158 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [G. Gaudichaudit 
40 cm. long (including a pedicellar part about 6 cm. in length,) and armed with 
black, needle-like spines; the flowering panicle very slender and strict, its main 
axis subterete and as thick as a pack-thread; partial inflorescences about 6, appressed 
to the main axis, narrowly fastigiate-cupressiform, 6-7 cm. long, and formed by 8-10 
branchlets; secondary .spathes very small, scale-like, extended at one side into an erect, 
triangular, acute point; the branchlets have 8-10 spikelets that are fastigiate and 
gradually shorten; the lowest spikelets are the lafzest, 7-8 mm. long and have 4-5 
unilaterally set flowers in all; the other spikelets are gradually shorter and have fewer 
flowers; their axis is very slender, filiform, indented at the insertion of each flower; 
spathels very small, extended at one side into a small, amplectent, subinfundibuliform 
triangular, acute point; involucre formed by two very small, triangular, acute, opposite, 
scale-like bracts. Female spadix strict, paniculate-cupressiform when iu flower, nodding 
or recurved when in fruit, 40-70 cm. long including the peduncular part (that not 
covered by the outermost spathe) which is rather slender, very variable in length 
(6-20 cm.) densely armed with very slender, elastic, needle-like, black spines, which 
are more or less grouped on a callous base; primary spathes deciduous, the outermost 
more persistent than the others, slightly concave-cymbiform, narrowly lanceolate, 
gradually and almost equally attenuate towards both ends, coriaceous, polished, striate 
and of a cinnamon colour inside, externally obsoletely two-keeled and armed with long, 
black, subulate, elastic, usually solitary spines which rest on a pale bulbous base; the 
axis and branches are covered with a thin removable rusty-furfuraccous indumentum; 
the partial inflorescences are 5-8, erect and appressed to the main axis; the lower have 
4-6 distichous spikelets on each side; the upper are somewhat shorter and have fewer 
spikelets; secondary spathes very small, consisting of a short, membranous, entire and, at 
one side, acute ring; spikelets in the fruiting spadix inserted at an angle of 45°, with a 
distinct axillary callus; the lower spikelets of each inflorescence are 3-5 cm. long, and 
have 5-6 bifarious flowers on each side; the upper are somewhat shorter and have 
fewer flowers; spathels very small, scale-like, amplectent, extended at one side into 
a small broad triangular point; involucropborum callous at its axilla, thick, 
obsoletely angular, spreading, slightly obconical, 3-4 mm. long; involucre shortly 
pedicelled or at least slightly protruding beyond the involucrophorum, disciform 
above and bordered by a very narrow, annular ring; areola of the neuter flower 
concave, niche-like, with a punctiform, non-swollen scar, Fruiting perianth explanate, 
Female flowers 7 mm. long, narrowly trigonous-pyramidate, acuminate, calyx small, 
shortly cupular, 2 mm. long, truncate, margin very shallowly 3-toothed, furfuraceous ; 
corolla strongly striately-veined, divided down past the middle into 3 triangular, 
lanceolate segments, about 4 times as long as the calyx. Fruit (when quite 
mature) globular, frequently more . or less depressed, very shortly mucronate- 
mammillate, 15-17 mm. in diameter; scales arranged in 15 longitudinal series, shining 
convex, narrowly and deeply grooved along the centre, greenish-brown when bak 
(have apparently become darker with time in the herbaria), with a narrow scarious 
slightly rubiginous and very appressed margin, and an obtuse tip. Sd minutely 
tubercled, subglobular, somewhat depressed, length and breadth the same, 10-14 mm. 
and about 8 mm. through, flattish or slightly gibbous, or even at times subcarinate 
on the raplial side, which is marked about the centre with the chalazal fovea 
represented by a short and narrow opening penetrating rather deeply into the 
albumen; albumen deeply ruminated; embryo situated almost in the tonti of the 
