82 The Palms of British East India. 



spines, broader, but less hard than usual, deflexed, except those of the 

 margins which are ascending ; rather long thorny bristles occur 

 mixed with these or in distinct series. The edges of the larger 

 spines irregular from adhering brownish tissue. Petiole transversely 

 puckered at the base : naked part 5-6 inches long, armed on the 

 back with stout deflexed brownish spines, solitary, or, as in< the 

 lowest, in short series; numerous shorter and rather stronger as- 

 cending ones along the margins, solitary or a few together. 



These are continued into the pinniferous part, which is angular 

 above, convex below, while the back of the same is armed with short 

 strong conical claw-shaped prickles, which upwards appear reduced 

 into a central series. Flagellus long, armed with the usual claw- 

 shaped aculei. Pinna alternate, linear, the largest in the specimens 

 nearly two feet long, 8-9 lines broad,* cirrhoso-acuminate, above 

 with a central carina bearing bristles, and with a lateral one on 

 either side with very long and often stout bristles ; under surface with 

 a bristle here and there on the midvein ; margins rough with numer- 

 ous appressed bristles. Young petiole covered with a brownish 

 tomentum. 



Male spadix 2-feet long, adnate to the contiguous sheath. Pedun- 

 cle between the lowest spathe and the axilla about 2 inches long, 

 very much armed with black spines ; above the lowest spathe quite 

 unarmed. Spathes open, level- topped ? not over- lapping, probably 

 spreading, except perhaps the lowest, which is attached about 2 inches 

 below the lowest branch. It is two feet long, linear-lanceolate, 

 acuminate into a long beak, concave, scarcely boat-shaped, bicarinate 

 on the back and armed with deflexed irregular rather slender black- 

 ish spines. The other spathes (one to each branch of the spadix) 

 gradually diminish in size upwards, they are leathery or chartace- 

 ous, chesnut brown inside, glaucescent outside, unarmed except the 

 second, which presents a few weak thorns along two obscure carina?. 

 Flower-bearing branches several, ascending, longer than the inter- 

 nodes, decompound, much shorter than their spathes, except perhaps 

 the uppermost. Spikes flexuose, more or less covered with rust 

 coloured scurf ; the lowest of each branch 3-4 flowered, the upper 

 about 2-flowered. 



* The average size 14-16 inches long, 6-7 lines broad. 



