3 1 6 AKNALS OP THE EOR.U. B0TA2ÎIC AAIDEN, OALCUTTA, [Q. BLANOOT
narrowly tubular, slightly enlarged above, naked, finely longitudinally striate, obliquely
truncate at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a triangular acute point, -which
is patent or deflexed ; apikelets subscorpioid, horizontal or deflexed, inserted just at
or a little above the mouth of their own spathe, not or indistinctly callous at their
axilla ; the lowest spikelets 3-4 cm. long, with 10-15 flowers on each side, theuppermost
one-half shorter; spathels very crowded, bracteiform, concave, broadly
ovate, finely striately veined, acute ; iurolacrophorum very short, asymmetrically
cnpular, obscurely 2-toothed on the side next to tho axis; involucre cupular, slightly
unilatei-ally evolute; areola of the sterile flower very conspicuous, almost cupular,
broadly ovato or subcircular, only one-half smaller than the involucre. Fsmaleflowers
very small, 2 mm. long. Fruiting perianth explanate, its calyx entirely
split into 3 broad, ovate, subapiculate and obscurely striately veined lobes ; itscorolla
slightly longer than the calyx with ovate-lanceolate acute segments.
Fruit very small, when very nearly ripe 8 mm. long, and 5 ram. in diam., ovateor
obovate, rounded at both ends, distinctly mucronate at tbe apex; scales lightgreenish,
obtuse, in 18 longitudinal series, polished, rather deeply channelled along
the middle, with narrow paler scarious finely erosely toothed margin. Seed very
small, about 5 mm. long, very irregularly angular, with an indistinct chakzal
fovea; albumen equable; embryo basal.—All parts of the plant take in drying
a light green colour.
HABITAT.—The Philippine Islands. It was discovered by Meyen near the village
of San Matheo on Mount Masiquie in Luzon at about 200 m. elevation; see
Meyon, Reise ii, pp. 233 and 269. One specimen of this species is preserved in
the Paris Herbarium and was collected by M. Calléry at Panganisan in 1840.—
Tagala name " Bamban " (Meyen).
OBSERVATIONS.—I have seen of this the authentic specimens in the Berlin
Herbarium; those exactly agree with that of Calléry in the Paris Herbarium. It
difiers from C. mollis in the entirely unarmed leaf-sheaths and in the smooth
primary spathes; in the reproductive organs I have been unable to find any
appreciable difference from C. mollis, o! which it seems nothing more than a
variety.
PLATE 63.—Calamus Meyenianus Scliauer. CaUéry's entire specimen in the
Herbarium at Paris.
49. CALAMUS BLAKCOI Kunth, Enum. Plant, iii (1841 ), 595; Mart. Hist.
Nat. Palm, iii, 343; Walp. Ann. iii, 493 and v," 832; Miq. Fl. Ind,
Bat. iii. 139; Becc. in Eec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 204.
C. gracilis (not of Roxb.) Blanco, Fl. de Filip. Ist edit. ( 1837 ), 267
and gran edic. i, 332.
C. brevifrons Mart. 1. c. iii, 338 ; Miq. 1. c. iii, 12T.
C. parvifolius Vidal, Phan. Cuming. No. 1229.
DE9CKIPTI0N-Scandent, very slender. Sheathed stem 5-7 mm. in diam. Leafsheaiks
flageUiferoua, gibbous above, more or less grey-furfuraceous, smooth or
more or less armed with straight, very slender, needle-like or almost bristly brown
C. Bhncoi'] BECCABI . MONOG-EAPH OF T H E GENUS CALAMUS. 217
spines, which are erect or patent, pointing different ways and arising, from a tubercle d
base; the spines are longer and more numerous at tho mouth than elsewhere. Oerea
very short, very densely hairy-bristly. Leaves not cirriferous, 35-40 cm. long,
petiole very short (15-25 mm. long), flat above, more or leas armed, mainly at
tbe sides and beneath, with some straight long and slender or short spines ;
rachis fugaciously furfuraceous, irregularly trigonous, slender, armed beneath along
the middle with slender claws and sometimes, especially at the sides of its basal
portion, with distant straight spines; leaflets few (14-17 in all), very conspicuously
inequidistant, solitary or sub-geminate on each side, alternate or almost opposite, with
long and irregular vacant spaccs amongst them, linear or very narrowly linear-lanceolate,
subulately acuminate to a hairy-bristly point; the two of the terminal
pair shorter than the others, free or very slightly connate at the base;
the largest, those a little above the base, 25-30 cm. long, 7-12 mm. broad ^
the basal paii- scarcely shorter than the mesial ones and occasionally very
narrow; all glabrous, green even when dry, not shining, of tho same colour on both
surfaces, thinly papyraceous, with the mid-costa very acute above, not prominent
beneath,' more or less remotely spinulous or even smooth on both surfaces ;
secondary nervesl ( 2-3 on each side of the mid-costa ), very weak and naked
on both surfaces ; margins minutely and remotely spinulous, slightly thickened
by a weak secondary nerve; transverse veinlets rather distant and much interrupted.
Male spadix slender, flagelliform, 50-60 cm. long, partially ultradecompound
or simply decompound, inserted near the mouth of tho leaf-sheaths
and with 2-3 partial inflorescences only ; lowest primary spathe flattened ;
upper primary | spathes tubular-cylindraceous, closely sheathing, very elongate,
truncate and more or less densely hairy-bristly at the mouth, sprinkled on the
upper part with very small slender aculei and armed on the back of the
attenuated basal part between two partial inflorescences with relatively strong
claws ; partial inflorescences inserted not very far inside tbe mouth of their respective
spathes, from which they issue erect with a short peduncular part; the
laro-est,' the lowest, 6-10 cm. long, branched near the base and with 3-5
distichous spikelets on each side upwards; secondary spathes very naiTowly
tubular-infundibuliform, their mouth ciliolate and prolonged at one side into
an acute triangular point; spikelets'inserted just at the mouth of their respective
spathes callous at their upper axilla, horizontal and ultimately arched and recurved';
the lowest, the largest, 10-15 mm. long, with 6-10 distichous flowers,
on each side; the others gradually shorter, more approximate and with fewer
flowers- spathels broad, concave, spoon-shaped, embracing the flowers, horizontal or
Bli^htly' deflexed, striately veined outside, often ciliolate, acute or apiculate at
one side- involucre cupular, two-keeled, deeply emarginate and bidentate or even
bilobate on the side next the axis. Male flowers small, 3 mm. long, gradually
ettenuate to the apex ; calyx striately veined externally, divided down ahnost to
the middle into three broad acute lobes; corolla about twice as long as the calyx,
divided down a little past the middle into three lanceolate acuminate segments,
polished externally; filaments of the stamens rather stout and rigid, subulate,
M e c t e d at tbe apex when in the bud, united by their bases and forming a
fleshy body as long as the undivided portion of the corolla; anthers versatile,
ANN. EOT. BOT. GARD. CALCUTTA YOL. X L