84 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. Z. wallichiana. 
detachable rusty furfuraceus indumentum, lacerated longitudinally. - The male .spike- 
bearing branches are covered with thick brown wool, and carry alternately, and at 
regular distances of 5—7 cm., several solitary spikes, each completely enveloped 
by a secondary spathe, which is thinly membranous, dry, splitting longitudinally 
along the axial side, and: usually longer than the spike it embraces. The 
spikes have a tomentose appearance, especially before the flowers open ; are 
cylindrical, finger-like, 5—8 cm. long, 12 mm. across, quite sessile and with a 
round apex. The spathels are connate -by their bases, otherwise distinct, very 
broadly ovate, 4 mm. long; each embraces two flowers and has a broadly triangular 
acute tip, which only just surpasses the wool of the floral bracteoles, other wise 
the spathels are hidden by the wool of the bracteoles; the latter are thinly mem- 
branous or hyaline, the lateral connate by their bases, the middle laminar, entire ; 
all villose on their backs, and much more densely so at the apices. Male flowers 
briefly exserted during the anthesis, from the wool of the bracteoles, narrowly 
clavate, acute (when in bud), 8 mm. long; the calyx .at first completely encloses 
the corolla, but later splits deeply into 3 broadly linear, membranous, subhyaline, 
obtuse segments; the corolla is slightly longer than the calyx and is divided to 
about the middle into 3 ovate segments, which have the apices furnished inside 
with 1—3, very slender, hair-like introflexed appendages, separating the anthers ; 
the latter broadly linear. Female spadix composed of several unequal spike- Ta 
branches, of which some are rather rigid and elongate, and others creeping on the 
ground. Spikes numerous and alternate on the branches, as in: the male spadix 
but larger and with larger flowers, densely tomentose when the flowers are young; 
later, the flowers being considerably exserted, the tomentum remains covered by the 
flowers; at the flowering time the spikes are 6—9 cm. long, and 2°5—3 em. 
across, and have a very short terminal mucro; the spathels are coriaceous, very 
broadly triangular and embrace two flowers, one of which is large and female 
and the other, at its side, much smaller and neuter; fioral bracteoles relatively 
large, the two of the female flower connate at the base, densely villose at «the 
apex. Female flowers ovoid-conical; the calyx deeply divided into 3 oblong-ovate, 
blunt, thinly membranous parts; the corolla somewhat longer than the calyx, 
divided to the middle into 3 triangular, very acute segments, at first connivent, 
but spreading during the anthesis; staminodes subulate and with rudimentary 
anthers; ovary ovoid and densely covered with ascendent spiculae; style short; 
stigmas lanceolate, rather acute. Neuter flowers slender, very much like the male 
ones, 8—10 mm. long; the stamens have the filaments subulate and bearing slender 
abortive anthers. Fruit obovate pyriform, when thoroughly mature 7—8 cm. long 
(or at times less?) and 4 em. across, broadly anl rather suddenly conically shaped 
in its upper third part, and tapering below to a narrow base; scales in very 
numerous longitudinal series, light-coloured or fulvous, rhomboidal with a subulate 
spinuliform upeurved brittle tip. Seeds 3, oblong, trigonous, convex on the 
dorsum, about 3 cm. long, the breadth about half as much; the apical intrusion 
of the integument penetrates more than half way into the albumen; embryo. basal, 
exactly in opposition to the apical pit. i 
HaBrrAT.—Frequent in the tropical forests all over Pegu and Martaban down 
to Tenasserim (Kurz. In Burma at Moulmein (Meedold No. 17142 fem. spec.) 
