384 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



prolonged on one side into an acuminate point ; branches of the 

 artial inflorescences (inflorescences of the 3rd order) patent and 

 arcuate in the lower part, 5-6 inches long, inserted within the 

 respective spathe and each one having its own small tubular 

 spathe which is dry, bicarinate on the axillary side, shortly 

 bidentate or bicornute at the apex ; branches angular and giving 

 ofi" 10-20 flower-bearing branchlets in a spiral arrangement j 

 branchlets patent and slightly arcuate, simple, filiform, more or less 

 angular, thin, gj-^f inch in diameter at the base, subulate, 2|-4 

 inches long, arising from the axil of a small broad scarious acute- 

 bract. Flowers arranged spirally and not very regularly, about 

 30-40 on each branchlet ; at the base of each flower a large 

 scarious acute and apiculate bract and a similar but smaller 

 bracteole. Flowers in well developed bud about J inch long 

 and about ji inch broad, oblong, obtuse ; when open ^ inch 

 long or slightly longer ; calyx shortly companulate, divided 

 almost to the middle into 3 large deltoid narrowly scarious and 

 non-ciliate lobes ; carrolla more than twice as long as the calyx 

 tubular in the lower ^, concave-navicular ; stamens as long as the 

 petals ; filaments subulate, anthers versatile, ovate-sagittate. Ovary 

 including the style measuring about ^ inch in length ; style elon- 

 gate, columnar, subtrigonous, slightly thicker at the base than in 

 the upper part ; stigma capitellate. Fruit perfectlj^ spherical, gS'ii 

 inch in diameter, black and lustrous with the remains of the 

 style distinctly visible at the base ; epicarp thin, fragile, . easily 

 separable from the mesocarp which is slightly fleshy ; fruiting 

 perianth shortl}^ pedicelliform. Seed globose-depressed, regularly 

 hemisperical in the upper part, -^^^ inch broad, light bright 

 chestnut coloured, flattened at the base and corrugate round 

 the hilum, which is not \'&vj eccentric ; micropyle very small ; 

 embryo situated about the middle of one side, deeply and 

 obliquely penetrating into the albumen with the point directed 

 downwards. 



Germination. — This process begins with the growth of the 

 cotyledonal petiole, the radicular end of the embryo breaking 

 through the seed coat. The radicle continues growing for some 

 time, but the rate of o-rowth becomes slower at the moment when 



