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2 48 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC G-AHDEK, . CALCUTTA. [C. HelferianHSDESCRIPTION.—
Scandent and slender. Stem. Lea/sheaths . . .
Leaves not cirriferoaa, r a t h e r large (not seen entire); petiole ; t a c h is
f u g a c i o u s l y r u s t y - f u r f u r a c e o u a , acute and bifaced above in its upper p o r t i o n , roundish,
poHsbed and unarmed below, or sometimes showing here and there vestigea of small
claws; leaflet!» r a t h e r numerous, in the basal portion of the rachis distinctly grouped
i n fascicles of 2 - 5 on one side, equidistant and in eaoli fascicle disposed in one plane
a n d not p o i n t i n g d i f f e r e a t w a y s ; the fascicles with vacant spaces 8 - 1 0 cm. long amongst
them, often opposite and towards the summit of the leaf more d i s t a n t and with fewer
leaflets than lower down; f u r t h e r m o r e the leaflets arc very narrowly lanceolate or
linear-lanceolate, or n a r r o w l y enaiform, sometimes v e i y elongate, a t t e n u a t e at the base
a u d g r a d u a l l y acuminate into a v e r y acute and subulate a p e x ; this more obtuse and
somewhat b r i s t l y - p e u i c i l l a t e in the upper ones, subshiniug, green even when dry, sub-
5 - c o s t u l a t e ; the 3 central costae, of which that of the middle slightly stronger t h an
t h e side ones, sparingly spinulous, the other two more slender, naked or here and
t h e r e spiuulous; lower surface sKghtly paler than the upper one with all nerves faint
a n d n a k e d ; margins with very small appressed spinules visible only under the leas;
t r a n s v e r s e veinlets sinuous, much i n t e r r u p t e d and not very crowded ; t h e l a r g e s t leaflets
i n one specimen 30-33 cm. long and 15 mm. broad, in another 20 cm. long, 1&-15
mm, b r o a d ; the two of the terminal pair a third shorter t h a n the others, but of the
same b r e a d t h or slightly narrower, free at the base, opposite or s l i g h t l y decurrent one
on the other and of unequal size. MaU spadix (judging f r om the portions seen by
me) flagelliform, lax, slender, very elongate, ultradecompound, glabrous in every part;
lowest primary spathe flattened, elongate, acutely two-edged, unarmed, produced at
t h e summit into a lanceolate point; upper primary spathes tubular, very elongate,
oylindraceous or slightly compressed, very s t r i c t l y sheathing, long and g r a d u a l l y narrowe
d to the base, where flat on the inner side, s p a r i n g l y armed on the back along
t h e middle with rather long and slender aculei, aud prolonged at the summit into
a short, lanceolate, acute, herbaceous limb keeled on the b a c k ; partial inflorescences
slender and long, the lower ones the largest, in one specimen up to 50 cm. long, with
1 0 - 2 0 remote branches, of which 2 - 3 near the base are 1 0 - 1 2 cm. long, branched again
a n d with spikelets r i g h t and l e f t ; the upper ones undivided and with simple spikelets;
secondary spathes l o n g i t u d i n a l l y finely s t r i a t e l y veined, green, tubular, elongate, slightly
e n l a r g e d above, t r u n c a t e and glabrous at the mouth, i n d i s t i n c t l y apiculate on one side;
spikelets of the secondary branches 3 - 4 cm. long, the others 4 - 6 cm. long, attached
above the mouth of their own spathe with a distinct a x i l l a r y callus, slender, straight
or flexuose, spreading Or deflexed, bearing distichously on each side 5 - 1 0 exactly
horizontal rather remote (1-5-2 mm. apart) flowers; spathels cylindraceous at the base
w i t h a verv shortly infundibuHform t r u n c a t e limb, apiculate at one s i d e ; involucre
l a t e r a l l y adnate outside its own spathe to the base of the one above and almost
hollowed into this, sballowly cupular with very short circular entire limb. Mah flowers
ovate-oblong, obtusely apiculate, 4 ram. long; calyx coriaceous, short, campanulate, not
v e i n e d outside, its t e e t h very broad, t r i a n g u l a r , superficial, r a t h e r acute; corolla almost
