76 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. Z. vermicularis. 
thinly rusty furfuraceous, the lowest 12—15 cm. long. The branches are about 
as long as their respective spathes, which have a narrow tubular lower part. and 
rather abruptly expand into a broadly and loosely infundibuliform limb, produced 
at one side into a triangular acute point; the branches are inserted at the bottom 
of their respective spathes, are about as long as these (5—7 cm.) form a pedicel 
to the spikes and are enveloped by 2 other minor spathes. The spikes are entirely 
exserted from the spathes, vermiform, erect, slightly flexuose, 8—12 em. long, 
10—11 mm. broad, and narrow a little above to a rather acute point; the bracts 
of the spikes or spathels are united together and form very regular superposed 
rings, having the rim truncate, but showing an obtuse point, to which converge 
several distinct nerves in correspondence with every insertion of flowers. The special 
flower-braets are linear and bear at their apices dense tufts of rusty-woolly hairs 
covering the flowers before the anthesis, which afterwarls remain visible outside the 
rim of the spathels, and give to the entire spikes a tomentose appearance. Male 
flowers small, about 5 mm. long; the calyx at first entire, later split into 3 hyaline 
striate segments; the corolla slightly longer than the calyx, three-parted nearly to 
the middle, tapering and fleshy below with the segments ovate, rather acute, and 
spreading during the anthesis; stamens subseriate, 3 of them being longer than the 
others ; filaments subulate, recurved during the anthesis; anthers almost orbicular, or 
a trifle longer than broad Female spadix shorter than the male, formed by a very 
few, closely packed, short branches, each bearing 1—2 almost sessile spikes, and 
altogether forming a large, dense and almost sessile mass, enveloped by several 
spathes broadly lanceolate, long-acuminate and rusty-pulverulent outside, of which 
the lower and larger are 35—40 cm. long, all speedily split into long criniform 
fibres. The flowering spikes are thick and shortish, 8—10 em. long, and 2°5 cm. 
broad, torulose, apiculate; the spathels are relatively large, at first connate and 
truncate, later split, thinly rusty-furfuraceous outside, each shielding a female flower 
accompanied by a neuter one. Special floral bracteoles rigid-subcoriaceous ; the 
internal one broadly triangular, the two external narrow, densely covered on their 
keeled backs with rusty-paleaceous hairs. Female flowers relatively large, ovoid- 
oblong, 12 mm. long, 65—7 mm. broad, slightly curved; the calyx more or less 
deeply 3-lobed at first, then split into 3 very thin membranous, soon decaying, 
oblong, acute segments, about as long as the corolla. The corolla coriaceous, striately 
veined outside, trigonous-pyramidate in its upper part, and divided to about the 
middle into 3 triangular acute teeth, ventricose in its lower undivided part; the 
staminodes are rigid, subbiseriate, and have small rudimentary anthers; ovary ovoid, 
narrowing to a thick and relatively rather elongate style ; stigmas thick, tongue- 
like, blunt, relatively large. Neuter flowers as long as the female ones, curved, of a 
general clavate’ form, tapering quickly to at a very narrow acute base from an acutely 
trigonous-pyramidate upper part. Fruit (seen only at a very young stage) covered 
with black shining spicule! 
HanrrAT.—Borneo. In the primeval forest of Sarawak in most fertile soil in 
ravines at the foot of Mt. Mattang (Bece, P. B. No. 2011). 
Osservations.—Apparently it greatly resembles in its female spadix and fruit 
Z. Clemensiana and Z. Blumeana, but it is distinguishable from these by its male 
j 
