172 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [ M. rumphii 
(The. hypertrophic sterile seed of M. Rumphii is represented by Warburg. in 
his study on the ^" Polynesischen Steinnuss Palmen" in Berich. Deut. Bot. Gesell. 
xiv, (1896). p- 188. t, .X. £9). 
HanrrAT.— Very widely cultivated on the swampy coasts of the different Islands 
of the Moluceas, especially in Ternate, Halmaheira, Amboina, and Ceram, and in 
N. E. Guinea; and the neighbouring islands, as Salwatty, Mysol, Aru and Key. 
I have seen specimens also from Celebes, from the Sangir group (North of Celebes), 
from Batjan (Warburg), from Java (Zol.inger No. 1404 in Herb. de Cand. and 
Berlin), from Borneo (Becc. P. B. No. 3122), from Mindanao (Herb. Manila 
No. 5443, and Elmer No. 11160 in Herb. Bece.) 
In Amboina, according to Rumph, it receives the name of *Lapia tuni"; in 
‘Mindanao of “Lumbia”. In Salwatty it is named “Bi” and in N. E. New 
Guinea “Barian” or “ Wariani" by the Mafor people {Beccari}. 
Zollinger writes that it is the “ Ambulan” of the Javanese, and the “ Kirai” 
of the Malays and Sundanese. According to Miquel is the " Kirai Karbau berduri " 
(the thorny buffalo Sagu) of the Malays of Java. 
Osservations.—It is. distinguishable from M. Sagus, which it greatly resembles 
in having the leafsheaths,  petioles and rhachises of the leaves more or less 
spinescent, and all the spathes, even those of the spike-bearing branches, also . 
spinous. It differs also from M. Sugus by its fruits not being depressed, but 
slightly longer than broad. Very rarely are to be seen plants of M. Rumphi in 
flower or fruit, as they are always eut down before they attain the age of ferti- 
lity, for otherwise the starch accumulated in the pithy tissue of their trunks 
would be lost, beinz utilized by the plant for the nourishment of its reproductive 
organs, and the ripening of the fruits. Even when the plant does produce fruits, 
they, although externally appearing to be normally evolute, almost always contain 
abortive or imperfectly evolute seeds. 
. The uses of M. Rumphit are the same as those of M. Sagus, and like that 
palm its principal product is the starch extracted from the stem, which is a very 
important article oj commerce, and furnishes, more or less, the bread of the 
inhabitants of the countries where this Sagu Palm grows. In other ways this palm 
is also very useful in supplyinz very good material for the construction, of houses, 
and for making numerous articles of domestic and common use. , 
For a full account of the manner of extraction and preparation of the starch 
and of the other commodities supplied by the Sagu tree, the reader may consult 
the chapter referring to its uses in the “Herbarium Amboinense ” ll. ec. 
Important information also is to be found in * De Nuttige planten van Neder- 
landsch-Indie, by K. Heyne (1913) i, 54. 
PLare 105.—Metroxylon Rumphii Mart.—Branch of the spadix, bearing spikes 
covered with male and female hermaphrodite flowers; from a plant that flowered 
in the Botanic Garden of Calcutta ‘Herb. Beccari). Portion of a spike-bearing 
branch: on the spikes remain only a few female—hermaphrodite flowers, after all 
the male ones have disappeared; fruits in different positions; seed cut in 
halves showing the imperfectly evolute albumen; intermediate leaflet of a leaf from 
‘a full grown plant; from Elmer’s No. 11160 in Herb. Beccari. In the lowest part 