t w i c e as long as t h e calyx, divided down almost to the base into three oblong, acute
sec'ments, siS)shining outside; filaments of the stamens shortly united at the base,
BuWlate with inflected apices i n t h e b u d ; anthers versatile, elongate; r u d i m e n t a r y ovary
v e r y short, formed b y thi'ee very small, acute, counivent bodies. Female spadix (not
C. nicobarious.'] BECCAM. MONOGRAPH OP THE GENDS CALAMUS. 249'
seen entire) simply decompound; partial inflorescences 15-30 cm. long, with very few
r e m o t e spikelets on each side; secondary spathes as in the male spadix but l a r g e r;
spikelets spreading or recurved, inserted above the mouth of their own spathe and
callous at their upper axilla, 8-12 cm. long; their axis cylindraceous and slightly
sinuous, with 14-15 horizontally inserted distichous and very remote ( 5 - 7 mm. a p a r t)
flowers on caoh side; spathels as in the male spikelets; involucrophorum k t e r a l ly
a d n a t e outside its own spathel at the base of the one above and nearly hollowed into
t h i s , shallowly cupular with a very short sub-entire limb; involucre moulded on the
i n v o l u c r o p h o r um and not exceeding this, with entire or f a i n t l y undulate lobulato m a r g i n •
a r e o l a of the neuter flower depressed-lunate, very distinctly tumescent and callous!
iemah flowers about 4 mm. long, conical, acute, very broad at the base- calyx verv
thick, callous at the base, shortly 3-toothed; stamens f o r m i n g by the connate bases of
t h e filaments an urceolum which is crowned by 6 very broad aud short t e e t h - sterile
a n t h e r s very broadly sagittate. Fndt unknown, '
HABITAT.—Tenasserim (or Andaman Islands?) where collected by Heifer fmale
specimens, No. 6389; fem. sp. No. 6393 in Herb. Kew). In the Calcutta Herbarium
a male specimen, also of Heifer, bears the l a b e l : Tenasserim No. 6589.
OBSEUYATIOKS.—Apparently very closely r e l a t e d to C. deliaaMus of Ceylon; but in
t h i s t h e leaflets are not fascicled, the spikelets are more slender and the flowers'smaller..
T h e petition of this species however remains uncertain, the fruit not bpin«- known"
T h e characteristics of C. nelferianus are: the leaflets very d i s t i n c t l y grouped, e^juidistant
a n d disposed on one plane in each group, linear-lanceolate, sub-o-costulate, the 3 costulae
of tho centi'e spinulous above and smooth b e n e a t h ; the c? and ? s.mdices very long
a n d very slender; the spathes very n a r r ow and long and very closely s h c a t h i n ^ - the
? and flowers horizontally inserted, the rf 1-5-2 mm. apart, the ? more remote
or 5 - 7 mm. apart.
A specimen of a leaf from H e i f e r ' s No. 6389 in Herb. Pctrop. is more robust
t h a n the others, the groups are formed by 8 leaflets on each side and some of them
a r e 40 cm. long and 2-5 cm. broad.
PLATE 83.—Calamus Helferianus Kurz. Male partial inflorescences with top of a
l e a f , f r om Heifer's No. 6589 in the Calcutta I l c r b . ; the portion of the leaf with two
f a s c i c l e s of leaflets and a female p a r t i a l inflorescence (on the r i g h t - h a n d side) from
H e i f e r ' s No. 6393 in Herb. Kew.
68. CALAMUS NICOBAKICUS Becc. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 446 and in
R e c . B o t . SUIT. I n d . ii, 2 0 6.
DESCEIPTION.—Very slender. Sheathed stem 7 - 1 4 mm. in diam,; naked canes 5 - 10
mm. in diam. with a polished vernicose yellowish surface, the iuternodes 10-25
cm. long. Leaf-sheaths very light-coloured (when dry), slightly gibbous above, obliquely
t r u n c a t e at the mouth, f u r f u r a c e o u s when young, then glabrous, densely armed with
numerous, unequal, scattered, elastic, flat, thin, relatively large, deflexed spines, which
sometimes are 2*5 cm. long and 2 - 3 mm. broad at their base; these intermingled
•with others much smaller or even tuberculiform, all entirely light-coloured. Leaf-sheath
ANN. E o y . BOT. GARD, CALCUTTA YOL. X I .