76 The Palms of British East India, 



the spines of the sheaths are distinctly seriate, the pinnae 

 neither plicate, nor tomentose underneath. 



It comes close to the preceding section, its young spadices 

 having a strong resemblance to those of C. Draco. The 

 mature spadices again resemble to some extent those of C. 

 Hystrix, and there is moreover a tendency in the spathes to 

 be deciduous. 



35. (25.) C. Mastersianus, (n. sp.) vaginarum spinis plano- 

 subulatis sub-deflexis aculeis irregularibus interspersis, pe- 

 tioli partis nudae dorsalibus et marginalibus aculeis intersper- 

 sis, aculeis partis pinniferse dorsalibus cum vel absque mar- 

 ginalibus, pinnis aequidistantibus linearibus (long. 13-uncia- 

 libus lat. 7-linealibus) cirrhoso-acuminatis, supra carina cen- 

 trali et venula laterali utrinque setigera subtus vena centrali 

 setulosa, spadice (flagellifero) aculeato masculo supra-decom- 

 posito, spathis planis coriaceis extus glaucis infima bicarinata 

 secus carinas aculeata, spicis fsemineis distantibus patenti- 

 bus, floribus conicis, corolla calyce paullo-longiore, fructi- 

 bus pisiformibus cuspidato-rostratis (albidis), albumine sub- 

 aequabili. 



Hab. — Assam, No. 1201, of my Assam collections. Soon- 

 dee-bet of the Assamese. The smallest bet of Assam ; Ma- 

 jor Jenkins. 



Descr.* — Stem with the sheaths about half an inch in diameter. 

 Sheaths armed with stout flat spines, somewhat deflexed, concave un- 

 derneath, arising from a large sub-conical base, among these, except 

 perhaps towards the apex of the sheaths, occur smaller prickles very 

 irregular in size. Ligula very large, coriaceous. Petiole a good deal 

 swollen at its insertion ; lower naked part 3^-4 inches long, plano- 

 convex, armed on the centre of the under face with a row of distant 

 spines like those of the sheaths but smaller, along the margins with 



* Complete specimens of the female plant in flower and fruit, and portion of a 

 male spadix. 



