THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 271 



Segments very mimerous, straight (not falcate), ensiform, slightly 

 attenuate towards the base, where they are attached to the rhachis 

 by a rather broad base and have the margins slightly revolnte 

 ending in a very acute point which sometimes is more or less 

 distinctly bifid, more or less distinctly 3-5 costulate, with the median 

 rib rather strong and acnte and the lateral ones delicate ; the lower 

 surface rather densely covered with minute brown scales which 

 give it the appearance of being finely punctate ; the larger 

 segments (the median ones) about 3 feet long and ll-l| inch 

 broad; the lowest ones are a little straighter, but about as 

 long as the median ones ; towards the apex the segments become 

 smaller, i.e., shorter and straighter ; the two terminal ones are not 

 united at the base, more or less one foot long and 1/3-3/5 inch 

 broad. Spadices infrafoliar ; generally several equal spadices arise 

 collaterally above the scars of the fallen leaves, all springing forth 

 from a common membranaceous marcescent spathe ; every spadix 

 about 2 1/2 feet long ; peduncular part 2/3-1 foot long, subterete or 

 slightly compressed, bearing towards the middle or upper third its own 

 spathe; the axile floriferous part 1^-lf feet long, about as thick 

 as a little finger, terete, gradually becoming thinner towards the 

 apex, deeply and very regularly scrobicxilate along 6-7 longitu- 

 dinal series ; scrobiculi very deep. Flowers all ternate. In every 

 scrobiculus one of the male flowers is provided (alternateh*, now on 

 one side and then on the othei') with one coriaceous, triangular, 

 acuminate bracteole ; the other flower is generally without a special 

 bracteole ; in the same scrobiculus there are two imbricate sub- 

 orbicular concave ciliolate bracts surrounding the female flower. 

 The spathe special to each spadix is thickly cartaceous, covered 

 with a thin soft greyish indument, and ending in a rigid, 4/5-1 3/5 

 inch long point ; it opens longitudinally at the moment when the 

 male flowers begin to open. — Male flowers : symmetrical, 2/5 inch 

 long ; the well developed bud ovate-oblong ; calyx on the whole 

 acutely trigonous, about 1/4 inch broad ; sepals imbricate, coria- 

 ceous, concave-cucullate, obtuse, acutely carinate on the back, 

 very densely barbate-ciliate on the margins ; petals coriaceous, 

 valvate; stamens very numerous (80-100) ; anthers linear or linear- 

 lanceolate, much deformed and unecjual on account of the mutual 

 pressure, basifixed ; filaments very unequal, those of the outer 

 stamens short, those of the innermost even longer than the anthers 

 and slender ; pistillode inconspicuous. — Female flowers globose in 

 the beginning, then ovate with a short conical obtuse point, a little 

 smaller than the male flowers ; sepals suborbicular, concave-cvicul- 

 late, ciliolate-barbate on the margins, rotundate on the back : petals 

 subcordate, broadly imbricate below, with a short point, stout, 

 valvate, smooth outside ; staminodes 6, unequal, dentiform, short, 

 often confluent ; stigmas arcuate, stout. 



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