466 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



(From the Greek " didymoi," twins, and " sperma," seed, alluding 

 to the frequently 2-seeded fruit.) 



Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. 190, t. 157 ( TFaZZic/utt) —Miq. Fl. Ind. 

 Bat. Ill, 32. (TFaWic/im)— GrifF. Palms Brit. Ind. 176, t. 238 A, B. 

 (Earina)—Kook. Fl. Brit. India., VI, 420. 



Small, low palms. Leaves terminal, unequally pinnatisect; 

 leaflets few, trapezoid, erose, unicostate ; nerves flabellate. 



Spathes many, sheathing the peduncle of the spadix. Spadix 

 interfoliar, stout and simple, or slender and branched. Flowers 

 rather large. Male flowers symmetric ; calyx cupular, 3-fid, imbri- 

 cate; petals coriaceous, valvate ; stamens 10-30; anthers linear, 

 erect; pistillode 0. Female flowers subglobose ; sepals rounded, 

 coriaceous ; petals thick, triangular, incurved, vulvate ; staminodes 

 O ; ovary depressed, 3-gonous, 2-3-celled ; stigmas conical ; ovules 

 basilar. 



Fruit ovoid or oblong, 1-2-celled and-seeded ; stigmas terminal. 

 Seeds erect, oblong, plano-convex ; albumen equable; embryo dorsal. 



Species 8. — Indian and Malayan. 



Cultivation in Euhope. — The species of Didymosjy&nna are very 

 ornamental and graceful stove palms. They grow in a compost of 

 loam, peat, and leaf soil, in equal parts, with a liberal addition of 

 sand. When they are fully grown, loam should preponderate to the 

 extent of about two-thirds, and some rotten cow-manure may be 

 added. Propagation is effected by seeds. These should be sown in 

 a compost similar to the one just mentioned, and placed in a moist 

 gentle heat. 



Leaflets 1-3 pairs ... ... ... D. nana. 



Leaflets 6-8 pairs ... ... ... D. gracilis. 



DTDYMOSPERMA NANA, H. Wendl. & Drude in Kerchov. Palm. 

 243 ; Hook f . in Bot Mag. t. 6836 ; Hook. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI. 420 ; Brandis 

 Ind. Trees 656. — Wallichia nana. Griff, in Calc. Journ. Xat. Hist. V. 488 ; 

 Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. 190, t. 315 ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. III. Si.—Samia 

 nana, Griff. Palms Brit. Ind. 176, t. 238 A. B. 



Description. — A small erect palm ; stem 3-5 feet high, slender, 

 throwing out roots from the base, covered with rusty leaf-sheaths. 

 Leaves pinnatisect, 18 inches to 2 feet long ; petiole short, 

 roundish, obliquely sheathing at the base, with a thin rete, above 

 produced into a bipartite liguliform body ; leaflets about 5 ; lateral 

 ones 7-10 by 3-5 inches, opposite or alternate, obliquely trapezi- 

 formly lanceolate, acuminate, irregularly lobed, toothed and spinous- 

 serrate ; the terminal one flabelliform, striately veined, above green, 

 underneath glaucous white. 



Spadices erect, very stout, simple or sparingly branched, rustily 

 scurfy, dense-flowered. Spathes several, distichously imbricate, 

 rusty-furfuraceous, conduplicate, entirely concealing the peduncle. 

 Male flowers : calyx of 3 rounded submembranous sepals, imbricate. 



