THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. SS 



Illustration : Plate XLVI. — The photograph, taken by Mr. 

 Phipson, shows a beautiful group of palms in Victoria Gardens", 

 Bombay. The centre is occupied by a Fish-tail Palm. From the 

 axils of the leaves there rise three gigantic spadices ; the largest of 

 them (to the right) is the youngest and has the flowers not open as 

 yet, whilst the one to the left bears fruit. The stem below the 

 petioles of the leaves is ringed. 



The Fish-tail Palm is surrounded by several young plants of 

 Oreodoxa 7-egia, Mart. 



CARYOTA OBTUSA, Griff., in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist., V., 480. Palms 

 Brit. Ind., 170 ; Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm., Ill, 195 ; Hook. Fl. Brit. Incl., VI, 

 422; Brandis Ind. Trees, 654. — C. obtusidentata, (jfr\S.,'Psi\ras Brit. Ind., 

 236, A, B. 



Name. — Bura Suwar ("Ass.). This is also the name for C. urens. 



Description. — This palm has got the habit and stature of G. 

 urens, from which it can be at once distinguished by the more 

 rounded and crenate apex of the leaflets and by the shorter, un- 

 expanded male flowers. 



Trunk tall, stout, 1-^-2 feet in diameter, not soboliferous. Leaves 

 very large ; leaflets cuneate, very unequal-sided, coriaceous, when 

 dry, remarkably striato-plicate, the upper margin not caudate ; 

 the teeth short and very obtuse. 



Branches of the male spadix long, flexuose, scurfy. Flowers 

 distant, 3 together, the central (female) are later in development. 

 Male buds about as long as broad. Male flowers about 5 lines 

 long; sepals rounded, scurfy, and ciliate; petals 2-^ times longer 

 than the sepals ; stamens indefinite ; anthers linear, slightly mucro- 

 nate. Female flowers : Calyx as in the male ; petals much smaller, 

 valvate. Staminodes 3, opposite to the sepals. Ovary 3-celled ; 

 ovules solitary, erect ; stigma 3-lobed. 



Fruit |-1 inch in diameter, base not apiculate. 



Habitat. — Upper Assam ; Mishmi Mountains about Yen, 3,400 

 feet. 



Uses. — The inhabitants of the Mishmi Mountains use the 

 central soft portion of the trunk as food. 



CARYOTA MITIS, Lour., Fl. Cochinch. II, 669; Mart. Hist. Nat. 

 Palm. Ill, 195 ; Kunth. Enum. Ill ; Hook. FL Brit. Ind. VI, 423 ; Brandis 

 Ind. Trees, 654.— C. sobolifera,y7a\\ Cat. 8594 ; Mart. 1. c. Ill, 194, t. 

 107, f. 2 ; Griff, in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. V. 481 ; Palms Brit. Ind. 171, t. 

 236, C ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. Ill, 41 ; Kurz Far. Fl. II, 530— C. urens, Jacq. 

 Fragm, 20, t. 12, f. 1.— C'. nana,lV&W., Q&t. S5Q5.— C. furfwaeea Bl. in 

 Mart. 1. c. 195; Rumphia II, 141 (exel. var. caudata). — C. fropinqua 

 Bl. in Mart. 1. c. 195; Rumphia 1. c. 138 t. 155 (partim), 162.— C. griffithii 

 Becc. in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. III. 15. 



Names. — Tookkus (Malay) ; Doodoor (in Penang.) 

 Description. — A very elegant palm, stem 12-40 feet high, 4-5 

 inches in diameter, soboliferous, forming very thick compact tufts, 

 greenish, distinctly annulate. Petioles, leaf-sheaths and spathes 



