THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 351 



deeply ridged and furrowed. Filaments scarcely any, or very short, 

 free. Anthers linear, adnate, shorter than the petals. Female 

 flowers : Spadix and spathe much the same as in the male. 

 Spikes arranged in distinct groups, l-l-|*foot long, the lower 4 — G 

 inches not bearing any flowers, fiexuose. Flowers distant, 

 roundish. Calyx cup-shaped, obsoletely 3-toothed. Petals 3, 

 very broad, convolutely imbricate, having a small opening at the 

 apex. Staminodes 3-4. Carpels 3, free, erect ; ovules solitary ; 

 style recurved, inwardly papillose. Fruiting spadix 3 feet long, 

 nodding at the apex from the weight of the fruit, much compressed, 

 of a golden orange colour. Fruit scattered on long pendulous 

 similarly coloured spikes, 1-1 \ inch long, oblong-ellipsoid, orange- 

 yellow, with a terminal stigma, surrounded at the base by the 

 perianth. Pericarp fleshy, yellow, moderate, very astringent, lined 

 by irregular cellular white tissue, part of which adheres to the thin 

 envelope that separates with the Seed. Seeds § inch long, rounded 

 at the ends, deeply grooved along its whole length on one side, 

 with a slight incomplete furrow on the other side, in the centre of 

 which is a depression with a mammillate fundus, indicating the 

 position of the embryo. Albumen on a transverse section horse- 

 shoe-shaped. 



Habitat. — Tolerably common throughout India, wild or more 

 often cultivated. Forms extensive forests in Rohilkhand, on the 

 low ground along the Ramganga river, and on the plateau of 

 Mysore, between Shimoga and Tumkur, in moister stretches of low 

 ground which intersect and drain the rocky undulating granite 

 hills. Not uncommon in the Siwalik tract and the outer Hima- 

 laya, often associated with Pinus longifolia, reaching up to 5,000 

 feet in Kumaon, with stems 40 — 50 feet high. Ghiaunla in Ghar- 

 wal at 3,500 feet. Banks of the Bias above Mandi. In the Jamu 

 hills at 2,000 feet elevation. Salt range. Commonly planted and 

 self-sown in most parts of India and Ceylon, except in Sind and 

 South Punjab, where P. dactylif&ra takes its place. Most abundant 

 in Bengal, Behar, on the Coromandel Coast, and in Guzerat. In 

 the Bombay Presidency it is common in moist ground throughout 

 the dry districts, usually along banks and in the beds of streams and 

 watercourses. 



