P. muelleriz. PLECTOCOMIA. 31 
immediately below the inflorescence have the leaflets still smaller and with the 
blade more distinctly swelled out, whereas those of tlie leaves of young plants 
attain 25—28 cm. in length and are 3°5—4 cm. in breadth. In young leaves 
the transverse veinlets are distinct, connect the secondary nerves, and are not 
very close together but in old leaves are obsolete, being submerged in the 
parenchyma. Male spikes 60—65 cm. long, inclusive of an arched basal part, which 
is furnished at the base with a tubular-infundibular spathe, and with severa] 
vacuous  infundibuliform-amplectent  spathels which gradually pass into those 
bearing the spikelets in their axillas; the main axis of the spikes is terete, sinuous 
2 mm. in diameter; the spathels are very approximate, being only 6—7 mm. apart, 
concave, broadly rhomboidal, 2°5—3 cm. long and of about the same breadth 
broadest in their upper third part or a little above, and thence slightly narrowiug 
below, and with a wide triangular point above ; they are rigid-papyraceous or thinly 
coriaceous, of a dark chestnut-brown colour, finely striate, slightly scaly and 
furfuraceous outside. . Spikelets very densely flowered, ovoid, 15—18 mm. long in 
the lower part of the spike, smaller above. Male flowers numerous, sessile, very 
closely packed, somewhat unequal, furnished with very small bracts, inserted all 
round the axis, very small, subtrigonous, narrowly lanceolate, 4—6 mm. long, 
1 mm. thick, the lower acute, the upper bluntish ; the calyx trigonous, cyathiform- 
eampanulate, 1°5 mm. high, with 3 acute teeth, and glabrous margin; the corolla 
about 4 times as long as the calyx, parted nearly to the base into 3 linear-. 
lanceolate segments, slightly sigmoid, acute or acuminate, cartilaginous, striate ; 
stamens having the filaments united together at their bases, rigid and subulate 
in their free upper parts; anthers linear-sagittate ; rudimentary ovary very minute 
Female spadiz having shorter and more rigid spikes than the male (35—70 cm. 
long); the spathels are also more rigid, at times as much as 4°5 cm. long, and about 
as wide and very deeply concave; the main axis subterete, 2—3 mm. in diameter, 
slightly furfuraceous ; the internodes about 15 mm. long; spikelets very short, usually 
having only 3. pedicellate flowers; the pedicels trigonous, 3—4 mm, long, seabrid- 
each furnished with a subulate braet 4—5 mm. long. The whole perianth of the 
female flowers 12 mm. long; the broadly obconical calyx has a hard solid. base, 
tapers to a narrow trigonous pedicellar part and is rendered slightly scabrid by very 
short, rigid, branched rusty hairs, is expanded above into a 3-toothed limb, the teeth 
deltoid and acuminate; on the whole the calyx is 8 mm. long; the corolla is one- 
third longer than the calyx, has a shallowly cupular base, but otherwise is almost 
entirely parted into 3 rigid lanceolate-acuminate segments; the sterile stamens form 
with the confluent broadened bases of their filaments a very shallow cup, divided 
into 6 deltoid subulate teeth; anthers oblong or linear; ovary globular, clothed 
with hairy fringed scales; stigmas elongate-trigonous, subulate, connivent. Fruit 
2 cm. in diameter, globular and slightly depressed, often very obsoletely 3-lobed, 
especially when young, distinctly beaked from the persistent remnants of the stigmas, 
8—10 mm. long and resting on its very short broadly^ conical apex ; scales shining, 
dark chestnut-brown, slightly convex, faintly groved along the centre, having eiliate- 
fringed margins, and being prolonged into a finely laciniate rufous appressed (not 
upturned) tip, giving on the whole a hairy, but not woolly. appearance to the 
fruit. The cavity of the crustaceous brittle pericarp is lined with a very thin 
membranous endocarp, showing traces of 3 dissepiments and of 3 cells; in one of 
