The Palms of British East India. 339 



basi coalitis. Ovaria tria. Styli 0. Baccae 1-3, monospermy. 

 Semen in facie ventrali sulcatum, aequabile vel ruminato-va- 

 riegatum. Embryo dorsalis. 



Habitus. — Palmae perennantes, frutescentes vel arboreae, 

 nanae vel procerae. Rete saepius amplum. Petioli margine 

 denticulati, vel spinosi, vel sublaeves. Lamina palmatim 

 multipartita ; laciniae induplicatae, apice saepissime bilobae, 

 jilis intermediis saepius nullis. Spadices simpliciter aut com- 

 posito-ramosi. Spathae coriaceae, tubulosae, rameae paucae 

 vel deficientes. Flores flavescentes, bracteati. Filamenta basi 

 connata. Baccae came spissa parca, olivaeformes vel subro- 

 tundae. 



" Numerus partium haud raro auctus; loco ternarii qua- 

 ternarius, quinarius vel senarius." 



Affinitate proxima Livistonae. Praebet transitum ad Phae- 

 nicem per flores polygamos, staminum numerum auctum, bac- 

 cas et structura seminis. 



63. (1.) C. Martiana i trunco elato, frondium vagina cylin- 

 drica reticulata, petiolis margine leviter dentatis et supra 

 paleis albis furfuraceis, lamina reniformi subtus glauca, 

 laciniis 70-75 conduplicato-canaliculatis, segmentis apice 

 bifidis, spathis partialibus pluribus, baccis olivaeformibus 

 lepidotis (flavescentibus). 



C. Martiana, Wall, (sine charactere !*) Mart, in Pi. As. 

 Rar.S.p. 5. t. 211. 



* The describer and investigator of the affinities of any undescribed plant is the 

 proper person to name it. Working botanists should pay no attention whatever to 

 those persons who insist on attaching their initials to objects they will not, or 

 cannot, describe and elucidate. It was originally intended that the initials at- 

 tached to the name of a species should be those of the botanist who first defined it, 

 but now owing to flattery, indolence, incapacity and MSS. names, this very requi- 

 site signification is in a considerable measure lost. Some stringent rule is much 

 required, for the present it may be sufficient to attach sine charactere I to all in- 

 itials that fall under the above mischievous paradox. 



