Ftychospenna.] CXLII. PALMJ3. 1677 



terete or deeply 5-sulcate, hilum extending from, base to top, raphe branches 

 oblique, descending in a loose reticulation, albumen more or less ruminate ; embryo 

 basal. Tall unarmed palms, stem marked by ring the scars of fallen leaves. 

 The species belong to Malay Archipelago, New Guinea and Australia. 



1. P. elegans (elegant). Probably the true Seafurthia eUgcms, B,. Br. Yrod. 

 A slender-stemmed, quite glabrous palm, about 20ft. high, bearing a crown of 

 from 6 to 9 leaves, about 3ft. long ; the sheaths cylindric, not swelling out, 9in. 

 long, dark-green, striated, and ragged at the top; petiole 9 to 12in., smooth ; 

 segments about 18 on each side of the rhachis, those of the middle of the leaf 

 l|in. broad in the centre, contracted at the base, very oblique and erose at the 

 apex, except the terminal ones which have toothed broad truncate ends, and 

 more or lesjS confluent at the base ; the rhachis sharply angled on the upper, 

 obtusely angled or rounded on the under side. Inflorescence below the leaves ; 

 panicles about 20in. long and broad ; common peduncle about IJin., flattened, 

 with 3 circular sears marking the place from where the spatha had fallen ; 

 rhachis and lateral branches flattened or angular. Flowers numerous, sessile, 

 solitary or in twos or threes. The male or hermaphrodite ones with bracteoles 

 or sepals f line diameter, imbricated, scarious ciliate ; petals oblong, 2 lines long ; 

 stamens more than 20, filaments very short ; anthers not exserted. Ovary 

 1 -celled, white, oblong, style long as the ovary, together not exceeding the 

 stamens, both glabrous ; stigma capitate. The smaller flower- buds in the same 

 notch with those above described may be female, but I did not examine them 

 when fresh, and cannot be sure of this from the dried buds. My impression 

 when examining the fresh flowers was that they were truly hermaphrodite ; and 

 if such should prove to be the case, then this plant must be placed in another 

 genus. No ripe or immature fruit was obtainable. 



Hab.: Polo Creek, Somerset, Bail., June, 1897. 



A specimen received from Dr. Both under the aboriginal name, off the Tully Eiver of " Warkai," 

 seems to belong to this species. 



I rather favour the name Seaforthia for this palm but as 1 follow the Gen. PI. of B. & H. 

 have given it as above, not wishing to add to the already confusion in which the species is 

 involved, I am of opinion that the P. elegans of the Fl. Austr. and Bot. Mag. 4961 and 7345 are 

 all three P. Gunninghamii, of course judging from the descriptions published and plates. Dr. 

 Bobt. Brown, I.e. is not very clear but he seems to imply that a male hermaphrodite flowers is 

 on each side of a female. 



5. DRYMOPHLCEUS, Zippel. 

 (From drumos, wood, ?knA pliloios, bark, application not stated). 

 Spadices infrafoliar ; flowers monoecious in the same panicle, spirally disposed, 

 8-nate with the middle ones female or the upper ones male 2-nate, and solitary, 

 with bracts and bracteoles. Male flowers symmetrical, ovoid or oblong. Sepals 

 orbicular, rounded at the base or gibbous, broadly imbricate. Petals oblong or 

 elliptic, coriaceous, acute or obtuse. Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, apex 

 straight ; anthers oblong or linear, versatile. Ovary rudimentary slender styli- 

 form. Female flowers larger than the males, subglobose, perianth enlarging 

 after flowering. Sepals uniform, very broadly imbricate. Petals slightly longer, 

 orbicular, convolute-imbricate, apex acute, valvate or sub-valvate. Staminodia 

 minute. Ovary oblong or ovoid, abruptedly contracted at the base, 1-celled ; 

 stigmas sessile, recurved ; ovule parietal, pendulous. Fruit ovoid, terminated 

 by the stigmas, smooth or longitudinally suleate, pericarp thickish fibrous, 

 endocarp thin or crustaceous, smooth inside. Seed ovoid or oblong, terete, or 3 

 to 5 suleate, hilum from base to top ; albumen equable, embryo basal. — Slender 

 stemmed unarmed palms. Leaves pinnatisect, segments cuneate-oblong or 

 linear, broad rarelv narrow oblique, premorse nerves few or many, rhachis often 



