14 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVII, January 1963 
deis in sectione mediali cum 44-46 nervis 
parallelis secundariis in quoque dimidio, nervis 
tertialis nullis, gladiformatis sensim in apice 
trigono subulato caudato 20-30 cm longo di- 
minuentibus eo 10 cm ex apice 1.8 mm lato, 
basi amplexicauli et inermi sed ex 5-6 cm mar- 
ginibus cum aculeis 4-6 mm longis 5-26 mm 
separatis valde subulatis arcuatis adscendenti- 
bus, midnervo infra ex 7. 5-8. 5 cm cum aculeis 
3-4.5 mm longis 20-32 mm separatis arcuatis 
subulatis reflexis basibus crassis, in sectione 
mediali marginibus cum aculeis majoribus 2.5- 
3 mm longis 18-30 mm separatis arcuatis sub- 
ulatis adscendenti-adpressis basibus crassis ple- 
rumque alternantibus cum aculeis minoribus 1- 
2 mm longis, midnervo infra cum aculeis 1.5-2 
mm longis 13-24 mm separatis subulatis ad- 
scendentibus, in apice subulato marginibus et 
midnervo infra cum subulato-serrulis 0.3-1 mm 
longis 3-8 mm separatis, inflorescentia foemi- 
nea terminali arcuati, pedunculo 40 cm longo 
2 cm diametro trigono folioso-bracteato cum 
syncarpio solitario eo 21 cm longo 16 cm diam- 
etro ellipsoideo (submaturo et viridi) cum 85 
phalangibus eis 6-6.6 cm longis 2.8-4 cm latis 
2. 8-3. 6 cm crassis obovoideis ad apicem infra 
cuneatis, apice convexo 5-6-anguloso lateribus 
supra convexis infra concavis (evidente imma- 
turis), laevibus lucidis, suturis lateralibus nullis, 
sinibus apicalibus centralibus 0.5-2. 5 mm pro- 
fundis latis et vadosis rectis vel subcurvatis, 
carpelis 7-8 eis centralibus Vi- 2 A tarn grandibus 
quam illis marginalibus eis basalibus mediali- 
busque cum apicibus subplanis sed illis centrali- 
bus cum apicibus oblato-conicis, stigmatibus 2- 
3 mm longis suborbicularibus vel ellipticis ob- 
scure brunneis obliquis sulcatis centripetalibus, 
ceteris marginalibus truncatis, sinibus proximal- 
ibus Vi ad fondam extentis, endocarpio in parte 
l A inf era osseoso brunneo, seminibus 12-16 
mm longis ellipsoideis, mesocarpio supero in 
quaque carpella cavernam cum fibris et mem- 
branis pallidis medullosis formanti, mesocarpio 
basali fibroso et carnoso. 
DIAGNOSIS OF HOLOTYPE: Young tree, trunk 
erect 1 m tall, 10 cm in diameter; prop roots 
up to 1 m long and 4 cm in diameter, sparsely 
muriculate in vertical lines, brown; leaves 2- 
2.47 m long, 5.8—63 cm wide, coriaceous, green 
and glaucous on both sides, the spines all white, 
the blade broad furrowed over the midrib, the 
sides slightly sigmoid, at midsection with 44- 
46 secondary parallel veins in each half, no 
visible tertiary cross veins, sword-shaped, grad- 
ually tapering upwards into a 20-30 cm caudate, 
subulate, trigonous apex, this 10 cm down 1.8 
mm wide, the base amplexicaul and unarmed, 
but beginning at 5-6 cm up the margins with 
prickles 4-6 mm long, 5-26 mm apart,' stout 
subulate, arcuate, ascending; the midrib below 
beginning at 7. 5-8. 5 cm with prickles 3-4.5 
mm long, 20-32 mm apart, arcuate subulate, ■ 
heavy based, reflexed; at midsection the mar- 
gins with larger prickles 2.5-3 mm long, 18- 
30 mm apart, arcuate subulate, heavy based, 
ascending appressed, mostly alternating with 
smaller ones 1-2 mm long; the midrib below 
with prickles 1.5-2 ■'mm long, 13-24 mm apart, 
subulate, ascending; on the subulate apex the 
margins and midrib below with subulate serru- 
lations 0.3-1 mm long, 3-8 mm apart; pistil- 
late inflorescence terminal, arching; peduncle 
40 cm long, 2 cm in diameter, 3 -sided, leafy 
bracted, bearing a single syncarp, this 21 cm 
long, 16 cm in diameter, ellipsoid, slightly im- 
mature and still green, bearing 85 phalanges, 
these 6-6.6 cm long, 2.8-4 cm wide, 2. 8-3. 6 
cm thick, obovoid above, cuneate below, the 
apex convex, 5— 6-angled, the sides convex- 
above, concave below (but this probably due to 
immaturity), smooth, shining; lateral sutures 
none; central apical sinuses 0.5-2. 5 mm deep, 
shallow, the line straight or gently curved; car- 
pels 7-8, the central ones Vl - 2 A as large as the 
marginal ones, the basal and median phalanges 
with the carpel apices almost flat, but those 
near the center with the apices oblate conic; 
stigmas 2-3 mm long, suborbicular to elliptic, 
dark brown, oblique, creased, centripetal, some 
of the marginal ones truncate; proximal sinus 
running Vz way to valley bottom; endocarp in 
lower J/ 3 , bony, brown; seeds 12-16 mm long, 
ellipsoid; upper mesocarp forming in each car- 
pel apex a cavern, with fibers and pale medul- 
lary membranes; basal mesocarp fibrous and 
fleshy. 
HOLOTYPUS: Singapore, Woodlands Road, . 
14 miles mark, opposite Kranji Nature Reserve, 
fresh water swamp, with Dicranopteris linearis, 
July 10, I960, H. St. John 26,376 (bish). 
