D. pseudo-mirabilis BECCARI. THE SPECIES OF DAEMONOROPS. 177 
rather densely clothed, especially on their upper part, with blackish or spadiceous, 
needle-like or criniform confluent and shortly seriate spiculae. Flowers......Fruits. 
Hasirat.—Cultivated in the Botanical Garden at Buitenzorg as introduced from 
Borneo, (Herb. Beccari.) 
OnsERVATIONS— This variety differs from the typical D. mirabilis in having only 
one pair of equal, opposite, complete, membranous collars instead of several. But 
it is possible that besides this peculiarity in the leaf-sheaths, other characteristics 
in other parts of the plant may await notice, and that this variety really deserves 
to be elevated to specific rank. 
I do not think it quite improbable, that the differentiations of the species of 
Daemonorops to which D, mirabilis belongs, may not originally, as far as the pecu- 
liarities of the leaf-sheaths are concerned, have been caused by the stimulating action 
of ants upon them, and have been rendered permanent by heredity, and that the 
mutualism of these insects with the plant may also, during the same time, have 
modified others of its even more important organs. 
I refer to D. mirabilis var. oligocyclis, some specimens collected by 
H. Haller in Dutch N.W. Borneo, Ulu kenepai, Residency of Sambas (No. 1452, Herb. 
Buitenzorg). These apparently belong to young plants, have slender stems, and 
non-cirriferous leaves; some of the latter have few leaflets approximate in few 
distant groups, or have almost digitate leaflets, 7-8 in number, at the end of the 
petiole, the disposition of the collars being as already described, 
PLATE 73.—Daemonorops mirabilis var. oligocyclis Bece. The lower part of a 
leaf with the upper portion of its leaf-sheaths; the upper end of the same leaf; 2 
very young spadices. From a plant cultivated at Buitenzorg (Herb. Beccari), 
69. DAEMONOROPS PSEUDO-MIRABILIS Becc. in Rec, Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 226. 
Description.—Scandent. Sheathed stem of moderate size, 2 em. in diameter. Leaf-sheath 
slightly gibbous above, rather thin and easily splitting longitudinally, furnished with 
several (6-7) large, complete, broadly membranous, spiculiferous, reversed collars, 
and with an equal number of similar collars, in close proximity to the former, but turned 
upwards, smaller, and with a narrower membranous part; between these pairs of 
collars, of which the long spiculae meet and cross frequently, are interposed 
Simple rows of horizontal spiculae; the larger pairs of collars form as many circular 
galleries, but the  membranous part of the upper or reversed collar, which is very 
much like a short petticoat, is considerably larger than its lower upturned partner; 
the spieulae are shiny, very slender and unequal, some, which are larger than others, 
are spadiceous, or of a light-brown colour, and up to 6-7 cm. long, but always very 
narrow ; others, usually alternating with the larger, are blackish, criniform, brittle, 
and of variable length; the mouth is also armed with such spiculae. Leaves with a 
comparatively short (50-60 cm.) pinniferous part, a long petiole, and a long ard 
Ann. Roy. Bor. Gard., Carcutra, Vor. XII. 
