480 The Palms of British East India. 



little while those trees lasted. I have reason to believe 

 this substance to be highly nutritious. I have eaten the 

 gruel, and think it fully as palatable as that made of the Sago 

 we get from the Malay countries." Roxb. op. cit. 



89. (2) Caryota obtusa, (n. sp.) arborea, pinnulis valde 

 inaequilateralibus erosis dentibus brevibus obtusissimis, flori- 

 bus masculis distantibus, antheris mucronulatis. 



Habit.— Mishmee Mountains in woods about Yen. Alti- 

 tude above the sea 3-4000 feet. 



Descr.* — A very large palm; diameter of the trunk l£-2 feet. Leaves 

 very large ; pinnules cuneate, very unequal sided, coriaceous, when dry 

 remarkably striato-plicate ; the outer side scarcely at all produced ; 

 the teeth short, very obtuse. 



Branches of the male spadix long, flexuose, scurfy. Flowers distant, 

 three together, the central (female) later in development. Males about 

 5 lines long. Sepals rounded, scurfy and ciliate. Petals 2j times longer 

 than the sepals. Stamina indefinite. Anthers linear, mucronulate. Fe- 

 male flower (in bud.) Calyx as in the male. Petals much smaller, val- 

 vate. Sterile stamina 3, opposite to the sepals. Ovarium subturbinate 

 with a trigonal vertex, 1-2 celled. Ovula solitary, erect. Stigmata 2, ob- 

 long;, cordate-subreflexed. 



■»> 



I met with this palm in 1837, during a hurried journey to 

 the Mishmee Mountains. Its habit is that of C. urens, from 

 which the obtusely toothed pinnules at once distinguish it. 

 The Assamese coolies who were with me called it Bura 

 Suwar, their name for C. urens. The Mishmees make use 

 of the central soft portion of the trunk as food. 



The pinnulse are not unlike those of Seguaster major, 

 Rumph. Hb. Am. 1. t. 14 ; but my specimens do not contain 

 an entire pinna, with the attaching part of the petiole. 



I find in my notes mention made of a second species inha- 

 biting the Mishmee Mountains, with the inflorescence of an 



* Partly from notes made on the spot, from dried specimens of a portion of a 

 leaf and a spadix. 



