246 ANNALS OF THE R07AL BOTANIC GAUDEN, CALCUTTA. [(7, (/eficatu/uS.
I t approaches also C. luridvs, but the form of the partial infloreacencea is. quite
different.
PLATE 81.—Calamus sabensis Becc. The entire type specimen consisting of the
basal portion of a leaf and of a portion of spadix with an entire partial infloreseonc»
bearing almost mature fruit.
66. CALAMUS DEUCATULUS Th-w. Enum. PI. Zeyl. 330 and Addenda 431; Hook. f.
Fl. Biit. Ind. vi, 446 ; Becc. in Eec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 206.
DEBCEIPTION.—High scandent, slender or of niodorate size. Sheathed stem 18-20
mm. in diam. Leaf.sheaths flagelliferous, not or sli-htly gibbous above, armed with
very many and very crowded straight, flat, subulate, horizontal or slightly deflexed,
unequal, solitary or somewhat confluent, but not seriate spines, which often are
covered with dark floccose scurf; near the mouth of the sheath the spines are more
numerous and longer than elsewhere, some of them attaining the length of 6-T
cm., and are straight, slender, whitish and brittle, whereas others are fiat and subulate
and even bristle-like. Leaf-sheath flagella filiform, very slender. Ocrea rather elongate,
papyraceous, exsuccous and entirely covercd with spines as on the sheaths. Leaves
•7-1 m, in length ; petiole very short (3-5 cm. long) and like a large portion of the
basal part of the rachis, flat above and convex beneath, where the rachis is armed
throughout with short, conical, straight or slightly recurved spines; these stronger
and longer along the middle and changed in the upper part of the leaf into solitary
and rather approximate claws; leaflets numerous, equidistant, alternate or subopposite,
narrowly ensiform or linear-ensiform, alternate at the base, acuminate to a very acute
and bristly subulate apes, subshining and almost concolorous on both surfaces; the
mid-costa acute and, like one slender nerve on each side o£ it, bristly-spinulous
above; beneath all nerves indistintt and only the mid-costa furnished with a few
long bristles; margins very minutely and appressedly bristly; the largest leaflets,
those a little above the base, 25-28 cm. in length, and 12-15 mm. broad; the
upper ones gradually shorter but not narrower; the two of the terminal pair onehalf
or two-thirds smaller than the others and very slightly confluent by their bases or
almost free. Male spadix very slender, partially eupradecompound, very elongate,
flagelliform; primary spathes very long and narrow, the lowest compressed and
covered with spines similar to those of the sheaths; the others cylindraceous, excessively
narrow and long, very closely sheathing, entire and obliquely truncate at the mouth,
more or less densely armed, especially on the outer side, with slender claws; partial
inflorescences filiform, very long and delicate, «0-70 cm. long, inserted above the
mouth of their own spathe and very distinctly callous at theii- upper axilla, partially
decompound, viz., bearing at the base some secondary branches (these 10-15 cm.
long) and upwards some very remote and very slender spikelets; secondary spathes
elongate; the lower ones 5-6 cm. long, the others shortor, very narrow and very
closely sheathing;, tubular-cylindraceous in their upper part, very attenuate at the base,
unarmed or sparingly spinulous, truncate at the mouth, where ciliate-filamentose at first,
then naked, acute at one side; spikelets very delicate, filifwrn, horizontally inserted with
a distinct axillary callus a few millimetres above the mouth of their respective
spatho; the larger ones 5-6 cm. long (rarely more) and bearing 12-14 exactly
C. Helferianus.'] BECOABI. MONOGEAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 247
horizontal, distichous, remote (3-4 mm. apart) flowers on each side; spathels subcylindraceous
infundibuliform, slightly enlarged above, distinctly apiculate on one side,
strongly striately veined in their upper part, smooth at the base; involucrc laterally
adnatc to the base (in the smooth portion) of the spathel above its own, shallowly
cupular, strongly veined at the sides, posticously bidentate and callous at the axilla
next to the axis. Male flowers glabrous, subcylindraceous, rounded but apiculate at the
top, 3 mm. long, 1 mm. thick; the calyx strongly striately veined, subventricose or
urceolate, callous at the base, its teeth very short, broad, acute, 3-5-veined; the
corolla two and a half times as long as the calyx, narrower than this, oblong-clavatc,
polished outside, divided down almost to the base into 3 narrow, acute segments;
filaments of the stamens united by their bases, subulate, with inflected apices when in
the bud ; anthers sagittate, acute; rudimentaiy ovary distinctly evolute, conical, striate,
channelled by the pressure of the stamens and crowned by three subulate stigmHSFemale
spadix similar to the male but simply decompound; spikelets bearing on each
side 10-12 horizontal flowers, these 3-4 mm. apart; spathels as in the male spikeletsinvolucrophorum
laterally adnate and almost hollowed into the base of the spathel above
its own, with a very short limb and a vestige of a transverse rima in the axilla
next to the axis ; involucre rather shallow, moulded on the involucrophorum and hardly
distinguishable from this, w t h entire or faintly lobulate undulate margin; areola of the
neuter flower flattish, callous, transversely ellipsoid or nearly round with sharply defined
borders. Fndi globose, somewhat longer than broad, 8-10 mm, in diam.; scales in
15 series, of a pale-straw colour, shining, with an elegant and narrow chestnut,
brown intramarginal line, their apex somewhat prolonged, obtuse, and ratlier coarsely
erosely toothed. Seed, when perfectly ripe and divested o£ its thin integument, stony,
shining and brown-ochraceous, 8 mm. long, 6 mm. thick, rounded at the summit,
flattish at the base, convex and irregularly facetted on the back (the facets slightly
concave), flattish on the raphal side with a small circular and deep chalazal fovea
from whence irradiate a few short irregular furrows ; albumen equable ; embryo
basal.—The young parts and chiefly the leaf-sheaths and the leaf-rachis are more or
less tawny-fm-furaceous.
HABITAT. —Ceylon : Binidoon Pattoo, in the district of Galle, Thtoaites C P.
No. 3159.
OBSEKVATIONS.—A very slender and delicate species, distinct in the group by
the following character.^ : leaflets numerous, lioear-ensifonn, equidistant, unicostate
the costa and one slender nerve on each side of it bristly-spinulous above, beneath
only the costa furnished with a few long bristles ; spadicee and spathes excessively
slender; male and female flowers horizontal, 3-4 mm. apart; fruit small, globose*
seed facetted.
PLATE 82.—Calamus delicatulus Thtn. Leaf-sheath bearing a male spadix and the
base of a leaf; summit of a leaf (undersurface) ; and from Thwaites C. P. No. 3159
in St. Petersb. Herb.
67. CALAMUS HELFERUSUS Kurz in Journ, As. Soc. Beng. sliii, 2 (1874)
213, and For. Fl. Brit. Burma ii, 321 ; Hook. f. Fl. Brit!
Ind. vi, 446; Becc. in liec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 206.