e 
ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [ Lepedocaryum 
LEPIDOCARYUM Mart. 
Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. ii, 49,t. 47, f. 1—3 ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. ili, 938; 
Drude in Mart. Fl. Bras. iii, ii, 29. t. 62, 67, 68; Spruce in Journ. Linn. Soc. 
£n 179 
Mauritia Sect. Lepidocaryum Trail in Trim. Journ. of Bot. 1877, 129; Barb. 
Rodr. Enum. Palm. Nov. 19, and Sertum Palm. i, 10, t. 4. 
bo 
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KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
A. Leaves divided into two principal segments, these entire or divided again ; 
the segments are 4—6, rarely up to 8—9, in all. 
* Leaves divided into 2—6 segments. 
T Fruit 20—23 mm. long. 
Spadix divided into 2—3 flower-bearing branches only. Secondary spathes 
fugaciously rusty-furfuraceous. Flowers relatively large; the male 
flowers 8—11 mm. long, 3 mm. broad ; the female 12—13 mm. long. 
1. L. gracile Matt. 
Spadix divided into several (about 7 in all) alternately distichous flower- 
bearing branches. Secondary spathes distinctly tomentose. Male 
flowers . . . . Female flowers 7 mm. long, Seed obsoletely 
apiculate, having a slightly depressed line along the raphal side. 
2. L. tenue Mart. 
Spadix divided into several alternate (4—8 on each side) flower-bear- 
ing branches ; secondary spathes fugaciously scaly-furfuraceous and 
finally glabrous. Male flowers 5—6 mm. long. Female flowers 7 
long. Fruit cylindraceous-oblong (22—23 mm. long, 13—14 mm. 
across). Seed  subterete, slightly emarginate above, deeply 
grooved longitudinally. 
3. L. gujanense Bece. 
i 
TT Fruit larger than in the preceding species, 38 mm. long, 14 
mm. in diam. Seed 23 m. long and 11 mm. in diam. (in 
Drude's figure). 
^4. L. macrocarpum (rude) Bece. 
** Leaves divided into several (8—9 at most) narrow segments. 
Flower-bearing branches 4 on each side of the main axis; 
secondary spathes fugaciously rusty-furfuraceous. Male flowers 
/ very small (4 mm. long). Female flowers 6 mm. long Fruit 
ovoid-elliptical, equally rounded at both ends. 20—22 mm. 
long, 13 mm. across. Seed having a broad not deep depression 
along the raphal side and with an apical papilla. 
5. L. enneaphylluin Barb. Rodr. 
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