The Palms of British East India. 467 



BENTINCKIA. 



Berry MSS. Roxb. FL Ind. 3. p. 621. Mart. Palm. p. 

 229. i. 139. Endl. Gen. p.2b\. No. 1749. Keppleria. Mart. 

 Endl. Gen. I. c. No. 1750. (e Martio.) 



Char. Gen. — Spathae 2, vel plures, intima completa. 

 Flores monoici in distinctis spadicibus, aut rarius polygami, 

 e foveis tandem emergentes, masculi alternatim distichi, 

 fseminei solitarii. Masc. Stamina 6. Fcem. Ovarium trilocu- 

 lare. Ovulum 1. Bacca obliquissima (stigmatibus basilari- 

 bus.) Semen sulcatum. Albumen solidum. Embryo basilaris. 



Habitus. — Truncus tenuis, arundinaceus, annulatus. 

 Frondes pinnatae. Spadix infra folia erumpens, paniculatim 

 ramosus, rubescens. Flores parvuli, compage subglumacea t 

 rubentes. Baccas purpurascentes, parvulae. 



Bentinckia Coddapanna, Berry MSS. in Roxb. FL Ind. I. 

 c. Mart. Palm. L c. 



Habit. — In mountains, Travancore. Roxburgh. Wight. 

 Flowers in June, seeds ripen eight or nine months afterwards. 

 Telinga name, Codda-panna. 



Descr.* — An elegant, slender Palm, about 20 feet high. Trunk about 

 an inch in diameter. Pinnae linear, 2 feet or more in length, nearly an 

 inch broad, much acuminate, rigid, closely inserted, generally split at 

 the point into two exceedingly narrow triangular portions, 2 to 4 inches 

 long, the fissure often bearing a thread ; above about 3-keeled, the mid- 

 keel below furnished with palese. 



Spadices 1-1 \ foot long. Spathes membranaceous; outer one or two 

 short, truncate, incomplete ; inner complete, longitudinally striate. 

 Common peduncle 2-3 inches long, violet towards the base, branches 

 few, each with a membranous broad semi-amplexicaul bracte, 3 or 4 

 times divided ; of the female simple, generally only with two divisions. 

 Colour of the male spadices scarlet, of the female pale lilac or violaceous. 

 Spikes 6 inches to a span in length, subfastigiate. 



* Chiefly from Martius, 1. c. Dr. Wight communicated to me specimens of part 

 of the leaves, and some immature spadices. 



