56 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. (D. Margaritae. 
unopened spadix, female spadix withovt the outermost  spathe, fruit-spadix and 
seed, (from Thorel’s No, 929 in Herb. Paris), 
8. Darmonorops MarcarrraE Hance in Journ, of Bot. 1874, p. 266; Becc. in 
 - ‘Ree. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 220; 
Calamus Margaritae Hance l. c. 
Descriprion.—Rather robust, 5 metres and more in length (Hance'. Leaf-sheaths 
gibbous above, covered with fugacious rufous scurf and powerfully armed with | 
elongate (2*6 cm. long), flat, deflexed, seriate spines, with many others smaller and 
‘needle-like interposed between the larger ones, eaves l-l'5 m. long in the pinnil 
ferous part (6-10—-pedalibus—Hance) the author probably including also the termina- 
cirrus); petiole convex and sparingly prickly underneath, above flat and densely 
covered with short, flat, often confluent, ascendent prickles; rachis, in its first 
portion, densely prickly above, like the petiole, and having from the middle upwards 
an upper acute, salient, and prickly angle; underneath armed along the centre of the 
dorsum with a series of at first solitary, then 2-5 nate and in the cirrus half 
whorled claws; other small claws are also scattered near the margins on the lower 
Surface of the intermediate portion. Leaflets numerous (50-75 pairs—Hance), equi- 
distant, rather closely set, 15-20 mm. apart, green on both surfaces, papyraceous, 
linear-ensiform, broadest not very far above the base and thence attenuate to a rather 
acute base and very gradually acuminate to a subulate and bristly tip, 30-45 
cm. long, 13-18 mm, broad; on the upper surface the mid-costa acute with one and 
occasionally two nerves on each side of it which carry some long bristles; on the lower 
surface tte mid-costa alone is sparingly bristly ; margins closely and spreadingly ciliate. 
Spadices erect, subsessile, ventricose-fusiform before flowering and shortly beaked, 
about 25 cm. long; outer spathe cymbiform, gradually and almost equally narrowing 
towards both ends, the beak being not more than for one-fourth of its entire length 
acutely two-keeied, armed al! over, even on the margin, and externally to the 
keels, with unequal, flat, often laminate, scattered, spreading or deflexed, 1-2:5 cem. 
long spines, those of the central part of the body being the broadest and longest; 
second and third spathe sparingly spinulous; axial parts of the spadix glabrous; 
secondary spathe and  spathels bractiform, broadly ovate, acuminate. Spikelets 
about 4 cm. long, having a strongly zig-zag sinuous axis and, 6-7 flowers on 
each side; involucrophorum bractiform, embracing the base of the involucre and 
quite devoid of a pedicellar part; involucre rather deeply cupular, truncate; areola 
of the neutral flower somewhat depressed, and having a conspicuous, semicircular, 
tumescent upper margin. Fruiting perianth explanate with an apiculate base; the 
segments of the corolla twice as long as the calyx, lanceolate, rather acute. Fruit 
when young ellipsoid and conically beaked, when quite mature spherical, 20-22 mm. 
in diameter, tipped by a short stout beak and crowned by the small permanent 
stigmas; scales in 18-20 longitudinal series, broadly channelled along the centre, 
almost glossy, dark straw-coloured with light margius and darker intra-marginal line, 
Seed globose, subreniform; albumen deeply ruminate; embryo nearly basal, 
Hasirat.—Hongkong, along water courses and streamlets on the hills overlooking 
the valley of Wongneichung (Hance, No. 18407 in St. Petersburg and Paris Herbaria). 
