342 The Palms of British East India. 



Spadix (fruit-bearing,) 2 feet long, nodding, compressed : the 

 lower half concealed by the spathes of which there are three, two 

 common ones, and one to one of the main branches. They are 

 coriaceous, brown, with oblique mouths, and bilobed limbs, the 

 lowest is about a foot long. Branches of the spadix quite exserted, 

 quite naked, the terminal one dichotomous : divisions many. Spikes 

 4-6 inches long. 



Fruit scarcely baccate, -J inch long, 21 lines broad, solitary or 2-8 

 together, but of distinct carpels, oblong, insequilateral, obliquely 

 apiculate at the apex, surrounded at the base by the calyx which 

 has a stout cylindrical base, and three deep, broad oblong divisions, 

 by a corolla of three cordate ovate petals, equal in length to the 

 calyx, and by six sterile stamina : on one side may be found two 

 abortive villous ovaries. Seed oblong, with the ventral face rather 

 deeply furrowed, the furrow not reaching quite to the apex, reni- 

 form on a transverse section. Albumen with a scaly surface, along 

 this line presenting a cavity filled with spongy tissue : horny, other- 

 wise equal. Embryo in the centre of the dorsal face. 



This species is closely allied to C. Martiana : it differs in 

 its shorter stouter stature, the petioles toothed throughout, 

 in the nature of the rete, and the texture of the leaves which 

 is more like that of C. humilis. The paleaceous tomentum 

 much more developed, and the berries are blueish, not yellow. 

 The divisions of the leaves are much the same, excepting 

 the secondary segments of the central divisions, which are 

 shallow, obtuse and recurved.* 



* Chameerops Ritchiana, (n. sp.) nana, ssepius subacaulis, petiolis inermibus, 

 fibrillitio subnullo, lamina profunde palmatira 10-15 partita, laciniis induplicato- 

 sissimis ultra medium bipartitis, segmentis rigidis angustis gradatim acuminatis. 



Hab. — Khybur Pass, and generally in the low arid mountainous parts of Eas- 

 tern Affghanisthan. Pushtoo name Maizurrye. Not observed in flower or fruit. 



Descr.* — A small Palm, scarcely exceeding '2-3 feet in height, generally 

 tufted, and generally almost stemless. There is scarcely any rete, but the bases 

 of the petioles, where naturally covering each other, present a rust-coloured wool. 

 Leaves from 20 inches to 3 feet in length, whitish-glaucous, coriaceous. Petiole 



* From specimens brought from Affghanisthan, and a few seeds received from the Seharun- 

 pore Garden, of which one germinated in the H. C. Botanic Gardens. 



