THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 8?. 



Habitat. — Malacca, common in wet places, particularly in 

 hedges ; Andaman Islands, tidal forests ; Nicobars ; Malay Islands. 



Flowers (in the Bot. Gard. Calcutta,) in the cold season ; fruit 

 ripens in the hot season. 



Cultivation in Europe. — This palm must be kept in the hot- 

 house, and it is well to remember that in its original home this 

 species grows with preference in calcareous soil. 



Illustration. — Licuala spinosa will be figured later on together 

 M'ith Sabal mauriticeformis. 



* * INTRODUCED SPECIES. 



LICUALA FALUDOSA, Griff, in Calc. Jouru. Nat. Hist. V, 323; 

 Palms Brit. Incl; 118, t. 221, A, B, C ; Hook. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI, 430 ; Becc. 

 Males. Ill, 74. 



Description. — Stem 4-10 feet high, 3-9 inches in diameter, 

 unarmed, almost without marks of rings, except towards the apex 

 where they are incomplete ; crown of moderate size. Rete rather 

 stout, of rich brown colour. Leaves flabelliform or orbicular, 3 

 feet in diameter, 6-9 partite ; lateral segments oblique at the 

 apex, deeply and acutely 3-4 lobed, lobes bilobed (except the side 

 ones), the others are more or less truncate, with 4-8 broad, short, 

 bifid lobes ; petiole 1 -2 feet long, subtrigonal, armed along the 

 margins, except towards the apex, with small, black, horny, 

 conical, curved spines ; sheaths ver\- fibrous. Spathes 4" inch 

 broad, tubular, green, with membranous or scarious, lacerated 

 mouths. Spadix very stout, rather curved; branches of the 

 spadix bearing 5 or 7 spikes, which are 4 or 6 inches long, curved, 

 secund, generally nodding, slightly puberulous, often appearing as 

 if they arose separately from within the mouth of the spathe. 

 Flowers solitary, sessile, of a turbinate form ; calyx cup-shaped, 

 J(j inch broad, nearly entire, irregularly split at the expansion of 

 the flower; corolla (in bud) urceolate, about ^- longer than the 

 -calyx, divided to the middle into 3 cordate-ovate segments. Ring 

 of the stamens white, nearly entire, projecting considerably above 

 the throat of the corolla; filaments short, setiform; anthers 



