78 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. Z. blumeana. 
linear, hyaline, striately veined segments, rounded and cucullate at apex; the corolla 
slightly longer than the calyx is divided from a little above the middle into 3. oblong, 
cartilaginous segments, rounded at apex, and finely striate externally ; the lower 
undivided part of the corolla is fleshy ; the segments are slightly divaricate during 
the anthesis but not horizontally spread out; the stamens are uniform, inserted 
in ihe throat of the corolla, have the rigid, erect, subulate filaments thick at 
their base, where connate with the tubular part of the corolla; anthers erect, 
basi&xed, oblong, obtuse, their cells briefly disjointed at the base ; rudiment of the 
ovary obsolete or extremely minute, placed just at the bottom of the corolla. The 
female spadix is shorter than the male, and formed by a few very closely packed 
‘short branches, each bearing 1—2 almost sessile spikes, and the whole forming a 
large and dense, almost sessile mass, enveloped in several spathes. In the 
specimens seen by me the primary branches carry only one spike, shortly 
pedicelled, enveloped in spathes longer than* their respective spikes, similar to 
those of the male spadix and soon breaking up into long criniform fibres. 
The flowering spikes are torulose, 8—10 cm. long, and 2—2'5 cm. in diameter ; the 
spathels are, at first, connate by their margins but soon separate and assume a 
broadly trapezoidal shape with a short triangular point in the middle of the 
upper margin; are. concave, papyraceous, brown, strongly striately veined, finely 
rusty-tomentose, and finally marcescent and split up into fibres ; at every insertion 
point is a female flower accompanied by a neuter one. The female flower is 
provided with two special bracts, one of which is placed between it and the neuter, 
and is large triangular, acuminate, membranous, and embraces the base of its 
flower ; the other or external bract is narrow, and slightly hairy-paleaceous on its 
keeled dorsum. The neuter flower is 10 mm. long, very slender, more or less 
angular, and diminishing considerably below to a narrow base; it is also provided 
with a braet similar to the external one of the female flower ; the calyx is formed 
by 3 lanceolate, hyaline, keeled sepals united by their bases; the corolla is 
coriaceous and with its triangular acuminate connivent segments assumes a trigonous- 
pyramidate form ; its base is solid, elongate and narrow ; the stamens are reduced 
to rigid slender filaments, ending in rudimentary subulate anthers. Female flowers 
are relatively. large, almost regularly ovoid, have a broad round base, and a conical 
acuminate point, are 12 mm. long, and 7—8 mm. broad ; the calyx 1s, at first, more 
or less deeply .3-parted ; later it splits down to the base into 3 very thinly 
membranous, speedily decaying segments, triangular from a broad base and 
acuminate, appressed to the corolla, anl shorter than it ; the corolla is coriaceous : 
striately veined outside, trigonous-pyramidate above, divided to about the middle 
into 3 elongate triangular teeth or segments, and globular-ventricose in its lower 
undivided part ; staminodes 6, slender, rigid, bearing narrowly lanceolate acuminate 
rudimentary anthers; 3 of them stand erect in the sinuses between the teeth of 
the corolla, and 3 are opposite the teeth and are inserted at a lower level ; ovary 
ovoid, narrowing above to a short and thick style, and covered densely with dark 
ascendent spicule ; stigmas trigonous, elongate, spreading. Fruit turbinate or broadly 
pyriform, having a globular obsoletely trigonous upper part, speedily tapering below 
to an acute base ; it is about 4 cm. long and 3'5 em. broad ; scales glossy, of a 
dark chestnut brown colour, squarrose, slightly convex and faintly keeled along the 
centre, and arranged in very numerous longitudinal series, their apices produced 
