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



■each other up to the second sinus ; at the lowest sinus there 

 •ends a secondary upper rib, at the second sinus the primary 

 upper ribs and at the third sinus the primary lower ribs ; 

 the primary segments are consequently 3-costate. Spadices 

 large, longer than the leaves, with various partial inflorescences 

 1^-1 1^ feet long and forming lax panicles. Secondarj^ spathes 

 i;ubular, striato-nervate, prolonged at the apex into a triangular 

 acuminate point, entire at the mouth or scarcely split on the ven- 

 tral side even when the fruits are ripe ; each partial inflorescence 

 •consisting of 7-8 primary branches of which the lower are divided 

 into 6-7 branchlets and the upper ones in 3-4 ; peduncular part of 

 •each branch provided with a special spathe exerted from the larger 

 spathe and deeply divided into 2 points or subulate horns ; branch- 

 lets very angular, filiform, ^4~te i^^^ thick 2|-2| inches long, with 

 numerous flowers, each arising from the axil of a very small, 

 triangular, accuminate bract. 



Flowers in bud |- inch long, Jg inch broad, oblong, slightly 

 restricted and acutate towards the apex. Calyx cupular-cyathiform, 

 ■divided beyond the middle into 3 triangular acuminate lobes ; 

 ■caroUa thrice as long as the calyx, shortly tubular below. Ovarj^- 

 conico-pyramidal, elongate, marked with the irregular impressions 

 of the stamens ; stigma capitellate. Fruiting perianth with the 

 calyx perfectly truncate at the base, petals deflexed, of the stamens 

 the subulate filaments alone remain of which those opposite the 

 petals are deflexed and the others erect. 



Fruit globose-obpyriform, subresupinate, \ inch long, perfectly 

 spherical at the apex where it measures 2?" If inch, attenuate into 

 a somewhat asymmetrical base or incurved ; style persistent, about 

 JL inch long, curved below. Surface of fruit black, shining, 

 indistinctly and minutely granular under the magnifying glass ; 

 pericarp finely crustaceous, fragile, dry ; mesocarp almost reduced 

 to nothing. Seed hemispherical, or with the upper part rotundate 

 and the lower flattened-undulate ; hilum very eccentric, almost 

 lateral. Surface of seed blackish brown, minutely and not very 

 distinctly granular under the magnifying glass. Embryo situated 

 about the middle on the hilar side, obliquely and rather deeply 

 descending. 



