PALMS OF WESTERN TROPICAL AFRICA. 423 
the dissepiment ; whilst, from a comparatively stronger development of the lower part 
of the seed, the chalaza is elongated, whence the dissepiments are lengthened out towards 
the apex and base of the fruit, and, the funicle being in the centre, the seed shows a pelti- 
form attachment, which is seen in the genus Raphia and in the subgenera Laccosperma 
and Eremospatha. 
RaPHIA became first known through Palisot de Beauvais, and is represented by four 
well-marked species. Our investigations have shown that the Raphia described and 
figured by Palisot de Beauvais, viz. R. vinifera, is most nearly related to R. tedigera, 
Mart., which it resembles most in shape of fruit and scales, and that the Raphia figured 
by Geertner (Fruct. et Sem. i. p. 27, tab. 10. fig. 1) as “ Sagus Palma Pinus” is altogether 
different from R. vinifera, and not a synonym of the latter as v. Martius (7. c. p. 216) 
supposed it to be; and this we have called R. Gertneri. Although v. Martius describes 
a lateral spadix in Raphia, we have always found it terminal, whence the description 
given by v. Martius of R. tedigera appears to us erroneous. It has also up to the 
present time been overlooked that several species of this genus are, in the very young 
state, dichotomous and even sometimes trichotomous, in consequence of which the 
species are always seen with two or three stems together, whilst others, as for instance 
AR. Hookeri, are always single-stemmed. 
The following subgenera of Calamus (Laccosperma, Ancistrophyllum, Eremospatha, and 
Oncocalamus) have the following characters in common, viz. very slender stems, with 
pinnate fronds, the sheaths of which at their apex are more or less elongated, forming an 
ochrea, the petiole of which, if present, and the midrib on the edges only and never on 
the centre of the back (as in all Indian ZLepidocaryinee) are covered with reversed 
thorns; and besides this they have the peculiarity of being elongated beyond the part 
covered with leaflets, and on the elongations the leaflets through abortion have become 
reversed hooks thickened at their base as in several American genera, viz. Desmoncus, 
Mart., and some Chamedoree. 
Although these four subgenera have several characters in common, still there are other 
distinctions important enough to separate them, which are easily perceived in the fol- 
lowing Table :— 
LACCOSPERMA. ANCISTROPHYLLUM. EREMOSPATHA. ONCOCALAMUS. 
Sheathing: thorny thorny ` naked scaly thorns 
Ochrea : very long thorns very long thorns naked and short naked, short 
Petiole : long short wanting wanting 
Leaflets : broad, ligulate narrow, slightly ligulate straight ligulate 
Inflorescence : terminal terminal lateral lere! 
T doubly divided doubly divided simply divided imply divided 
imperfectly sheathed imperfectly sheathed not sheathed st a sheathed 
Flowers: binate binate binate 11, 9, IAs 5 
» hermaphrodite hermaphrodite hermaphrodite moncecious 
Seeds: round compressed compressed 
» with deep foveas smooth smooth or edges crenate 
» . attached near the centre attached at the lower end | attached near the centre 
