K. scaphigera. KORTHALSIA. 113 
lowest primary branches are flexuous, 30—.50 em. long, divided into 3-4 secondary 
spike-bearing branches in their lowest part, and bearing simple spikes above; both 
the secondary branches and spikes spring from the inside of tubular, closely- 
sheathing, smooth (or almost so) secondary spathes, which have truncate mouths, 
and are slightly produced and acute or acuminate at one side, and marcescent in 
their upper part at the fruiting stage. The spikes are spreading, flexuose, 10—14 
em. long, and when carrying the flowers are 14—15 mm. in diameter; after ihe 
fall of the flowers they have a tomentose appearance and are 5—8 mm. in diameter. 
Flowers hermaphrodite, very regularly arranged in several spirals, solitary at the 
axilla of every spathel; the spathels are bracteiform, free, concave, considerably 
broader than high, very obsoletely apiculate, otherwise rounded, ciliolate, often split, 
striately veined, besprinkled with furfuraceous scales in their upper part; the two 
exterior floral bracteoles are falcate, strongly hairy-paleaceous ; another more internal 
is also strongly hairy-paleaceous and a third is reduced to a tuft of hairs. Flower 
buds when ready to open, are oblong, obtuse, a little attenuate at the base, 
subterete or very obsoletely trigonous, 5'5 mm. long, and 3 mm. broad in their 
upper part, and half exserted from the tomentum ; the calyx very small and short, 
1 mm. high, membranous-hyaline, divided down to the middle into 3 broad, obtuse 
lobes ; the corolla several times longer than the calyx, divided in its upper two- 
thirds into 3 oblong, cartilaginous, finely striately veined segments, entire, campa- 
nulate and embracing the ovary in its lower part. Stamens 6; the filaments 
connate below with the undivided part of the corolla, and having only a shorts 
thickish free part at the throat ; the anthers basifixed, elongate equally narrowing 
towards both ends, very shortly disjointed at the base, having a rather broad 
connective, and the cells laterally dehiscent. Ovary oblong, attenuate to a conspi- 
cuous conically elongate style, slightly shorter than the stamens, terminated by 3 
connivent subulate stigmas. Fruit ovoid-elliptical or slightly obovoid, suddenly and 
finely apieulate or mucronate, and pungent at apex, 15-16 mm. long, 10-11 mm. 
broad; on the whole the pericarp is thin and brittle; the mesocarp is scantily 
fleshy ; the scales are in 15 longitudinal series, thin, of a uniform light cinnamon- 
brown colour, at times very narrowly reddish or diseoloured on the edges, almost 
dull, about as long as broad, regularly convex, slightiy furrowed along the centre, 
the margins minutely erose-ciliate, the point short and obtuse. Seed erect, ovoid- 
elliptieal, terete, equally rounded at both ends, 9 mm. long, 7 mm. broad; its 
surface even (not pitted), but marked by 6 slightly impressed longitudinal veins ; 
the hilum basal; the albumen deeply ruminate. with, on the chalazal side, a deep 
globular intrusion of the integument ; the embryo relatively large, penetrating the 
third part of the entire seed, placed in the middle of the side opposite to the 
intrusion of the integument. ? 
Hanrrar.—Rather common in the primeval forests of the Malay Peninsula, of 
Sumatra, and Borneo. In Singapore; Garden Jungle (Ridley No. 9217) and Bukit 
Timah (Ridley No. 6272—specimen in fruit) Malacca: (Griff) Sufigei Udang 
(Goodenough No. 1704—with flowers). Perak (Wray No. 1917 and King’s Collector Nos. 
8144, 3503, 5047, 3504, 3126, 3722, 6833, and Scortechini in Herb. Becc.). Sumatra: 
| Sufigei bulu, Prov. Padang (Becc. Pl. Sum. No. 893); Palembang (Heyne No. 22 in 
Buitenzorg Herbarium). Borneo: Sarawak on Mt. Mattang (Becc. P. B. No. 1916) 
ANN. Roy. BoT. GARD., CALCUTTA, VOL, XII. 
