146 NEW OR RARE MALAYAN PLANTS. 



terrestrial ferns common in the clayey woods of Sing- 

 apore and the greater part of the Singapore flora is not 

 represented, except in the matter of epiphytes. Calanthe 

 veratrlfolia. A very fine form with unusually grey leaves, 

 Lepidogyne longifolia otherwise only known from Penara 

 Bukit in Penang, Cystorcliis purpurascens, Plocoglottis 

 javanica, Neplielaphyllum pulclirum were among the ter- 

 restrial orchids. In some spots the preponderance of 

 Monocotyledons over Dicotyledons was very marked. 

 Thus some parts of the forests consisted of Phrynium 

 malaccense and Ph. liirtum, Donax grandis, Alpinia 

 melanocarpa, Plagiosiachys albiflora n. sp., with several 

 other Zingiberaceae not in flower. Zalacca conferta and 

 ~\Yanichiana; one or two species of Daemonorops, Cala- 

 mus pencillatus and several species of Pinanga, and 

 Nenga Wendlandiana, Oncosperma tigiUaria and Pholi- 

 docarpus Kingianiis a few tree ferns, and some large 

 dicotyledonous trees, formed the rest of the flora. Schis- 

 matoglottis WaUichii often in great abundance, Alocasia 

 longiloba, Homalomena rostrata represent the aroids. 



The immense mass of vegetable debris forming the soil 

 to a considerable depth, without any apparent mixture 

 of mineral matter, not a pebble or fragment of stone 

 being visible over the whole of this area, suggests that 

 the tertiary coal deposits of Borneo and Labuan have had 

 some such origin as this. 



G. rubra, n. sp. 



Rhizome slender with strong rather stout roots. Stem 

 slender 14 inches long ^ inch through. Leaves narrow 

 lanceolate caudate tapering gradually at the base to a 

 short petiole, glabrous above, pubescent on the back es- 

 pecially on the mid-rib 9 inches long 1-J inch wide, ligule 

 oblong rounded entire, sheaths ribbed with transverse 

 ribs. Eaceme 3-6 inches long erect from the rhizome, 

 on a short peduncle 1-1J inch long covered with lax 

 sheaths. Flowers red, on slender erect pedicels 1 inch 

 long. Bracts very small ovate pubescent. Calyx \ inch 



Jour. Straits Branch. 



