2 2 8 ANNALS OF THE EOTAL BOTANIC GABDEN, CALCUTTA. [(?, NEMATOSPADIX
OBSERVATIONS.—The description of this species is based upon some specimens of
-the Calcutta Herbarium labelled: "I. Borneo, Lobb," and consisting of the upper
portion of a leaf and portions of a female spadix witli immature fruit; tho specimen
of the leaf is glued on a separate sheet from that of the spadix, but I have no
spccial reason to doubt of their belonging, leaf and spadix, to the same species;
nevertheless I think it advisable to state that I consider the species founded only oa
the specimens of the female spadis. Besides the quoted specimens of the Calcutta
Herbarium, I have seen some others, apparently of the same gathering, preserved at
Kew and one in the HerlDarium at Berlin, which hear the label "Madras Herb.
Ind Or —Hook. f. & Th." Another speeunen of the female spadis not difiering from
the 'aboVe is labelled in the Kew Herbarium: " Oonrtallum, Wight. Fehr. 1835
(No 1142)-" this specimen is accompanied on the same sheet (No. 183) with a portion
o! L leaf «Berent from that united to the frait-spadix in the Calcutta Herbarium.
c BooUrimus is distinguished from C. fxmdo-temis by the fruiting perianth
b e i n - ' more distinctly callous at the hase and by the very long partial inflorescence
with" long secondary spathes and with numerous and remote spikelets which are
pushed downwards by a very couspicuous axillary callus.
C bormemis Miq. has been reduced by me to 0. jmetav, var. tetrmticha, but
owing'to the uncertainty as to the native country of C. Sooterkms I have thought
well "not to keep the name Imemm for it.
PLATE 70.—Calamus Hookerianus Beac. Apes of a leaf (under surface); portions
of a spadix with immature fruit, from the specimens in the Calcutta Herbarium
mentioned above.
55. CALAMUS NEMATOSPADIS Becc. in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 204.
DESCRIPTION.—Scandent, rather slender. SheatJcEd stem 12-15 mm. in diam.
Leaf-sheath Hagelliferous, obliquely truncate at the mouth, finely striate longitudinally,
rather densely armed with short (57 mm. long), flat, relatively broad, elongatetrian^
lur, slightly deilesed, scattered or subseriate spines, which are fringed at the
margins 4ith scurfy scales. Leaf-sheath JlageUa very slender. Oerea glabrous, very
shortly W i f o t m and narrowly bordering the mouth of the sheaths. Leaves not
cirriferous," 80-90 cm. long; petiole rather long, somewhat flattened, broadly and
very superficially channelled above where entii-ely smooth, armed at the margins with
remote short claws, of which some appear also on its convex back; rachis more or
less fugaciously furfuraceous, hifaced and smooth ahove, convex beneath, where not
very regularly armed along the middle with small, usually solitary claws ; leafiets very
variable°in number, from 15 to 30 on each side, equidistant, linear-ensiform, 20-30 cm.
Ion«- 1-2 cm broad, papyraceous, dull and concolorous on both surfaces, narrowed to
the°baae gradually acuminata into a very acute tip, which is cihate at the sides and
raolonged into a sometime, very slender long filament, subtrioostulate, or with the
L d . c o L acute and smooth (or nearly so) ahove and a weaker spmulou. costula on each
side of It- beneath the mid-costa alone spinnlou. and the side nerves naked; transverse
veinlets very minute, very approximate and much anastamosing; margins smooth m
the lower portion and inconspicuously but very finely spmulous towards the apex,
C. .ematospadk-] BECOABI. MOXOEEAPH O. TH. GENUS CAIAMOS. 329
the upner leaflets shorter and not so acuminate as the others and bristlynenicilla'te;
the two of the terminal pair free at the base. Spadxen excessively
"slender and long, terminating in a very slender filiform flagellum, armed with
very small weak solitary or ternato claws; primary spathes very long,
very narrow and very strictly sheathing, striate longitudinally; the lowest
30-35 cm. long, much flattened, 5-6 mm. broad, with two very acute almost winged
smooth edges, aculeolate along the middle of the dorsal side, obliquely trunoatc and
naked at the mouth; upper primary spathes excessively narrow and long, finely aculeolate;
axial portions between two partial iniorescences very long, filiform, powerfully
armed with half-whorled or also single claws. MaU spadh ultra-decompound, in one
specimen 3 metres in length with very few (3-4) very remote, very long—even 90 cm.
in length—partial inflorescences, which bear many remote (4-Tcm. apart), compound
spikes on each side, and end in a rather long filiform unanned tail-like appendix ; the
expound spikes very slender and strict, horizontally attached above the mouth of them
own snathe with a very distinct axfflary callus at their axilla; the lowest, the largest,
10 cm^ long, with 8-10 horizontal very short spikelets on each side; secondary spathes
elongate, unarmed, very narrow, cylindraeeous in their upper part, flattened and
attenuated lower down, naked and acute at one side at the mouth ; spikelets decreasing
in size from the base of the compound spikes upwards, the lower ones the largest, 10-12
mm. long with 5-6 distichous flowers on each side, those of the apex reduced to having
very few flowers or even only one; spathels bracteiform, broad, concave, very acute,
strongly veined; involucre concave, acute at both sides. MaU Uewers very small, 2
mm. long, ovate, acute; the calyx strongly veined, with 3 broad acute lobes; the corolla
twice as long as the calyx. Feimle s-^adix very much the same as the male, but simply
decompound and with shorter partial inflorescences (of these the one seen by me 30
cm. long with 7 spikelets on each side); secondary spathes elongate, narrowly tubular,
very slightly enlarged above, smooth or slightly spinulous, finely longitudinally striate,
entire, truncate at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a triangular acute, naked
tip, which is doflexed under the insertion of the spikelet; spikelets filiform, straight
horizontal or slightly defiexed, attached just at the mouth of their own apathe with
a distinct axillary callus, 4-5 cm. long with 8-12 flowers on each side; spathels
cylindraeeous at the base, suddenly enlarged into an iiifundibuliform strongly veined
limb, truncate and entire at the mouth; involucrophorum and involucre small, laterally
attached at the base of the spathel above sheir own, both almost explanate, the
involucre with 2-3 acute lobes ; areola of the neuter flower depressedly lunate. Femah
pwers very small, 1'5—2 mm. long. Fruiting perianth explanate; the calyx divided
into 3 rather thick ovate acute parts; the segments of the corolla as long as the
lobes ot the calyx but narrower, acute, carinate along the middle. Fruit very small,
pisiform, sphieric, very minutely mucronate, 6-7 mm. in diam.; scales in 12 series,
relatively large, broader than long, very superficially channelled along the middle,
light-yellowish at the base, bordered with reddish-brown, the tip acute, not prolonged^
the margins almost entire. Seed very small, 4-5 mm. in diam., irregularly globular,
rounded and coarsely alveolate on the hack, flattish with very superficial chalazal
fovea on the raphal side; albumen equable; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—Borneo; at Sarawak, near Kuching, Beecari P. B. Nos. 1000, 2760,