146 | ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [ D. oblongus 
flowers; their axis is slender, filiform, and indented at the insertion of every flower; 
spathels very small, obliquely extended at one side into an amplectent, triangular 
obtuse point; involucre formed by a very inconspicuous annular limb round the 
small circular surface (upon which the flower rests. Male flowers very small, oblong, 
obtuse, 3:5 mm, long, 1 mm, thick, covered with a fine, rusty-pulverulent, removeable 
scurfí; the calyx very small, broadly trilobate; the corolla several times longer than 
the calyx, very finely striate. Female spadiz more robust than the male, 40—60 cm. 
long,  fastigiate-cupressiform while in flower, afterwards when in fruit forming 
a loose, ovate, erect or slightly nodding panicle; the lower internodes of its 
main axis are 2-4 cm. long, 7-3 mm. in diam., and are almost terete, the upper 
internodes are irregularly angular; partial inflorescences 7-10 in number, at first | 
erect, ultimately spreading, more or less distinctly callous at their axilla, 12-15 cm. 
long, with 5-6 alternately bifarious spreading spikelets on each side, their axes 
straight, rigid, and more or less distinctly 3-4-gonous; the upper inflorescences are 
shorter and have fewer spikelets; secondary and tertiary spathes very short, annular, 
membranous, slightly produced at one side into a triangular, acute point; spikelets 
at first erect, then spreading, slightly callous at their axilla; the lower (largest) are 
5-7 cm. long and have 7-9 bifarious flowers on each side, their axes are rather 
slender (1:5-2 mm. thick) angular and somewhat sinuous; spathels very short, annular- 
amplectent, produced at one side into a small, scale-like, broadly triangular, acute 
point; involucrophorum distinctly pedicelliform, subtrigonous, 1-4 mm. long, narrowing 
towards the base, at first appressed, later spreading, and with a distinct axillary 
callus, truncate and with a very short, scale-like limb at one side, at the upper end; 
involucre somewhat raised above the involucrophorum, perfectly flat, disciform, with the — 
limb reduced to a very narrow annular rim round the circular scar; areola of the 
neuter flower slightly concave, niche-like and with a small basilar, non-swollen scar. 
Neuter flowers 4 mm. long, more slender aud more acuminate than the male; the corolla 
several times longer than the calyx which is very small. Female flowers while in 
bud trigonous-pyramidate, acute, 5 mm. long; the calyx very shallowly cupular or 
almost flat, truncate, and with three very superficial teeth; the corolla several times 
longer than the calyx, ventricose and undivided in its lower third, the segments 
triangular, acuminate, strongly striately-veined. Fruiting perianth very broadly obconieal, 
subpedicelliform. Fruit (when quite mature) oblong-cylindrical, rounded at both 
ends, the apex minutely mammillute, 20-25 mm, long, 10-11 mm. in diam.; scales 
in 15 longitudinal series, each series composed of 11-12, not reckoning the 
rudimentary ones, narrowly and sharply grooved along the centre, almost regularly rhom- 
boidal, broader than long, rather dull or slightly glossy, of a uniform straw-colour with 
a slightly darker but faint intramarginal line, and a lighter, scarious, finely erosely- 
toothed margin; the tip obtuse. Seed oblong-cylindrieal, rounded at both ends, 15 mm, 
long or at times less, 7 mm. thick, very slightly tubercled and pitted ; the chalazal 
fovea very indistinct, superficial and in the shape of a small fissure almost in the 
centre of the raphal side; the albumen ruminate or penetrated by numerous very 
narrow channels; embryo exactly basal. 
Hasrrat,—On the volcanic mountains of the west part of Java, and probably 
also in S.E. Sumatra, (Zollinger No. 2301 in Herb. Boissier). In Java it receives 
the name of “Rotang” or **Hoh-eh tartas.” 
