The Palms of British East India. 1 1 



Calyx tripartite nearly to the middle, segments oblong, concave. 

 Corolla attenuate at the base, tripartite below the middle, segments 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute. Stamens six, united to the corolla (and 

 each other) to the base of the segments : filaments (free) very short, 

 subulate. Anthers oblong. A rudiment of a Pistillum. 



Female inflorescence (in the specimen) about three inches long, 

 suffulted by a much longer lacerated spathe, and also to a consi- 

 derable degree covered by the spathelles, which are much longer than 

 their respective spikes, much imbricated, and lacerated. The lower- 

 most spikes appear to be three-four flowered, the uppermost one 

 flowered, at the base of each, within the spathelle, is a broad close- 

 clasping bracte. And round the base of each flower is also a deeper, 

 more concave bracte and two bracteoles, the margins of which poste- 

 riorly are united into a short cup with very villous margins ; part of 

 them distinct, forming a septum, and much less villous.* 



Flowers large, solitary, in bud ovate, with a hard thorny point. 

 Calyx (of the bud) almost ovate, tridentate, afterwards split irregu- 

 larly. Corolla a little longer than the calyx, tripartite to the middle, 

 segments very pointed and pungent. 



Sterile stamina six, adnate to the corolla as high as the sinuses of 

 the segments. 



Ovarium oblong, with retrorse scales ; parietes thick, succulent, 

 3 -celled. Ovules solitary, erect, anatropous. Style short. Stigmata 

 3, connivent into a cone. 



Fruit ovate, two and half inches long, one and three-quarter 

 broad, perhaps somewhat compressed, surrounded at the base by 

 the corolla variously flattened out and split, apex distinctly mamil- 

 late- cuspidate ; the scales very many, more highly imbricate than 

 ordinarily, more pointed, furrowed along the centre, rich chesnut 

 coloured, browner towards the margin, towards the base or where 

 they become recurved on either side with a convexity more promi- 

 nent than usual. (Pulp destroyed by insects.) Seeds one- three, 

 small in comparison with the size of the fruit, being about nine 

 lines long, seven broad, and five in thickness, oblong, plano-con- 

 vex, umbilicate at the apex, black on the surface, without any lateral 

 umbilicus, cavity or pit vertical. 



* But these parts seem to vary much, as also the length of calyx in Z. edulis. 



