8 The Palms of British East India. 



tere) t. 222-2°24< ) (sub nomine Z. Rumphii.) Z. Wallichiana. 

 Mart. Palm. p. 201. t. 118. 119. 136.* Calamus Zalacca. 

 Roxb. Fl. Ind. 8. p. 773. 



Common in swampy places, Malacca, Tenasserim Provin- 

 ces, Burmah. Sulak-koombar of Penang, according to speci- 

 mens received from Mr. Lewes. Male specimens exist in the 

 Botanic Garden. 



Descr. — A tufted short stemmed Palm. Leaves varying in size, 

 in marshy shady places being 18-20 feet in length, in dryer places 

 not exceeding 10-12 feet. Petiole for five or six feet from the base 

 only bearing spines, which are large and generally palmate, the spines 

 of the upper leaf-bearing part often solitary. Pinnae, interruptedly fas- 

 ciculate, first ascending then curved downwards, oblong- spathulate, 

 lanceolate, tapered into a long subulate bristle, 3 -keeled above, mar- 

 gins with distant setae. Length of the largest 16-18 inches, breadth 

 4-5 inches. 



Spadices axillary, about 2 feet long, nodding, branched, cover- 

 ed with scarious, split and lacerate spathes. Each branch and 

 each spike suffulted by a spathe, the main ones being longer than 

 the branches, the partial shorter than the spikes, which are about 

 two inches long. Bractece rounded, short, striate. Bracteola dense- 

 ly villous. 



Flowers (male) pink. Calyx tripartite below the middle. Seg- 

 ments of the corolla oblong, mucronate, patent. 



Filaments white, adnate to the corolla as high up as the sinuses of 

 its segments, then free, short, and stout. Anthers attached near the 

 middle. Rudiment of female of three oblong processes. 



Female flowers not seen. Fruit, which is generally sparingly produ- 

 ced, sessile, sub-ovate, with a stout conical point, of a reddish brown 

 colour. The spadix in fruit is very ragged from the remains of the 

 spathes, and if many fruits are developed is decidedly nutant. Seeds 

 three, or by abortion two or even one. The shape varies with their 

 number. The covering or coat is baccate, and is covered by a thin mem- 

 brane, which belongs to the fruit. Albumen horny, with a pit at the 



* Gaertner's figure as well as that of Rumph. cited under the generic character, 

 belong according to Martius (Palmae p. 202) to his Z. Blumeana. 



