The Palms of British East India. 17 



long by two and a half inches broad, rigid, 3-carinate or veined above, 

 subulate, acuminate ; margins and apex very bristly ; the upper pinnae 

 have bristles also on the three primary veins or carina? of upper 

 surface. 



Spadices about a span long, sometimes a foot long, crowded with 

 cylindrical spikes about six inches long, 7-8 lines broad, among which 

 occur spathes of the ordinary structure, but more lanceolate than 

 usual. Spikes polygamous on different individuals. 



Male flowers in pairs, with the usual bracte and bracteoles, the 

 last being exceedingly villous, and connate into a sort of bilocular 

 cup. Calyx of 3 oblong sepals, distinct nearly from the base. Corol- 

 la of 3 petals, hard, almost woody, about twice as long as the calyx. 

 Stamens 6, united below to the corolla. Filaments short, robust, 

 sanguineous. Anthers oblong-ovate, large. Rudiment of a Pislil- 

 lum not observed. 



Female-neuter spikes more lengthened, the bractese more acuminate, 

 each of these suffults two flowers, one smaller neuter, generally 

 alternating in each series, the other larger female. Sepals oblong- 

 roundish. Corolla tripartite below the middle, segments acuminate. 

 Rudiments of six subulate stamina. 



Ovarium, with the style, obturbinate, scaly, 3-celled. Ovula solita- 

 ry. Style short, stout, with 3-acute, recurved branches, the inner 

 surfaces of which are transversely lamellar. 



Fruits crowded into an irregular, formless mass sometimes of 

 considerable size. Each is turbinate, the scales perfectly smooth, with 

 irregular denticulate margins, and a waxy shining aspect. Colour 

 a light tawny- greenish tint : mesocarp white, spongy-cellular. Seed 

 broadly turbinate. Albumen adhering strongly to the pulp, which is 

 thick and very sour. Embryo basilar. 



This species is distinguished even out of flower by the 

 habit, direction of the pinnae, bristly carinas and slender short 

 white spines. In flower or fruit it is at once known by the 

 crowded thyrsiform spadices. 



I have not yet ascertained what distinction is indicated 

 by the two Malayan names, from which it is probable, at 



D 



