24 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. P. elongata. 
bases and form nearly complete regularly spaced whorls. Leaflets in distant groups 
of 2-4 on each side of the rhachis, narrowly lanceolate, very gradually acuminate 
above to a long subulate apex and almost equally narrowing to the base; all are 
on one plane and have a distinct callus with transverse rima in their axillus; are 
green above and ashy-grey beneath, especially in recently expanded leaves, less 
distinetly so with age; the mid-costa and the marginant nerves are raised and 
almost equally : robust on the upper surface; the secondary nerves slender; 
transverse veinlets obsolete; the margins smooth or occasionally very minutely 
(and deciduously ?) spinuloug. The intermediate leaflets of the adult plant are 
50—65 cm. long; 3—4 cm. wide; but apparently the size of the leaflets 
varies with the age of the plant and with the level at which the leaves are 
inserted along the stem; for one reason or another in some specimens the 
leaflets appear smaller and relatively broader than described aboye; the lowermost 
leaflets are usually smaller and narrower than the intermediate. The inflorescence 
is terminal, on' the whole very large and composed of several spadices springing 
fron the axils of the uppermost leaves. The male and female spadices are 
produced on distinct plants; they are however very similar in general character. 
The partial inflorescences are 1—2 m. long, recurved and composed of several 
pendulous spikes, each issuing from the axilla of a spathe; the lowest spathe \is 
infundibuliform, 15 cm. long (in one specimen), cottony-tomentose, slightly flattened, 
2-horned or produced above on each side into a broad triangular incurved 
point; the succeeding spathes are shorter, also infundibuliform, but obliquely 
truncate at the mouth and produced only at one side into a broad triangular 
acuminate point; the spikes when still young have the appearance of long terete 
scaly tails with approximate closely inbricate spathels. The male spikes during 
the anthesis are 75—90 cm. long; have a terete slender axis 3—4 mm. in 
diameter, rendered scabrid by hard, short, branched, rusty hairs, ‘and bear 
alternately and distichally .very numerous bracts (spathels) which at first overlap 
each other and are imbricate in their basal parts, but spread or gape during the 
anthesis, and are spaced 1 cm., that is, on a portion of the axis of the spike 
10. cm. in length are attached 5 spathels on each side; the spathels are concave, 
very broadly ovate or more or less rhomboidal in general outline, have the apex 
acute and taper below to a narrow base; from about the middle upwards are 
broadly triangular, are 4°5—6°5 em., long, and about as broad or less, thinly 
coriaceous, reddish brown in the dry condition, very finely striately veined, glabrous 
in their basal part, and more or less sprinkled with appressed hyaline scales 
above; generally the place of separation between the lower broadest part and the 
triangular point is marked on each side by an acute angle or a small tooth, 
very distinct in the lower and intermediate spathels, but obsolete in the upper 
ones; spikelets 4—5 cm., long, with a slender zig-zag sinuous hairy scabrid axis, 
alternately and distichally indented, and bearing at each indentation or notch two, 
collateral flowers; the pairs of flowers are 5—9 ‘on each side of the axis, the 
lowest pairs being shortly pedicellate, all the others sessile and suffulted by a 
small subulate bract ; moreover, each flower has its own, although inconspicuous 
bracteole. Male flowers trigonous, sinuous-lanceolate, slightly asymmetrical, acuminate, 
10—11 mm. long, 4—5 mm. broad, the calyx broadly campanulate, 3 mm. high, 
shortly 3-toothed, villose on the margin, the teeth subulate; ‘the corolla is 
