426 CLxiii. PALMES. (Beccari & Hook, f.) [Phoenix. 



yellow. Seed J-f in. long ; groove dilated inwards.— The numerous bright green 

 decurved leaflets all in one plane, are peculiar to this beautiful species. 



ft Stem, normally very short or (sometimes elongate in P. humilis). 



4. P. acaulis, Buch. ex Botch. Fl. Ind. iii. 783, Sort. Beng. 73; 

 stem bnlbiform, leaflets in subopposite fascicles mnltifarious subglaucous, 

 spathes 6-8 in., rigid, spadix and its peduncle very short, and branches 

 erect very stout, fruit -J in. long. Ham. in Trans. Jjinn. Sac. xv. 87 ; 

 Kunth Eiium. iii. 257 ; G-riff. in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 345 ; Palms 

 Brit. Ind. 137, var. melanocarpa, II. cc. 346, 138, t. 227 ; Mart Hist. Nat. 

 Palm, iii. 274, 321 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 278 ; Brandis, For. Fl. 555; 

 Bece. Males. 348, 397, t. 44, iv. f. 51-57 ; Wall. Gat. 8602 0. 



NoETHEKN and Central India ; from Kumaon eastwards to the Khasia HtLis 

 and BUBMA. 



Stem 6-10 in. diam., densely clothed with sheaths and bases of petioles. Leaves 

 2-6 ft. ; pinnules 4-14 ft., very rigid ; marginal nerve very strong ; petiole 1 ft. or 

 more with many spines. .Spadix 6-10 in., compressed, rather longer than the 

 lanceolate obtuse spathc, branches very stout ; male fl. ^-J in. long. Fruit 

 elliptic-oblong, mucronate, bright red to blue black. Seed ^— 4 in. long, groove 

 broad. 



5. F.farinif era,, Roxb. Gor. PI. i. 66, t. 74; Hart. Beng. 73; Fl. 

 Ind. iii. 785 ; stem very short, leaflets subopposite 4-farious ensiform rigid 

 pungent dark green, fruiting spadix 8-12 in,, branches spreading, drupe 

 small black. Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 274 (exol. syn. pusilla) ; Griff, 

 in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 348 ; Palms Brit. Ind. 140 (excl. syn.) ; 

 Brand. For. Fl. 656; Steavens. in Proc. Agric. Hort. Soe. Madras, N.S. iv. 

 (1886) 346. P P. pusilla, Trim, in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxiii. 173 ; Becc. Males. 

 349, 402, t. 44, f. 28-37. 



CoKOMANDEL coast, not far from the sea. Ceylon, in the north part of the 

 island. 



Shrubby ; stem at most 4 ft., thickly clothed with old leaf sheathe. Petiole 

 with one or more pairs of spines. Spathes leathery smootli, marcescent. Spadix 

 8-12 in., much branched ; male fl. ^ in. long. Fruit the size of a large French 

 bean, pulp sweet and mealy. Seed pretty smooth, brown, grayish within. — 

 Roxburgh, who is the only sure authority for this species, does not give the length 

 of the fruiting peduncle, of the spathe, or of the petiole. The stem, he says, has a 

 farinaceous pith. Mr. Steavenson observes that the foliage is so spinous that it is 

 impossible lo walk through clumps of this species. 



6. P. humilis, Soyle 111. 394, 397, 399; stems short tufted (and 

 bulbiform ?) rarely elongate, leaves suhglaucous, leaflets scattered inter- 

 ruptedly fascicled, fruiting spadix long-peduncled, branches spreading 

 rather slender, fruit oblong, pericarp thin. Bece. Males, iii. 347, 373. 



Hilly districts of India ; from Kumaon eastwards to Burma, and southwards to 

 Malabar. — Disteie. China, Cochin China. 



Neither the published description nor available collections suffices to distin- 

 guish this satisfactorily by habit and foliage from P. acaulis, though it is doubtless 

 a difi^erent species, and easily recognized when in flower and fruit. According to 

 Royle (who gives no description) both inhabit Kumaon, as both do the Khasia hills. 

 The following forms are referred to it by Beccari, besides the var. e, !>. Eanceana, 

 of China, and bis remarkable Parusnath var. y, rohusta, which I discovered in 1848, 

 and which cannot, I think, be included. — J. D. H. 



