ZB dubia. - ZALACCA. 93 
10. ZaLacca puBIA Becc. Malesia, iii, 68. 
Desckiprion.— Leaves exactly as those of Z. affinis; the petiole elongate, armed 
with very rigid, flattened, light coloured, very acuminate, unequal, spreading or 
deflexed spines, scattered or approximate in small series, 3—6 cm. long, 3—4 mm. 
broad at the base, some reduced to short prickles; the. rhachis feebly armed 
below, in its lower portion, with a few spines similar to those of the petiole and 
smooth above. Leaflets all on one plane, in groups of 2—4 on each side of. the 
rhachis with long vacant spaces interposed, oblanceolate-spathulate, tapering below to 
a narrow curved or sigmoid base, suddenly acuminate above into a slightly falcate 
point, and ending in a filiform setulose tip; they are green on both surfaces, 
slightly paler beneath, concavo-convex or subinflate in their upper part, have 
3 distinct quite smooth coste and several secondary nerves; transverse veinlets 
not very approximate; margins spinulous near the apex only; the intermediate 
leaflets are 60—70 cm. long, 8—9 cm. broad in their upper third and broadest 
part; the upper leaflets are shorter, and a few at the end are confluent. The 
male spadir (or one of its primary divisions?) forms a panicle about 40 em. 
long, diminishing above, curved or nodding, composed of several short rather 
approximate spike-bearmg branchlets, of which the lowermost are 12—15 cm, 
long and carry alternately 4—5 spikes; the upper branches become gradually . 
smaller, and carry fewer spikes ; the primary spathes are narrow, about as long 
as their» respective branches, lacerated, finely rusty-furfuraceous ; the spikes have 
a glabrous appearance, even after the flowers have fallen, are very shortly 
pedicellate or subsessile, solitary at the axilla of (and slightly longer than) their 
respective spathes, 3—4 cm. long, and when with full grown flowers are about 
l cm. in diameter ; the spathels or bracts of the spikes, although united by their 
bases, do not form annular rings, and in correspondence to each pair of flowers 
are distinct, bracteiform, membranous, broadly cordate and obtuse at apex ; the 
special flower bracteoles are so united gogether so as to form two truncate 
membranous cups not woolly, and provided only with some. elongate subvesicular 
paleolae. Male flowers 5 mm. long. having only the base of the calyx immersed 
in the involucre, ascendent, oblong, obtusely trigonous, acute or apiculate, often 
slightly curved ; calyx narrowing to an acute base and splitting into 3, oblong, 
striately-veined divisions ; corolla usually twice as long as the calyx but at times 
loss attenuate at the base, parted below the mildle-into 3 oblong acute lobes. 
stamens with subulate filaments and broadly linear or oblong anthers ; rudimentary 
ovary very small and papilliform. Female spadix apparently very similar to that of 
Z. affinis, but smaller, and with shorter flower-bearing branchlets. Fruit elongate— 
ellipsoid or ventricose-fusiform and narrowly conical above, terminated by the 
connivent remains of the stigmas, which form a very small acute mucro ; scales 
in 21 longitudinal series, rhomboidal, narrowly and not deeply grooved along the 
centre, chestnut-brown with a slightly darker intra-marginànt line and with a 
blunt apiculum at apex, more produced and visible in the lower scales than 
elsewhere, and rendering the fruit scabrid to the touch; the margins nearly entire. 
Seed solitary (in the several fruits observed) ovoid-elliptical, terete, rounded at 
both ends, 2% cm. long, 13 mm. in diameter; the apical intrusion of the 
