2 3 3 ANNALS OF THE EOTAt, BOTANIC GASDEN, CALCTTTTA- [C. Moti.
saymmetrically eTolute, bideatate and also lunately emarginate on the side next to
the axis; areola oi the neuter flower broadly lunate, very acute at both
sides and sharply bordered. Female Uowors small, 3-5 mm. long, ovate, acute, somewhat
ventricose when in bud; the calyx deeply divided into 3 ovate, concave, acute,
strongly striately veined lobes; the corolla with segments smooth outside, slightly
longer than the calyx. Fruiimj perianth oxplanate. Fruii subsphieric, about U
rum. in diam., minutely apiculate; scales light-yellowish, subshining, slightly
channelled aloug the middle, with a very narrow rusty iiitramarginal lice, and a
scarious erosely toothed mai-gin. Seed subglobose-ovoid, about 9 mm. long and 7-5
mm. in diameter, with an even, not pitted surface and a rather deep chalazal
fovea placcd above the centre on the raphal side ; albumen equable; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—Australia: N. E. Queensland, where it seems common, Cape Grafton,
Mariius] Fitzroy Island, MacGillivrat/Voyage of the Raitleamke, June 1848 in
Herb. Kew; Rockingham Bay, Ddlachy in Herb. Becc. from F. v. Mueller; Upper
Barron River, Diels No. 8364 in Herb. Berol.; Russell River, Harvey Creek, Diets
No. 8554 in Herb. Berol.
OBSERVATIONS.—In some of the more apparent characters this approaches C.
ynudo-temis of Ceylon and LoAVcr India. It is distinguished amongst the species of
the group by its densely criniferous leaf-sheaths, shoi-t leaves with subequidistant
lanceolate leaflets, whicli are narrowed and suddenly plicate at the base, unicostaie
or plicate aubtvicostulate with the nerves smooth on both surfaces. I have
referred to 0. amtralis, the G. Jahoolum of Bailey after inspection of the specimens
collected by Diels and so named in the Herbarium at Berlin. Bailey's C. Moii
is an allied, but distinct species.
PLATE 72.—Calamus australis Mart. Apex of a leaf (under surface); a partial
male inflorescence and a female spikelet, frooi Macgillivray's specimens in Herb.
Kew. • an intermediate poi-tion of a leaf seen from the upper surface and a fruit,
from Dallachy's specimen in Herb. Beccari.
57. CALAMUS MOTI Bailey, Bot. Bull, xiii, (non vidi) and Queens. FL. 1685.
DESCEIPTION,—^AEAIIED stem about 2-5 em. in diam. Leaf-sheaths cylindraceous,
very obliquely truncate at the mouth, very densely armed with not very large
(10-15 mm. long) spreading fulvous acicular spines, which are coufluent by their
irregularly and very closely sexiate rather swollen bases. Ocrea very short, at
first truncate, later forming a narrow border to the mouth of the sheath where it is
armed with crowded slender fulvescent spicula?. Leaf-sheath flagella
Leaves large, not cirriferous (one entire 1-8 m. in length); petiole covered (like the
rachis) with dark furfuraceous scales, stout, about 20 cm. long, almost perfectly
cylindrical in its lower portion, narrowly and deeply channelled upwards above,
furnished at the sides with small prickles (some of these appearing also at the sides
of the rachis) and armed beneath along the middle with rather strong, straight,
about 1 cm. long, slightly defleied aculei which extend lower down along the back
of the sheath and higher up pass into the rachis where they are transformed into
smalU claws; the claws disappear in the intermediate portion of the leaf and
c. Moti'] BECCARI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS.
reappear, but much smaller, in its upper part; above (the ranhis) is acutely bifeced
•with the angle smooth and the faces rather concave, and is furnished at the sides
with some very small actilei; leaflets very numerous, very regularly equidistant
from the base to the top; in the intermediate portion about 3 cm. apart on
each side, closer towards the apex, alternate or subopposite, papyraceous, rigidulous,
subeoncolorous on both surfaces, sUghtly paler underneath, subshining above,
elongate-lanceolate or ensiform, slightly attenuate at the base, where suddenly
plicate, and not callous at their insertion, very gradually long-acumioate into a
subulate very slender tip, which is sparingly bristly spinulous at the sides, with
3 slender costaj, which arc all furnished above with brown bristles (these
scarcer ou the mid-costa) and naked beneath; transverse veiulets sharp, rather remote
and inten-upted; margins finely and very appressedly spinulous, slightly thickened
by a marginal nerve ; all leaflets almost of the same size, those a little above the
base, the largest, 40-45 cm. long, 20-25 mm. broad, only those near tho summit
narrower and shorter; the two of the terminal pair very narrow and free at
the base. Male spadix Female spadix simply decompound, elongate,
terminating in a very long and robust flagellum (2*8 m. long in one specimen)
which is strongly armed vrith robust, very broad-based black-tipped claws; primary
spathes ; partial inflorescences elongate-paniculate, the one seen by me
38 cm. long with 8 spikelets on each side ; secondary spathes tubular-infundibuliform,
closely sheathing, somewhat narrowed at the base, unarmed, indistinctly striately
veined, truncate at the mouth, prolonged at one side into a short erect point ;
spikelels cylindraceous, rather thick, inserted just outside the mouth of their own
spathe and arising erect from this and then arched downwards, not distinctly callous
at their upper axilla ; the largest, the lower ones, 5-6 cm. long, with 5-6 flowers
on each side, the upper ones shorter ; spathels tubular-infundibuliform, slightly narrowed
to the base, horizontally truncate and entire at the mouth, prolonged at one side
into a short triangular point, involucrophorum exsert from its ow3i spathel and
laterally attached at the base of the one above, almost regularly cupular not callous
at its axilla, slightly bidentate on the side next to the axis ; involucre cupular,
truncate, slightly lunately emarginate and bidentate on the side of the neuter
flower ; areola of the neuter flower distinctly lunate, rather concave, with sharp
borders. Fruiting perianth not pedicelliform. Fruit subsphasric, about 12 mm,
in diam., suddenly topped by a rather large mucro ; scales in 17-18 series, yellowishbrown,
rather shining, slightly channelled along the middle with & very dark
intramarginal Hue, tho short tip and margin erosely toothed. Seed subdimidiately
globular, 8 mm. long, with uneven but not pitted surface, very convex on the
back and with a very deep circular chalazal fovea on the raphal side; albumen
equable; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—Australia: N. E. Queensland, on argillaceous ground in damp places
of the primeval forests on the middle and upper Barron River, at about 500
metres above the level of tlie sea, Diels No. 8388 in Herb. Berol.
OBSEUVATIONS.—I have seen of this the terminal portion of a fruit spadix with
a single partial inflorescence and the upper part of a plant with two leaves and their
hese are not gibbous above and are without any trace of a flagellum, but
AKH. ROY. Bor. QARD. CALCUTTA VOL. X I.