478 CLxm. VAiMBM. (Beceari & Hook, f.) IPleetoeomia. 



Spikekts short, male many-fld., fem. shorter few-fld. ; bracts and bracteoles 

 subulate. Male fl. Calyx cupular, 3-toothed ; petals lanceolate, valvate ; 

 stamens 6-12, filaments cuneate below, anthers linear. _ Fem. fl. larger, 

 perianth accrescent; corolla 3-fid, lobes valvate; stamiuodes 6. Ova/ry 

 3-celled ; ovules basilar. Fruit globose, 1- rarely 3-seeded, beaked ; pericarp 

 thin, tessellated with reflexed shining scales. Seed erect ; albumen equable, 

 embryo basilar. — Species 6 or 7, Himalayan and Malayan. 



1. P. khasyana, Oriff. in Calc. Journ. Nat. Sist. v. 106 ; Falms Brit. 

 Ind. 106, t. 218 ; leaflets strongly 3-costate finely f arfuraceous beneath tip 

 not filiferous, rachls of spadix glabrate, of spikelets white-tomentose, 

 spathels rusty-pnberulous, male petals ^ in. long elongate-lanceolate, 

 fruit-scales ciliate and with deciduous recurved fimbriate tips. Mart. 

 Hist. Nat. Palm. iii. 199. P. assamica, Hooh. Bot. Mag. t. 1SQ5 {excl. 

 ayn.). J'fo.i' 



Khasia Hills, alt. 4-5000 ft., QriffUh, &c. 



Stem 60-80 ft., as thick as the arm. Leaves 30 ft. including the flagellum; 

 leaflets 8-16 by 2-3 in., broadly lanceolate; rachia armed beneath with very short 

 digitate spines. Male spadix branched from the base ; branches 3 ft. long by 2 ft. 

 across the spathels, which are 1^ in. long, oblong, white with broad green acute or 

 acuminate tips and a broad brown interposed band. Spilcelets 1 in., many-fld. 

 Stamens 8-12. Fruit l-lj in. diam., globose, abrubtly beaked. 



2. P. himalayana^ Griff, in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 100; Palms 

 Brit. Ind. 108, t. 218 ; leaflets concolorous tips filiform, spadix and 

 spikelets scurfily tomentose, male petals i in, fruit-scales fimbriate tips 

 appressed. Maxt. Mist. Nat. Palm. iii. 129 ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. 

 Soe. xi. 12. P. montana, Serb. Ind. Or. Sook.f. & Thorns, 



SiKKiM Himalaya, alt. 4-70O0 ft. 



Stem 1 in. diam. Leaves 6-8 ft. including the flagellum ; leaflets 12-16 by 

 1-1^ in., with 5 slender costse, margins aculeolate, rachis scurfy and flagellum armed 

 with recurved claws ; petiole unarmed or margins spiny ; sheath tubular, scurfy, 

 spines whorled. Spathes conduplicate, scurfy. Spadicef erect ; branches 2-3 ft., 

 drooping ; spathels 1-2 in., rhomboid, acute ; spikelets 3-7 -fld. Calyx (male and 

 fem.) cupnlar, 3-toothed, petals ovate-lanceolate. Fruit ^ in. diam., depressed- 

 globose ; scales very small. 



3. P. Griffithii, Beec. mss. ; very stout, leaflets glaucous beneath, 

 spathels glabrous or scurfy towards the tips, male spikelets sparsely scurfy 

 sessile, fem. fl. pedicelled, scales of fruit fimbriate and toothed. P. elon- 

 gata, Oriff. in Gale. Journ. Nat. Hist. v. 96; Palms Brit. Ind. 104, 

 t. 217 A, B, (not ofBUme): 



Malacca, Griffith. 



A eigantic species. Stem as thick as a man's leg. Leaves with the flagellum 

 about 20 ft. ; leaflets distant, 2-3 ft. by 2-3 in., decnrved ; rachis and flagellum 

 armed as in other species. Spadix very large, branches many, 2 -3 ft. Spathels 

 If in. broad. Fruits 3-5 in each spathel, " size of a carbine bullet," in diam. — 

 Allied to P. elongata, dittering in the more numerous flowers of the fem. spikelet, 

 and by the much smaller fruit, the scales of which are not striated. — I have seen no 

 specimen. J.D.S. 



4. P. macrostacbyay Kurz in Journ. Beng. As. Soc. xliii. pt. ii. 

 207, t. 16, 17 ; For. Fl. ii. 514 ; leaflets white beneath, rachis of spadix 

 scurfy, spathels acute glabrous, male spikelets scurfy, flowers shortly 

 pedicelled, margins of calyx-teeth densely tomentose. 



Tenassbeim ; on the Bithoko hills, alt. 3000 ft., Kurz, Brandts. 



