The Palms of British East India. 491 



Female flowers shorter and broader than the male. Calyx as in the 

 male. Petals broadly ovate, obtuse, spreading, valvate. Rudimentary 

 stamina 6 ; those opposite the petals quite abortive and falling off with 

 the petals. Ovarium obtusely trigonal, 3-lobed longitudinally, to each 

 lobe 1-cell, with one appense pendulous ovulum. Style none ; stigmata 

 3, papillose, recurved, channelled down the centre. 



Fruit spadix with the branches more nodding, and without spathes. 

 Fruit surrounded at the base by the perianth, nearly dry, globose, 

 about the size of a small lime, oblique, bi-gibbous at the base (from the 

 2 abortive cells of the ovarium near which the stigmata will be found,) 

 1-seeded, with a smooth cartilaginous aspect ; epicarp rather thick, 

 fleshy cellular ; endocarp moderate, hardened, rather brittle. Seed lar^e, 

 globose; tegument cellular coriaceous, brown, adhering to the endocarp. 

 Jlbumen opaque, white, cartilaginous. Embryo large, conical, situated 

 about half way between the middle and base of the albumen.* 



* I have since, through the kindness of Dr. Wight, seen the third vol. of M. 

 Kunth's Enumeratio Plantarum, containing Palmae, taken from Martius and 

 Endlicher. From it 1 extract a part relating to the varieties of Areca Catechu, 

 and the characters of A. Nibung, (which is probably A. tigillaria, Jack, quoted 

 by M. Kunth as a doubtful species, from the description not having been sufficiently 

 attended to) and A. Wallichiana, a species of which I have no knowledge. 



" Pro-varietatibus cultura ortis habendae sunt sequentes : a) oxycarpa: drupa 

 ovata, acutiuscula; b) elliptica : drupa oblonga, utrinque rotundata; c) sphaero- 

 carpa: drupa subglobosa; d) gonocarpa : drupa angulosa; e) ceratocarpa : drupa 

 vertice sublobata et /) ocarpa: drupa ovali, albida. Aliae varietates minoris 

 momenti non a forma et magnitudine, sed a compage fructus ej usque carnositate, 

 fragilitate et sic porro dependent." Mart. 



" A. Nibung Mart. Palm. 173, t. 150, et 153,/. 4 et 5. Caudice elato, aculeato : 

 petiolo rhachique fusco-squamulosis aculeatisque ; pinnis lineavibus, acumina- 

 tis, interdum apice bifido filiferis, subtus ad costam squamulosis ; spadice ramo- 

 so, basi aculeato ; florum masculorum hexandrorum petalis ovato-cuspidatis ; 

 fructibus globosis, stigmate excentrico. Mart. Euterpe filamentosa Blume in ed. 

 Areca spinosa Van Hasselt MSS. Nibung Javanensium. In littore australi In- 

 sulae Javae. Caudex gracilis, annulatus. Flores masculi ochroleuci. Drupae 

 violaceo-fuscescentes ; came tenui, grumosa. Albumen lacteum, corneum, rumi- 

 natum. Embryo basilaris." (Mart.) 



"A. Wallichiana, Mart. Palm. 178. Inermis; caudice humili; pinnis connex- 

 is, inferioribus falcatis, extus repandis et denticulatis, superioribus truncatis et 

 denticulato-praemorsis, inferne in nervis rhachique paleaceo-villosulis; spadici- 

 bus simpliciter valde ramosis ; calycum masculorum hexandrorum foliolis lato- 



orbicularibus, quam petala ovata duplo brevioribus ; drupsis Mart. — 



Insula Pulo-Pinang Archipelagi Indici. — Frondes 4-5-pedalis." 

 ( To be continued. J 



