The Palms of British East India. 39 



Spathes without limbs, those of the flagellus inconspicuous, all 

 armed, the spines on the lower face being like those of the vaginae 

 but smaller, the rest deflexed, not very strong, and subulate from 

 a stout oblique base. 



Branches of the spadix erect, bases concealed in the orifices of the 

 sheaths, bearing alternate, scorpioid, stout spikes, two to three inches 

 in length. Spaces between the spikes occupied by short, lax, trun- 

 cate, smooth spathes. 



Spikes stout, somewhat compressed. Flowers in bud distichous, 

 but not flatly bifarious ; under each is a laxly sheathing bracte with 

 a short limb with shortly ciliate margins ; outer bracteole obliquely 

 cup-shaped, emarginate behind, inner with a conspicuous disk-like 

 oval space on one side. 



Calyx of stout texture, oblong, ovate, suboblique, shortly three- 

 toothed. Corolla ovate, tripartite below the middle ; segments ovate- 

 lanceolate. Stamina six, large, effete, united as usual to the corolla, 

 and above this monadelphous. Ovarium oblong obconical, with nu- 

 merous rows of very minute scales. Style stout, conical, divided 

 nearly to the base into three stout, lanceolate, inwardly stigmatic 

 branches. Ovules solitary. 



A very well marked species, especially by its stature and 

 inflorescence ; it appears to be more nearly allied to C. 

 schizospathus than any other. 



17. (7.) C. acanthospathus, (n. sp.) spinis petioli pinnis 



spadicis (6-pedalis) pedunculo basi compresso spinis et 



aculeis subulatis armato caeterum inermi, spatha infima 

 dorso carinata aculeis basi conicis sparsis valde armata reliquis 

 parce armatis seu inermibus ecarinatis, ramis distantibus infl- 

 mis compositis, fructubus elliptico-oblongis apice mammill- 

 atis, (castaneis.) 



Hab. — Khasiya Hills. 



Desc* — Spadix about six feet long, tapered at the end into a 

 flagellus. Peduncle short, compressed, armed on the edges, and lower 

 * Specimens (two) of entire fruit bearing spadices. 



