472 The Palms of British East India. 



copiosum fibris rigidis nigris intermix turn • petiolus interdum 

 aculeatus ; pinnae lineares, fasciculatae et plurifariae, vel 

 solitariae bifariae, subtus albidae, basi uno vel utroque latere 

 lobato-auriculatae, apice eroso-dentatae truncatae vel dentatae, 

 vel bilobae. Spadices nutanti-pendulae ; spicis pendulis, saepius 

 fastigiatis caudae equinae in modum dispositis. Flores majus- 

 cult. Antherse mucronato-apiculatae. Baccse viridescentes, 

 rotundatae, majusculae. Semen (endocarpio cohaerente ? ) sae- 

 pius baccatum, saepius evenium. Succus acris, 



85. (1) A. saccharifera 9 elata, petiolis inermibus, pinnis 

 fasciculatis 4-5 fariis lineari-ensiformibus basi utrinque auri- 

 culatis (auricula inferiore longe producta) apice bilobis et 

 varie dentatis. 



A. saccharifera. Labill. Mem. VInst. Lam. Enc, Suppt. 

 I. p. 441. Mart. Palm. p. 191. t. 108. Saguerus s. Gomu- 

 tus. Rumph. Hb. Amb. 1. p. 57. t. 13. Saguerus Rum- 

 phii. Roxb. 3. p. 626. Borassus Gomutus. Lour. fl. coch. 

 p. 648. Gomutus saccharifer. Spreng. Syst. 2. p. 624. 



Habit. — Malacca Province, generally cultivated, but less 

 common in the littoral districts. Anowe of the Malays. 

 Succeeds sufficiently well in the H. C. Botanic Gardens, 

 flowering throughout the year. 



Descr. — A handsome palm, reaching to the height of 30-40 feet, 

 Crown oblong, very dense, of a sombre aspect. Leaves very large, 20 

 feet (or more) long, 10 broad, outline oblong-ovate ; petiole very stout, 

 channelled at the base, sprinkled with blackish scurf; pinnce gener- 

 ally fasciculate, 4-5 farious, the middle ones 5 feet long, 4-4§ inches 

 broad, linear-ensiform, coriaceous, dark green above, underneath white, 

 margins with distant spinescent teeth, towards the apex becoming more 

 frequent ; apex itself bilobed or bifid, eroso-dentate ; base with one, or 

 generally two unequal auricles, of which the lowermost is much the 

 longer. 



Male spadix 4-5 feet long. Spikes attenuate at the apex, and there 

 furnished with a few rudimentary or abortive flowers. Flowers very 

 numerous, oblong club-shaped, of a rich purple black colour, and a dis- 



