80 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. Z. sumatrana. 
Hazitat.—Jt has been quite recently (1915) collected by Mr. Grashof at -Mulah 
Ulu, Prov. of Palembang, in S.-E. Sumatra. It was however cultivated in the 
Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg (V. G. 14), but its place of origin was unknown. 
PLATE. 47.-. Zalacca Blumeana var. Rimbo Bece.—Female spadix during the 
anthesis ; detached female spike ; spike with mature fruits; intermediate portion of 
a leaf. From a plant cultivated at Buitenzorg (V. G. 14) in Herb. Beccari. 
4. ZALACCA SUMATRANA Becc. n. Sp. 
> 4. Wallichiana (non Mart.) Miq. Prodr. Fl. Sum. 255,592. 
Description.—Stemless as usual. Leaves very large. Petiole very densely armed 
with very unequal spines, some short, a great many large and very robust, 
subulate, flattened, schistaceous, frequently approximate by their bases and oblique- 
ly inserted. Rhachis stout, trigonous, armed only along the dorsum, especially in 
its lowest part, with a line of large’ flattened spines, 3—5 cm. long, 5—10 mm. 
broad at their bases, frequently accompanied by smaller ones. Leaflets numerous, 
all equidistant and regularly bifarious in one plane (in one specimen) narrowly 
lanceolate, slightly sigmoid at the base, having- a falcately acuminate tip, and 
parallel margins in their intermediate part, rigid, green and glossy above, dull and 
ashy grey beneath, all very conspicuously 3-costulate, the costæ being very robust 
in their basal parts, more slender, but yet present also towards the apex ; the 
mid-costa is spinulous only near the apex; the margins are appressedly spinulous 
in their upper part; the intermediate and largest leaflets are 70—75 em. long and 
6—7'5 cm. wide; those towards the end are gradually shorter but not narrower; 
the uppermost are partially united and less acuminate than the others. Male spadix 
es Fenale spadix apparently dense and short, very similar to that of Z. Blumeana ; 
one spike is about 12 cm. long (not taking into account the fruits it carries). 
Fruit turbinate-obpyriform, 6—7 cm. long, having a globular head 4—45 em. in 
diameter, which gradually «tapers to a long very narrow base; scales glossy, of a 
dark chestnut brown colour, squarrose, arranged in very numerous longitudinal series, 
(I counted 45 on one fruit), keeled along the centre, the apices produced into 
very fine upcurved brittle points, 4—6 mm. long. - The remains of the style form 
on the round top of the fruit a small terete mucro, 4 mm. long. The seeds, 
usually 3, have an abundant fleshy acid integument completely filling the cavity of 
the periearp; when divested of the integument they are irregularly and obsoletely 
trigonous, broad above and more or less narrowing below, often somewhat flattened, 
2—2'5 em. long, 15—19 mm. broad, with a dull dark brown even surface, and an 
apical pit corresponding to a narrow intrusion of the integument 8 mm. deep; the 
embryo is basal, triangular acuminate, also about 8 mm. long, set exactly in 
opposition to the apical pit. 
HanrrAr.—The description of this supposed new. species is derived from speci- 
mens gathered by me in August 1878 in S. W. Sumatra at Ayer Mantjor (360 m. 
above the level of the sea) in the Prov. of Padang. In “ Malesia” (vol. III, 
p. 64) I had referred thése specimens to Z. edulis Reinw. and erroneously given 
the locality of Kayu tanam, which indeed is not far distant from Alyer Mantjor. 
