o 
K. zippelü. KORTHALSIA. 147 
white beneath, and having 12—13 equally strong main nerves; by the large. 
panicle composed of some robust main branches, sheathed with short, lacerated 
primary spathes whence the spikes issue radiately, borne on shortened secondary 
branches, not produced beyond the mouths of the primary spathes; by the spikes 
being thickish and tomentose, and by the flowers rather distinctly trigonous, but 
with obtuse angles. 
It seems more closely related to K. laciniosa than to any other species. 
PLate 97.—Korthalsia Zippelii Bl.—Portions of the inflorescence in flower. From 
a specimen collected by me at Andai. 
PLATE 98.—Korthalsia Zippelii Bl.—Portion of the sheathed stem and base of a 
leaf; a separate leaflet, one of the middle and largest; from the sterile specimen 
collected by me at Andai (Herb. Beccari). 
KoRTHALSIA ZIPPELII var. ARUENSIS Becc. 
Korthalsia sp. Bece., Malesia, i, 87. 
Descriprion.—Stem and leaves as in the type. Inflorescence large, having 
the secondary branches not very elongate, and forming rather dense ovate 
panicles, 20—25 cm. long (or at times more?); the spathes are as in the type, 
and from the mouth of each issues a single spike-beariag branchlet, 5—7 cm. 
long, bearing alternately and at different levels 3—6 spikes. The spikes are 
also similar to those of the type. The fruit is small, 12—13 mm. long (not 
taking into account the beak), and 10 mm. broad, obovoid-turbinate, attenuate at 
the base, rounded or flattish on the top, and very suddenly surmounted by a 
slender, almost pungent beak, 2 mm. long; the scales are in 15 longitudinal series, 
the largest 3°5 mm. wide, of a yellowish straw colour, strongly convex, especially 
in their posticous part, broadly grooved along the centre, the apices slightly produced, 
very appressed, the margins very finely ciliate-fringed. Seed globular, 7 mm. in 
diameter, its surface slightly impressed by about 6 longitudinal veins, narrowly and 
deeply grooved along the raphal side; the intrusion of the integument is large and 
deep; albumen homogeneous, horse-shoe shaped in longitudinal section; embryo 
relatively large, lateral and central. 
Hasirat.—Collected by me in May 1873 at Giabu-lengan in the Aru Islands. 
OxpsERVATIONS.—In the typical K. Züppelii from the main land of New Guinea, 
the main branches of the inflorescence are divided into several superposed very short 
spike-bearing branchlets, which just at the level of the mouth of their respective 
spathes bear radiately and almost at one level, 4—5 or fewer spikes; whereas in the 
variety the spike-bearing branchlets form a dense ovate panicle, and the branch- 
lets are considerably exserted from the spathes, and bear the spikes alternately and 
at different levels. When better known this variety may prove to be a distinct 
species. : 
Pirate 98.—Korthalsia Zippeli var. aruensis Jecc.— The fruiting panicle only. 
The type specimen from Giabu-lengan in Herb. Beccari. : 
ANN. Roy. Bot. GARD., CALCUTTA, VoL. XII. 
