183 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [¿J. j a v e nm
CALAMUS JAVEKSIS var. PENINSDLARIS, subvar. PIHANGIANUS Becc. in Hook. f. FL,
Brit. Ind. t i , 443, and in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 201.
DEsCEiPTioii.—Sheathed stem 6 mm. ia diam. Loaf-sheaths mottled with dark
green and light patches and covered with numerous slightly deflexed spines of the
usual form but with finer tip. Leaf-sheath Jlagella with the lowest spathe aculeolate
on the back. Leaves with tlie petioje very short almost obsolete; rachis more
strongly aculeate than in the type; leaflets usually more or less evidently
clustered, rather narrow, lanceolate acuminate, 15-18 cm. long, 2'5-3 cm. broad,
not spinuloua on the carina; the two of the lowest pair inserted very near the
mouth of the sheath, spreading (not deflexed). Male apadix very long, tlie one seen
with 3 partial inflorescences, of which the lowest, the largest, has 3 spikelets on
each side and one at the apex, which is longer than the side ones; the other inflorescence
has 6 spikelets in all, and the uppermost only two. Male flowers 4 mm. long,
cylindraceous, obtuse.
HABITAT.—Pulo Penang: collected by Mr. Cui-tia at an elevation of about 650 m.
(Moniot's Rd.) in Jan. 1886,
OBSEIIVATIONS.—The characteristic notes of this variety are: the mottled densely
spinous and apparently not striate leaf-sheaths; the narrow subclustered leaflets, of
•which the two of the basal pair are not deflexed and do not embrace the stem.
CALAHUS JAVEKSIS var. TETBASTICHUS B1, Rumphia iii, 62; Beco. in Rec.
Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 20)
a ietrattichus Bl. Rumphia iii, t. 153; Mart. Hist, Nat. Palm. Hi, 337;
Walp. Ann. iii, 488 and v, 831; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii, iJiS, and
De Palmis, 27 (with the var. horneensis Miq.); H. Wendl. in Kerch.
Las Palm., 238.
C. amplectena Becc, Malesia ii, 78 and 278, pi, Ixiv, f. 4.
C. horneensk Miq. Anal. Bot. Ind., 4 and Fl. Ind. Bat. iii, 126.
DESCBIPTION.—Sheathed stem 6-7 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths longitudinally striate,
rather densely armed with straight, flattened, subulate, horizontal or slightly deflexed
spines which, are swollen at the base and scaly-barbed at the margins when young
Ocrta 8-15 mm. long, more or less woolly-furfuraceous and with long ciHa at
the margins when young, finally brittle and falling to pieces. Leaflets few,
oblanceolate, suddenly acuminate into a long tip, distinctly 3-co3tate (the costse
and nei^es naked on both surfaces), the two of the terminal pair connate for
two-thirds of their length, the two basal usually quite deflexed, concave and
embracing the stem. Leaf-sheath flagella with the lowest spathe aculeolate on the
back or smooth. Female spadu with the primary spathes rather strongly aculeolate»
especially at the npex; partial inilorescences with 3-4 spikelets, each 4-5 cm. long.
lining pei'ianih almost entirely explanate under the fruit, its calyx subapiculate at
the base. Fruit 12-13 mm. long (including the beak) ellipsoid-ovoid with rounded
base and vertex, topped by a cylindraceous or obscurely trigonous beak, this I'o mm.,
long and bearing the persistent small reflexed stigmas. Seed 7-5-8 mm. long, with
irregular rather concave facets.
€. jauensis] BECCAEI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GESTTS CALAMUS. 183
HABITAT.—Borneo: in the southern parts of the Island on the River Batang
{Mueller in Herb. Leyd.); Bandjarmassing {Motleij in Herb. Kew); in the
N. W. part, in Sai-awak, at Kuching [Beecari).
OBSEKVATIONS.—C. tetrastichiis Bl. is certainly nothing more than the Bornean
form of C. javensisy to which must also be reduced C. amplectens Bocc. of Sarawak.
Of C. tetrasiichus I have seen in the Leyden Herbarium an authentic specimen
entirely agreeing with plate 153 of Blume's Rumphia, except in the ocrea which is
not so densely hispid as is represented in that plate. Motley's specimen ^is perfectly
like Mueller's one.
That the flowers in the female spadix are arranged in four series is not a
peculiarity of C. Javensis. In all true Calami tKe female flowers are accompanied by
a sterile or neuter one, and at a certain period of their development in many
species the disposition in four series is very evident; but as the sterile flowers are
very soon deciduous, then the fertile appear biseriate only. Miquel's C. horneensis,
vk'hich afterwards by the same author was considered to be a variety of C. ielrasttchus,
has been founded on male specimens in no way differing from 0. javensis var.
ietrastichvs.
Blumo accorded some importance to the number of primary spathes sheathing the
peduncular portion of the spadix; but the number of these, as well as that of the
inflorescences, has very little value as a specific character; the differences depend
chiefly on the conditions of more or less exuberant vegetation of the plant. From
typical C. javensis of Java, the variety tetrasiichus differs in the lowest or basal
leaflets being quite deflexed, concave, completely enclosing the stem and forming an
ant-harbouring receptacle; in the leaf-costse never being spinulous; and in the more
armed leaf-sheaths, where the spines have also a tendency to become hooked. The
fruiting perianth is wholly explanate and not subpedicelliform as in the Javan form.
In the fruit I have not found any important difference between the Javan and the
Bornean plant, although perhaps the fruit of VAR. tetrasiichus is slightly smaller but
-with an equally long beak. The seed also is the same.
From the Malayan forms of C, javensis, VAR, tetrasiichus differs in the fruit
having a shorter beak and in the seed having more concave facets.
PLATE 38.—-Calamus javensis var. tetrastichus Becc. Portion of the leafy stem
with a fiagellum (the lower figure) from a Sarawak specimen, P. B. No. 1694 in
Herb. Beccari.
CALAMUS JAVFNSIS var. xENUiesiMUS Beco. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. v
and in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 201.
DESCRIPTION.—Stem excessively slender, 3'25-4 mm. in diam. with the
44a,
on; naked canes 2 mm. only. Leaf-sheaths armed with small scattered
•slightly recurved prickles. Ocrea 10-12 mm. long. Leaves about 40 cm.
in length ; petiole 5-8 cm. long, roundish, sparsely aculeolate underneath, narrowly
channelled above; leaflets very few, only 3 on each side, almost opposite (the
couples rather inequidistantly remote ), narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, about 2
cm. broad, the two terminal the longest (as much as 20 cm. long), connate to
above the middle, the two lowest smaller than the others, spreading, not deflexed