M. squarrosum] | METROXYLON. pL ITE 
grooved along the centre; the largest 9 mm. wide have the apices triangular, not 
produced, very appressed, and the margins very finely erosely-toothed, and very 
narrowly discoloured. 
It is presumed: to be a spinous plant, and accordingly is considered’ as a 
variety of M. Rumphi. : 
HanrrAT.—Only one fruit was collected by L. M. D'Albertis on the Fly River 
in British. New Guinea. 
PraArE 107.—Fig.  13.—Metroxylon Rumphii var. flyriverense Bece.—The fruit 
representing the variety in Herb. Beccari. 
3. METROXYLON SQUARROSUM Bece. n. sp. 
Description.—Nothing is known of the general aspect of the plant, and the nature 
and degree of the spinescence of the leaves is uncertain. The leaflets are broadly 
ensiform, L'10—1'40 m. long, 6—9 cm. broad, long-acuminate, the apex spinulous 
at the sides. and occasionally prolonged into a filament ; the mid-costa is more or 
less spiny above, specially near the apex ; underneath the mid-costa is covered 
entirely or partially with small paleole ; the margins are either spinulous or nearly 
smooth : on the whole there are no reliable characters by which to distinguish 
the leaves of this species from those of M. Rumphii or M. Sagus. Of the spadix 
I have seen only a few detached fruetiferous spikes ; their spathes are apparently 
not spinous. Male flowers......... Female flowers in bud (remnants, undeveloped on the 
fruiting spikes) ovate, 5 mm. long and 3 mm. broad, rounded above, and not attenu- 
ate at the base; the calyx is split to the base (in the fruiting perianth) into 
3 parts, smooth at the base, striately-veined in the upper two-thirds of their entire 
length ; the corolla is about twice as long (or less) as the calyx ; the petals are 
obtuse ; ovary and stamens exactly as in M. Rumphii. Spikes 12—18 em. long and about 
15 mm. in diameter exclusive of the flowers ; the pedicellar part is flattened, and has 
obtuse, glabrous margins (not sharp and ila as in M. Rumphii and M. Sagus) ; 
the spathels of the spike-bearing branches are apparently ‘not spinous (always ?) ; 
the spathels have their upper half part triangular, dry, dark brown, scarious and 
brittle, protruding above the flower bracteoles, which are much less woolly than in 
M. Rumphi and M. Sagus, and giving on the whole a squarrose and glabrous 
appearance to the entire spike. The fruits are small, 20—25 mm. long, 18—23 mm. 
across, globular-turbinate or more or less distinetly narrowing to the base especially 
when numerous and crowded on the spikes, and in this case also they are more 
or less obsoletely angular ; in no case are they excavate at the base; are flattish 
and rounded above, and terminated by a very distinct, slender muero; scales in 
18 vertical series, shiny, pale straw-coloured ; the entire pericarp is thin in its 
upper part and at the sides, but is thicker ii the base, owing to a greater develop- 
ment of the spongy mesocarp. Seed globular, enveloped by a thick integument ; the 
albumen is horse-shoe-shaped in vertical section, has a deep apical chalazal Ros ; 
and a small basal embryo traversing the entire base of the albumen. 
HaBrrAT.—Àt Waru in the East end of Ceram. 
OBSERVATIONS. —Seemingly a distinct species, distinguishable by the glabrous and 
squarrose- appearance of the spikes, owing to the spathels, which protrude their upper 
ANN. Roy. BoT. GARD., CALCUTTA, VOL. XII 
