The Palms of British East India. 25 



Hab. — Malacca, brought to me from a place called Kus- 

 san, with the name Rotang Simote.* 



DfiscR,t — The leaves resemble those of the preceding, but the 

 teeth and incisions are less deep and are obtuse, in which respect it 

 presents the same difference from the preceding, that Caryota obtusi- 

 dentata does from Caryota urens. The shape of the spadix is much 

 less like that of a genuine Sagus than that of the preceding, the 

 branches are more slender, covered with long, smooth spathes with 

 lacerated mouths. 



The spikes are a span long by four lines in diameter, though they 

 seem very immature ; generally they are just exserted from the sheath, 

 but occasionally the pedicel is lengthened ; the lateral pedicels are 

 plano-convex, bearing a long spathe about the middle, reaching 

 to the base of the spike. The Bractea are broad and longer than 

 the very dense wool. 



Although very closely allied to the preceding, I have no 

 doubt but that this species when better known will be 

 found quite distinct. At present the differences are confin- 

 ed to the obtuseness of the teeth of the pinnae, the direction 



* I subjoin a description of the upper part of a specimen not in flower, sent 

 with this name, from which part of the generic character has been taken. It ap- 

 pears to differ from the above in the shape of the pinnae which are sessile, and the 

 smooth petioles. 



Stem slender, three-four lines in diameter. Sheaths in the exserted part about 

 six inches long, armed with a few scattered conical prickles, generally split along 

 the back into a rete, between the petiole and next sheath prolonged into a large 

 ligula of the same coriaceous texture and similarly armed, in its upper two-third 

 boat-shaped and closely half embracing the next sheath. Petiole two and a half 

 feet long, young ones prolonged into a flagellus, below the pinnae fifteen or seven- 

 teen inches long, roundish, armed on the back with a few scattered prickles, these 

 among the pinnae are more hooked and in a single row. Pinnce distant, the lower- 

 most approximated, sessile, general shape distinctly cuneate, above the cuneate 

 part generally inequilateral and eroso-dentate, of a thick substance, many veined, 

 glaucous underneath, altogether much like some forms of Wallichia caryotoides; 

 upper ones more elongated, terminal sub-equilateral, bilobed below the middle, 

 truncate, along which margin they are erose. 



f Specimens consist of a portion of a leaf and an immature spadix. 



