rhachis. Male flowers slightly asymmetrical; the calyx campanulate and 
3-toothed, or shallow and trigonous; the corolla several times longer than the calyx, 
parted nearly to the base into 3 valvate, cartilaginous, acuminate petals, stamens 
normally 6, resting on a short torus and subulate from a thickened base; anthers 
narrow, erect, with parallel cells; rudimentary ovary very small. Female flowers 
much larger than the male ones; the calyx cupular, more or less deeply 3-toothed 
or 3-parted ; the corolla longer than the ealyx, cupular or ventricose in its lowest 
part, divided in the remainder into 3 acuminate segments; the staminodes form with 
the connate bases of their filaments a shallow cup, divided into 6 radiating teeth, 
each supporting a sterile although rather well conformed anther. Ovary globose or 
ovoid, covered with scales, and having 3 dissepiments, early absorbed, and finally 
unilocular ; ovules 3, basilar, usually only one evolving; style very short or obsolete ; 
stigmas elongate, thick, fleshy, subulate. Fruit globose; pericarp thin and brittle, 
covered with numerous small scales, frequently fimbriate. Seed globular or globular- 
depressed, covered with a scanty integument more or less fleshy, and erect in the 
ANN. Roy. BoT. GARD, CALCUTTA, VOL. XII. 
