58 The Palms of British East India. 



liate, and, in the young state especially, grey from whitish filamentous 

 hairs. Branchlets which bear the spikes recurved or spreading, with 

 short, acute, often mucronate spathes. Spikes attached midway be- 

 tween these, short, scarcely more than half inch long, sub-scorpioid. 



Male flowers distichous, ovate : suffulted by a small bracte like- 

 wise ciliate and generally pennicillate at the apex, and by two 

 bracteoles less combined than usual, indeed sometimes nearly dis- 

 tinct. Calyx divided to the middle, segments half-ovate. Corolla 

 about twice the length of the calyx, divided almost nearly to the 

 base, segments ovate-lanceolate, spreading. Stamina as usual united 

 to base of corolla ; filaments (free) long, subulate, flexuose in 

 bud ; anthers obtusely sagittate, attached above the middle, versa- 

 tile. Rudiment of a pistillum of three rather small distinct bodies. 



Female flowers on simply spiked more elongated branches. Spikes 

 2-3-inches long, alternate, generally recurved, flexuose, pale fer- 

 ruginous-tomentose. Flowers rather distant, suffulted by an am- 

 plectent bracte with a short acuminate limb, and by two bracte- 

 oles, of which the inner bears an incomplete disc on one side, 

 and between this and the outer bracteole is a space as though 

 there should be an additional flower. Calyx (in bud) ovate- coni- 

 cal, a good deal longer than that of the male flower, divided to 

 the middle. Corolla (in bud,) length of the calyx, otherwise as in 

 the male, but the segments have thin margins. Stamina 6, mona- 

 delphous ; filaments (free) short, flat ; anthers effete. Ovarium cylin- 

 drical, 3-celled, shorter than the branches of the style, which are 

 lanceolate and papillose. Ovules 3. 



This species seems to vary a good deal ; among the 

 specimens from the Nao Dihing, is a portion of a leaf, 

 in which the spines are short, solitary, and the pinnae 

 two feet or more in length by thirteen lines broad, with 

 only one keel on the upper face, and this is the only part 

 besides the margins that bears bristles ; the apex also is 

 often subulate-acuminate. 



There were also specimens found among the dried plants 

 of these Gardens, without name, but which are said to have 



