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42 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. P. kerrana. 
in a portion near the base (2 em. broad) is convex beneath and provided with 
distant solitary claws along the dorsum and with some small spines at the sides; 
it is broadly channelled above, has rounded margins, upon which are attached the 
leaflets, and is subterete towards the end; the cirrus in one leaf (probably from 
the upper part of the plant)'is robust and short (35 em. long), very closely and 
regularly armed with half whorls of 5-nate claws, with pale swollen bases and 
short blackish points. Leaflets in groups of 2—4 in the lower part. of the rhachis, 
and distantly scattered towards the end, conspicuously discolorous, green above. 
white puberulos beneath; the marginant nerves stronger than the mid-costa; the 
margins remotely and very minutely spinulous ; the lower leaflets are lanceolate, 55 
em. long and 5 cm. wide in their lower third part, and thence very gradually 
acuminate upwards to a subulate rather rigid tip; upper leaflets gradually and 
considerably smaller and broadest about their middle. The uppermost leaves, from 
the axillas of which spring the branches of the spadix, are reduced to a clawed 
cirrus only, terminating the sheath; "the latter is covered: with greyish down and 
armed with small pale, often fascicled, slender spines. Male spikes are recurved, from 
an ascendent, rather elongate, peduncular part, are 75—90 cm. long, terete, and about 
l cm. in diameter before the anthesis; at that moment the spathels are appressedly 
imbricate, but  bécome spreading later, are quite glabrous, green and glaucous 
outside in their upper half. which remains exposed before the anthesis, and paler 
in the lower and covered part ; are cinnamon brown inside (in the dry condition), 
and very finely striate on both surfaces, are of a thin rigid papery texture, cuneately 
oblong, broadly triangular in their upper third part. and. thence, tapering to a 
narrow base; the apex is acute; the lower spathels are 4'5 cm. long, 2:5 cm. wide ; 
the upper gradually slightly smaller. The main axis of the spikes is slightly zig- 
zag sinuous, subterete, 2 mm. in diameter in its lower thickest part, scabridulous 
from short rigid branched rusty hairs; the internodes ‘are 15—20 mm. long. 
Male spikelets 3°5 cm. long in- the lower part of the spikes, shorter above, 
very densely flowered, their axis covered ‘with coarse pale branched hairs. Male 
flowers lanceolate, very acuminate, 1 cm. long, in very approximate pairs, provided 
with short scarious, brown, broad, acute, spreading bracts and bracteoles; the 
calyx quite glabrous, very small, trigonous  3-toothed, 2—2°5 em. across! its 
teeth“ acuminate ; petals thinly cartilaginous, lanceolate, acuminate from. the base, 
the points more or less wavy; stamens with stoutish subulate filaments ; anthers 
elongate-sagittate, 4 mm. long, acute; rudimentary ovary very minute. Female 
spikes having the main axis thicker than that of the male ones, rusty-scabrid and 
5 mm. in diameter ; the spathels are as in the male spikes, much lacerated at the 
fruiting time. Spikelets 2—2'5 cm. long, having 8—10 alternate flowers borne by very 
short thick trigonous rusty-scabrid pedicels ; the floral bracts very small. Fruits are 
spherical or a littie longer than broad, 23 mm. in diameter, very slightly mammillate, 
and beaked by the remains of the persistent short, trigonous, connivent stigmas 
and are of a general smooth appearance ; the scales are arranged in very numerous 
(nearly 50) longitudinal series, flattish and faintly grooved along the centre, polished, 
of a deep straw colour, with narrow reddish-brown edges; the margins very 
minutely and dénsely ciliate; the apex very slightly produced, bluntish, ‘very 
minutely ciliate-fringed and very slightly raised (not: applied) rendering the fruit 
faintly squarrose. Seed exactly spherical, 15 mm. in diameter. Fruiting perianth 
