176 iJINALS OF THE KOTAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. {C. flabellatUS
rather long] (14-17 cm. in length), slightly channelled above near the base, flat
up-wards, its margins very acute and armed—as is the lower rounded surface—with
scattered, short, straight aculoi; racliis acutely bifaced and smooth atove, regularly
and closely armed beneath with solitary, rather small claws; leaflets numerous,
equidistant, rather closely set, linear-lanceolate, gradually finely acuminate into a
Bubulate bristly tip, somewhat attenuate at the base, where suddenly plicate at
their insertion on the rachis, thinly papyraceous, about the same colour on both
surfaces, shining above, distinctly and rather densely bristly above on the acute midcosta
and on one rather slender nerve on each sido of i t ; beneath only the
mid-costa is bristly; margins distinctly and appressedly spinuloue; the largest leaflets,
those a little above the base, 15-17 cm. long and 8-10 mm. broad; the two terminal
slightly smaller than the others and quite free at the base. Male spadix
Female spadia very slender, filiform, about as long as the leaves; with
very few partial infloi-eecences; primary spathes very elongate and very narrow,
very closely sheathing, the lowest somewhat flattened and acutely two-edged, the
others cylindraceous, finely and densely aculeate, truncate and entire at tlie tnouth*
partial inflorescences spreading, very SQiall and short (5-6 cm. long), inserted above
the mouth of their own spathe, and with very few (usually 2) spikelets on each
side distinctly callous at their upper axilla; secondary spathes scabrid, tubular,
slightly enlarged above or very narrowly infundibuliform, closely sheathing, obliquely
truncate at the mouth, where acute at one side; spikelets very short (15—20
mm. long) and relatively thick, horizontal, inserted at the mouth of their own
spathe with a distinct axillary callus, and bearing 4-5 rather remote flowers on
each side; spathels cylindraceous at the base, scabrid, striately veined and
slightly infundibuliform in their upper half, horizontally truncate and entire at
the mouth; involucrophorum sub-cupular, almost hollowed laterally into the base of
the spathel above its own; involucre asymmetrically sub-cupukr, with an irregular
smately veined limb; areola oi the neuter flower rather large, concave.—Other
parts unknown.
HABITAT.—The Malayan Peninsula. Discovered in the district of Perak by
Scorteckini (Herb. Beccari); and in the same district found again by Ridley on the
Thaiping Hüls {Ridley No. 11314).
OBSERVATIOXS.—This is allied to C. sonatus, but is quite distinct because of its
spinous leaf-sheaths and the numerous equidistant leaflets, which are besides 1-costate
and not 3-costate. The female spadix I have seen was an adult one, but -without
flowers; it was 70 cm. long and bore 3 partial inflorescences (all about the same
dimensions), each with 4 spikelets in all.
PLATE 36.—Calamus rugosus Becc. Two portions of the
with an entire leaf, and a female spadix without fruit.—From Scortechini's specimena
in Herb. Beccari,
30. CALAMUS FLABELLATUS Becc. Malesia iii, 62, and in Eec. Bot. SUIT. Ind.
ii, 801.
DESCRIPTION.—Scandent, very long and slender. • Sheathed stem 5-6 mm. in. dinm.
Leaf-sheaths flagelliferous, not or very indistinctly gibboiis above, very obliquely
C. javensis} BECCARI, MONOGEAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. XTT
truncate at the mouth, distinctly striate longitudinally, quite unarmed. Oorea veryshort,
almost obsolote. Leaf-sheath Jlagella filiform, very slender, finely aculeolate,
callous at the base. Leaves simple, not pinnate, 45 cm. long, 10 cm. broad,
elongate-flabelliform, papyraceous, green, of the same colour on both surfaces, gradually
attenuate and acute at the base, furcate or divided iu the upper third part of their
length into two broadly lanceolate, acuminate, acutely 6-7-costate lobes; the cost®
very acute, naked on both surfaces all of the same strength and all reaching the
apex, and lower down meeting at different heights and at a very acute angle along
the mid-costa of the blade; beneath, the mid-costa (or rachis; rather robust and
sparingly clawed; margins acute, not ciliated or spinulous; transverse veinlets
ratlier approximate and shai-p; petiole 3-4 cm. long, slender, sub-txigonous, striate,
unarmed.—Other ports unknown.
on Mount Mattang, near Kuching
Rotang is of very good quality and
Sarawak {Beccari
called in Sarawak
HABITAT.—Boi-neo;
P. B. No. 1911.)—Th<
Rotang Berman.'
OBSERVATIONS.—The only specimen I have preserved of this very peculiar Calamus
is sterile, but it belongs to a nearly full-grown plant. Other species have undivided
or furcate radical leaves, but this is the only one I know with furcate or flahellate
leaves on the upper part of the stem. Its affinities are apparently with the species
of the group of C. javensia.
PLATE 37.—Calamus flabellatus Becc. An intermediate portion of the leafy stem
from P. B, No. 1911.
31. CALAMUS JAVENSIS B1. Rurophia ii, 137 D. and iii, 62 (var. a. and
ß firmus) ; Mart. Hist. Nat, Palm, iii, 337; Walp. Ann. iii, 487,
and V, 831; Miq. Fl, Ind. Bat. iii, 125, in PI. Jungh. 159, in
Journ. dc Bot. Neer!. i, 22, in Prodr. Fl. Sum. 256 and in De
Palmis, 27; Teysni. Cat. Hort, Bog., 75; H. Wendl. in Kerch,
Les Palmiers, 236; Becc. in Ree, Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 201.
0. equestris Bl. (not of Willd.) in Roem, et Schult. Syst. Veg. vii, 2, 1330
(the Javan plant only); Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm, iii, t. 113 and
t. 128 and 203 (Ist edit.) and 207 (2nd edit.) partly; Kunth
Enum. Plant. iii, 204 (partly) C. equestris ? Zolling. Syst.
Verzeich. 79 and Exsic. No. 1597? (non vidi) and No. 3696.
DESCRIPTION.—Scandent, slender. Sheathed stem 5-8 mm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths
distinctly striate longitudinally, green, glabrous, sparingly armed with straight 1-5 mm.
long, solitary, horizontal or slightly dcflexed spines. Leaf-sheath fiagella with the
lowek spathe usually smooth. Ocrea 5-12 mm. long, ciliate, naked or fugaciously
furfuraceous. Leaves short, 80-50 cm. long; potiole very short or almost obsolete;
leaflets very few, 3-6 on each side, more or less inequidistant, usually opposite
or subopposite, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic, cuspidate, rather variable
in sizo and iu relative breadth, with 3 often spinulous costse; the two
leaflets near the base smaller than the others and spreading, the two of the
terminal pair two-thirds connate. Male and female spadix as in var, pminsularis.
Fruit 15-16 mm. long (including the beak), 9-10 mm. in diam., ellipsoid-ovoid, with
ASH. EOY. BOT. QAHD. CALCUTTA VOL. X I ,