—- 
40 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. P. khasyana. 
PLatE 24.—Plectocomica assamica Grif.—A branch of the spadix with two female 
spikes in flower. and two detached flowers ; from the supposed cultivated specimens 
of the Calcutta Herbarium. 
9. PLECTOCOMIA BRACTEALIS Becc. n. sp. 
Description.—The description cf this species is based solely upon some spikes 
with female flowers in the Calcutta Herbarium, which might easily be mistaken 
for those belonging to P. assamica, but for their uncommonly large floral bracts. 
In the new species the female spikelets have usually 5 flowers, with pedicels 
5—6 mm. long, each provided with a lanceolate, long acuminate bract, 10—15 mm. 
long and tomentose outside. The female fowers have the calyx split to the base 
(often irregularly) into 2—3  elongate-triangular, very acuminate sepals, finely 
striately veined and puberulous outside, 10—13 mm. long ; the petals from a broad 
base are lanceolate, very acuminate, 15—18 mm. long; the ovary is coarsely 
woolly from the erisp laciniate points of the scales, the style is very short, conical, 
and trigonous with connivent, subulate stigmas, not surpassing the sepals in length 
during the anthesis; the staminodes have very narrowly-sagittate sterile anthers, 
The spathels are larger than those of P. assamica, 17—1'5 cm. long, 3 cm. wide, but | 
of exactly the same shape. and like them are clothed with a thin soft indu- 
mentum; the axis of the spike is also rusty tomentose, the internodes are slightly 
clavate, 2—2°5 em. long, 5—6 mm. thick. 
HanrraTr.—Ü pper Assam; at least this is the locality given upon the label 
attached to the specimen preserved in the Herbarium at Calcutta; but probably this 
specimen is from a plant once cultivated in that garden. The label bears printed : 
“Coll. Masters". but this name has been intentionally struck out. A similar 
specimen exists in the Herbarium at Petrograd. 
OnsERVATIONS.— Apparently very similar in general habit to P. assamica, but as far 
‘as it can be judged from the very incomplete specimens available it is at once 
distinguishable by the more distinctly pedicellate flowers and their very conspicuous 
long bracts (in P. assamica only 4—5 cm. long), but especially by the female flowers 
having the calyx split from the base into triangular acuminate segments, only a 
little shorter than the petals. Judging from the ovary, the fruit has probably the 
same woolly appearance as that of P. assamica. 
PLate 25.—Plectocomia bractealis Bece.—The entire type specimen, and detached 
flowers, in the Herbarium at Calcutta. 
LaTIN DIAGNOsIs.—Plectocomia bractealis Becc. sp. nov. 
Floribus foemineis longiusevle pedicellatis, calyce fere usque ad basin tripartito 
segmentis triangularibus, . acuminatis, longitudinem petalorum fere aequantibus ; 
bracteolis floralibus conspicuis, lanceolatis, longe acuminatis et 10—15 mm. longis; 
ovarii squamis lanato-crispis. 
, 10. PLECTOCOMIA KHASYANA Grifi. in Cale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v, 106: Palms 
Brit. Indi 106, t. cexviii; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 478 ; Brandis, Ind. 
Trees, 650; Gamble, Man. Ind. Timb.. 2nd ed, 737. P. assamicı (non 
Griff.) W. Hooker in Bot. Magaz. t. 5105, f. 1—5 (excl. fig. 6—10). 
