30 The Palms of British East India. 



Male spadix two-three feet long, branched, branches variously nutant 

 or pendulous, slender. Flower bearing branches compound, spikes 

 bifarious, lateral ones one inch long, terminal two-three inches, often 

 scorpioid. Uppermost branches simple, or nearly so. 



Male spikes much flattened, quite distichous, bractese highly 

 imbricated, roundish-cordate, amplectent. Concealed inside is a cup 

 with two evident teeth posticously, where it is also bicarinate from 

 pressure. Calyx long, sub-cylindrical, angular slightly (from pres- 

 sure), with three, rather short, half-ovate, acute teeth. Corolla a 

 little longer than the calyx, divided below the middle into three 

 linear-lanceolate, somewhat spreading segments. Filaments united to 

 each other and to the corolla up to the base of its segments : free, as 

 long as or longer than the petals, points introflexed in bud. Anthers 

 linear, exserted. Rudiment of the pistillum large, oblong, of three 

 abortive carpels. 



Female spadix rather broader than long, (especially in fruit,) 

 in length about one foot, in breadth one and a half foot. Flower 

 bearing branches simple, about six inches long, rather stout. Spathes 

 less imbricating, because more distant than in the male, larger and 

 more leathery. Flowers solitary, each with two unequal amplectent 

 bracteoles, the outer of which, from not being appressed to the in- 

 ner, leaves on one side a small niche. 



Calyx as in the male, but more cylindrical. Corolla scarcely 

 longer than the calyx, of the same shape, divided below the middle 

 into three linear-lanceolate, acute, erect segments. Stamina much 

 developed, but included, and with effete anthers. 



Ovary attenuate at base, where it is smooth, at the apex attenuated 

 into a stout, cylindrical, rather long style, divided nearly to middle 

 into three, spreading or recurved branches, very pappillose inside, 

 scales small with irregular margins. Ovula lodged in the smooth 

 base. 



Fruit (immature) chocolate coloured, round or oblong, (seven lines 

 long by five and half broad,) with a stout cuspis, the upper half of which 

 is grey, one-celled. Scales small with pale edges, central furrows 

 of scales much pronounced, and appearing to form as many continu- 

 ous longitudinal furrows. Seed (very immature) plano-convex with 

 a depression on the flat face ; tegument black, fleshy. 



