The Palms of British East India. 335 



under surface glaucous caesious. The outline of the undivided part 

 is almost exactly cordate. 



Spadices axillary, 2-3 feet long ; branches a span or a foot long, 

 dichotomous opposite the ends of the spathes ; branchlets (spikes) 

 lowermost 2 or 3 times divided, the others simple. Spathes ches- 

 nut red, sometimes split, concealing the greater part of the peduncle ; 

 scurfy outside, the one next the first branch 1J foot long, 3-5 keeled, 

 with a large, oblong, deeply bilobed, split limb. 



Spikes to each branch many, 4-6 inches long, spreading, rather 

 stout. Flowers several together, sessile on small knobs, small, 

 greenish, without bracteae Alabastra oblong. Calyx short, with 

 a broad as it were lobed base, cup-shaped, with three short rounded 

 teeth with membranous margins. Corolla about twice as long as 

 the calyx, divided to a short distance from the middle into three 

 triangular segments. Stamina 6, united as usual. Filaments free 

 (at the faux,) short, setaceous from a very dilated base. Anthers 

 oblong, versatile. Pollen lanceolar, with one fold. Ovarium ob- 

 conical, yellow, with a depressed, red spotted, somewhat sculptured 

 apex ; carpels cohering by means of the short trisulcate filiform style. 

 Stigma simple. Ovula solitary, erect, anatropous. 



Drupe reniform, round, slightly attenuate at the base, the size of 

 a musket ball, of a leaden blue colour, marked on one side with a 

 depressed whitish line. Seed erect, presenting on the side correspond- 

 ing with the above line on the fruit a broad raphe-like line. Albu- 

 men horny, opposite the centre of the above line deeply excavated ; 

 cavity as usual filled with a spongy substance. Embryo opposite 

 the excavation or in the centre of the dorsal face. 



It appears to be quite distinct from any published species. 

 The fruit is larger than in any other. 



Major Jenkins tells me : " This palm is an indispensable 

 accompaniment of every native gentleman's house, but in 

 some parts it is rare, and the trees are then of great value. 

 I cannot call to my recollection having ever seen a Toko 

 tree undoubtedly wild. The leaves are in universal use 

 throughout Assam for covering the tops of doolees, (pal- 



