132 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. K. tenuissima. 
Latin Driagnosis —Korthalsia Rogersii Bece. sp. nov. Gracilis; vaginis inermibus, 
‘ocrea cylindrica elongata, arcte vaginanti, tenuiter membranacea et fibrosa; frondibus 
superioribus parsis, brevissime petiolatis, segmentis paucis cuneato-rhombeis, con- 
coloribus vel subtus vix pallidioribus ; inflorescentiis parce ramosis, spicis parvis, 
tomentosis; fructibus obovato-turbinatis, pro rata majusculis, squamis in margine 
conspicue ciliato-fimbriatis. 
16. RKoRrrHaLsiA TENUISSIMA. Bece. Malesia, ii, 275; Hook f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 
476; Ridley, Mat. Fl. Mal. Penins, h x. 
DescrIPrION.—A very slender palm, up to 30 m, long. Sheathed stem 4—5 mm. 
in diameter, the naked canes only 3 mm. in diameter.  Leaf-sheaths glabrous, finely 
striate, armed with a few short scattered claws. Leaves very small, those of the 
upper part of the flowering plant are only 20—30 em. long, including a slender 
finely-clawed cirrus, and on the whole have only 4—6 leaflets. Ocree cylindrical, 
very closely sheathing, glabrous and unarmed, 15—20 mm. long. membranous, 
perishable in their upper part. Petiole short, and furnished, at its axilla, with a 
. conspicuous and swollen cushion. The leaflets are alternate, rigid-papyraceous, 
cuneately rhomboidal, have the apex acute and somewhat caudiculate, and the upper 
margin, from above the middle, undulately and obsoletely toothed; are conspicuously 
discolorous, being deep green above, and covered on the lower surface with a thin 
chalky coating; the main nerves are about 7 but very faint, and only the central 
one rather sharp; the largest leaflets are 10—12 mm. long, 3—4 cm. broad ; those 
of the uppermost leaves are considerably smaller; the ansae appear to have been 
rather fleshy and 3—6 mm. long. Inflorescence formed of a very few terminal, erect 
spikes (2—3 in the feẸ specimens seen by me). Spathes smooth, sheathing in 
their lower part, expanded above into a broad ass's ear-like, acuminate limb. S pikes 
8—10 em. long and 12—13 mm. in diameter with the flowers, and only 6 mm. 
without; in this latter condition they have a slightly tomentose appearance ; spathels 
concave, roundish, striately-veined, slightly proluced beyond the wool of the flower 
bracteoles, the two external of which are.amplectent, and form a deep cup, crested 
with a cushion of short, thick, woolly hairs for their respective flowers. The Howers 
are disposed on the spikes in about 12 longitudinal series, and protrude considerably 
beyond the involucra, above which the mouth of the calyx is visible; the fully 
developed flower buds are terete, oblong, obtuse, 6, mm. long, 2—5 mm. broad; the 
calyx is campanulate, obsoletely 3-toothed, striately-veined ; the corolla is twice, or 
even a little more, as long as the calyx; its segments oblong and finely striately 
veined, are very shortly united by their bases; the stamens have very short and 
thick filaments, very shortly united to the corolla by their bases; the anthers are 
linear, bluntish or acute; the ovary is small, surmounted by a thick columnar 
style, trigonous and longitudinally suleate, always a little shorter than the stamens ; 
stigmas punctiform. Fruit unknown. 
Hasitat.—The Malay Peninsula at Larut in Perak, in low swampy grounds in 
dense forests (King’s Collector No. 4657 in the Calcutta Herbarium). 
OnsERVATIONS.—AÀ very slender species, distinguishable by its very small leaves, 
having very few rhomboidal leaflets, chalky white beneath, by its entire, very closely 
