98 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA, [D. macropterus 
39. DAEMONOROPS MACROPTERUS Bece. in Rec. Bot, Surv. Ind. ii, 223. 
Calamus (Sect. Daemonorops) macropterus Miq. de Palm. Are. Ind, 19 and 
29; H. Wendl. in Kerch. Palm. 236. 
Descrrption.—High scandent, very large and robust. Shsathed siem 7-8 cm, im 
diameter. Lea/sheaths woody, densely armed with numerous, deflexed, flat, rigid, 
dull, furfuraceous, blackish. irregularly seriate, long and formidable (3-6 cm.) spines, 
intermixed with others that are smaller and ascendent. Leaves very large, 
about 4 m. long in the pinniferous part, terminating in a very robust cirrus 
2 m. long; the petiole is very robust, 50 cm. long, 3 cm. broad, fat on the 
upper surface and very densely armed with erect, rigid, flat, straight, scattered 
or irregularly seriate spines, lower surface convex and also armed with numerous 
straight, flat, usually deflexed spines; the very robust rachis on the lower 
surface is convex and armed in its first portion with small, scattered, confluent» 
and irregularly seriate claws; higher up, and especially towards the apex 
and on the cirrus, these are united by their swollen bases, so as to form 
at regular distances, half-whorls of 6-10 each; the salient angle on the upper 
surface of the rachis is copiously furnished with small ascendent prickles. Leaflets 
large, numerous, equidistant, ensiform or narrowly lanceolate; the middle leaflets. 
60-65 em. long, 5-4 cm. broad, papyraceous, green and concolorous on both 
surfaces, broadest not very far above the base, and thence very gradually narrow- 
ing to a subulately acuminate tip; the mid-costa is moderately thick, acute, bristly 
spinulous near the tip and has a single slender nerve on each side of it. 
furnished with moderately long bristles; on its under surface the mid-costa has. 
from the middle upwards rather long but remote bristles; transverse  veinlets 
very minute, very approximate, and sharp; margins closely, minutely, and 
appressedly spinulous. Male spadiz before flowering nodding on a rather elongate: 
pedicellar part, otherwise straight and rigid, terete and uot thicker than a man’s 
finger (14-16 mm.), 60-85 cm, long, including the pedicellar part which is. 
25-30 cm. long and passes very gradually into the outermost spathe, is flattened 
and very densely armed with acicular, flat, scattered or fascicled, irregularly set, 
erect, spreading or deflexed, 1-2 cm. long spines; the outer spathe is very 
narrowly lanceolate, almost flat, and with revolute margins; after flowering, it is. 
goriaceous, very rigid, and gradually narrows to an acuminate tip, externally it 
is not (or only obsoletely) two-keeled, but is quite covered with a soft greyish- 
brown, furfuraceous indumertum; it is also armed, sparingly on the body but. 
strongly towards the base, with thin, laminar, elastic spines, similar to those of the 
pedicellar part but longer; the apex is also more or less furnished with acicular 
spines; interually it is glabrous, of a reddish cinnamon-brown, and is distinctly’ 
and longitudinally striate; tho inner spathes are also coriaceous, linear, elongate 
protruding gradually about 2 cm. one above the other; externally sed : 
furfaraceous, acuminate, and with a few acicular sub-bristly spines at their aie. 
internally similar to the outer spathe. The flowering panicle is about 40 m: 
long, very slender and strict, with 5 small erect, very slender dppresóod; 
cupressiform, partial inflorescences; the main axis is eylindraceous glabrou : 
and very slender, marked by depressions caused by the flowers; the largest pacti 
inflorescences are 8-9 cm. long ang have a few small branchlets which bear a. 
