340 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



The peduncle and branches of the much divided spadix are com- 

 pressed. A linear bract, half an inch in length, is to be seen at the 

 base of the lowermost branch. The branches are spreading and 

 much divided ; the secondary divisions are stoutish towards the 

 base, where they bear a female flower, close to which they branch 

 into two slender flexuose spikes, from which the male flowers arise, 

 or oftener are attenuated into one. " Male flowei's angular, small, 

 cream-coloured, in pairs pressed together and secund on the outer 

 side of the spikes. Sepals three, minute, ovate-oblong, unequal. 

 Petals oblong, obtuse, valvate, three or four times longer than the 

 ■sepals. Stamens three, opposite the sepals ; filaments stout, short, 

 united at the base ; anthers sagittate. Rudiment of the pistillum 

 conical subulate. Female flowers rather large, generally placed 

 between a pair of rudimentary males, suffulted by two broad, short, 

 pointed bracts. Sepals roundish, green. Petals similar, but 

 smaller, and less tough. Six very small rudimentary stamens. 

 Ovary ovate, one-celled, white. Ovule one, ascending. Style o. 

 Stigma of two, or generall}^ three erect unequal acute lobes. Fruit 

 oblong, of the form of an olive, but longer, distinctly mammillate, 

 ■smooth, when ripe of a lively orange colour, at length becoming- 

 red. Pulp in small quantity, and mixed with manj^ longitudinal 

 strong, ligneovis fibres. Seed conform. Albumen much ruminated. 

 Embryo basilar" (Griffith). 



Habitat. — Chittagong, Martaban, Tenasserim, the Andaman 

 Islands, Malay Peninsula. 



Flowers in the hot and rainy season ; fruit ripens the following 

 year. 



Illustration. — We reproduce on plate LXXXIII a group of 

 Areca triandra which was photographed by Mr. Macmillan in the 

 Botanic Garden of Peradeni3^a. 



(7o he continued.') 



