The Palms of British East India. 33 1 



peltata (atroviridi,) pinnis circiter 20 cuneatis, lateralibus obli- 

 que truncatis 3-4-dentatis, terminali latiore truncata sub 11- 

 dentata, dentibus omnibus bifidis et irregulariter denticulatis, 

 spadice erecto petiolis multo breviore thyrsoideo-ramoso, 

 spicis (ramorum pluribus) undique patentibus, floribus soli- 

 tariis numerosis parce pilosis, calycis cylindracei dentibus 

 rotundatis bifidis, ovario medium supra fusco-villoso* 



Hab. — Solitary in dense forests, Ayer Punnus (Rhim) and 

 Goonoong Miring, Mount Ophir, but not above an elevation 

 of 1000 feet. Forests near Lainear, to the south of Mergui. 

 Flowers nearly all the year. Plass Bhatto of the Malays. 



Descr. — A nearly stemless Palm, otherwise of considerable size, 

 with dark green peltate leaves. Leaves 5-7 feet long. JRete of stout 

 leathery fibres. Petioles stout, 4-5 feet long, rather obtusely trique- 

 trous, armed (except the upper third) along the two inner angles 

 with stout, horny, conical, tooth-shaped prickles. Lamina 2-2£ 

 feet long, 3-4 feet broad, peltate-flabelliform ; pinnae 20-22, the 

 lateral ones narrowest, obliquely cut off, unequally 3-4-lobed, lobes 

 irregularly denticulate; the terminal one cuneate, 5 inches broad, 

 truncate, 11 'keeled above, with as many short, truncate, broad, 

 bifid, denticulate lobes as keels: intermediate ones narrower, 

 generally 3-keeled, otherwise similar : upper margins of all black- 

 ish-brown. 



Spadix stout, much branched, much shorter than the leaves, 1J-3 

 feet long, erect, undulate, flexuose. Spathes compressed, lax, almost 

 inflated, laceroso-fibrous at the ends, when young grey from a co- 

 vering of cellular paleaceous cellules. Branches adnate to the 

 peduncle high up, bearing many spreading, subulate, scurfy-pubes- 

 cent spikes, 3-5 inches long. 



Flowers numerous, sessile, green, slightly hairy outside. Calyx 

 subcylindrical, 3-toothed, teeth bifid ! Corolla almost twice as long 

 as the calyx, divided to a little below the middle into three broad, 

 cordate, lanceolate segments. Annulus of the stamina subtruncate, 

 projecting considerably above the faux of the corolla. Filaments 

 (free) short, setiform. Anthers cordato-ovate, slightly inflexed. Ova- 



