256 AÍÍNALS OF THE KOTAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [C. uestitus.
cylindi-accous, densely clawcd on the back, narrowed at the base, where in the
attenuated axial portion fiat or almost cbaouelled ou the ian(!r side, convex and
clawed on the back; secondary spathcs 3-4 cm. long, very narrowly tubular, slightly
enlarged and somewhat loosely skeatliing above, where very minutely and sparsely
aculeolate, suddenly narrowed and flattened towards the base, obliquely truncate
and when youug furfuraceous-ciHolate at the mouth and prolonged at one side
into a short triangular acute point. Male apadix ultra-decompound with not many,
lax, rather remote partial inflorescences, these inserted inside the mouth of their own
spathe, 5 in one incomplete specimen, 15-25 cm. apart and terminating in an
inconspicuous filiform tail-like appendix; the largest inflorescences, the lowest, in the
specimen mentioned above 50 cm. in length and with 14 secondary spathes, of which
the lower ones bear branched or compound spikes and the others simple spikelets ;
spikelets inserted just above the mouth of theii' own spathe with an indistinct
axillary callus; 5-6 cm. long with 14-16 flowers on each pide; spathels broadly
infundibuliform, horizontally truncate at the mouth, strongly and sharply striately
veined, prolonged at one side into a very short tip ; involucre subdimidiately
cupular, laterally attached to the base of the spathel abovo its own, truncate and
slightly bidentate on the side next to the axis. Male Jlowers small, about 3 mm
long, lufarious, slightly outwardly curved, the calyx strongly striately veined, acutely
3.toothed; the corolla one-third longer than the calyx with narrow acute and externally
polished segments. Female spadiz simply decompound; partial inflorescences elongate
with 6-7 (and sometimes perhaps more) vermicular spikelets on each side, and
terminated by a short (4 cm. long), filifoim, aculeolate, tail-like appendix ;
spikelets inserted just above the mouth of their own spathe, not callous at the
axilla, flexuose or shghtly arched, horizontal or defiexed, 6-9 cm. long, with 5-10
rather remote flowers on each side ; spathels as in the male spikelets but a little
larger and longer ; involucrophorum dimidiately cupular, laterally attached to the base
of the spathel above its own ; involucre cupular. flat, two-keeled and bidentate on
the side next to the axis ; areola of the neuter flower depressedly lunate. Female
flowers about 4 mm. long, often slightly outwardly curved, subcylindraceous with a
conical summit ; the calyx strongly striately veined, shortly 3-toothed; the corolla
as long as the calyx. Fruit unknown.
HABITAT.—Northern New-Guinea at Andai, Bcccari P . P . No. 771.
C)BSERVATIONS.~A very weU-marked species distinguished by its very large thin
exsuccous and ultimately lacerated and fibrous ocreas (which entirely cover the
younger part of the stem); by the almost epetiolate leaves with numerous equidistant
narrow leaflets; and by the elomrflt:« flttgelliform flnscproaldliifcrtevsm which are lt onger t,ih an the
To this same species probably may be referred one specimen gathered by
Sig. L. M. D'Albertis on the Fly River, consisting of the summit of a leaf
and of some detached fruits.
PLATS 88.—Calamus vestitus Becc. Portion of the .stem with an entire leaf;
portion of a male spadix (in the middle of the plate); the upper part of a female
apadix in flower (on the left side of the plate).—From P. P, No. 771 in Herb.
Becc.
C. ralumensis-'] BECOARI. MONOORAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 267
73. CALAMUS HALUMENSIS Warb. in K. Sch. Fl. Neu-Pomm., 98 ; Schuro. &
Laut. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzg. in der SiXdsoe, 202 ; Becc. in Rec. Bot.
Surv. Ind. ii, 217.
0. hngipinna Laut. & K. Sch. 1. c. 203 ; Becc. 1. e.
DESCRIPTION.—High scan dent, of moderate size. Sheathed stem 3"5—3 cm. in diam.,
naked canes with a polished surface, their internodes about 30 cm. long, cylindraceous,
slightly davale or larger in their upper part near the node, where about
2 cm. in diam. Loaf-sheaths sometimes flagelliferous, green even when dry, strongly
gibbous above, marked longitudinally from the insertion of the flageila or spadices
lower down by an obtusely raised costa, altogether smooth or more or less armed
with a few very small, scattered, short, broad-based prickles. Ocrea very large,
lanceolate-auriculiforni or like the ears of the ass, 15-30 cm. long, rigid, cbartaceous,
exsuccous, not disintegrating into fibres, at first fm'furaceous, later glabrous, unarmed oi
very sparingly spinulous. Leaf-shcath flageila filiform, very slender, with the lowest
spathe almost smooth, densely armed on the outer side of the intermediate spathes
with 2-3-nate claws, these more numerous and slender in the terminal very slender
filiform portion. Leaves not cirriferous, above I m. in length, those of the upper
part of the stem almost epetiolate; the first portion of the rachis flat above, where
as at the sides, unarmed, roundish beneath, where sometimes smooth in the first portion,
but armed upwards along the middle up to the base of the terminal leaflets with
solitary, rather closely and regularly set dark-tipped claws; in the upper face (the
rachis) is narrowly channelled at the sides where are inserted the leaflets, and acutely
bifaced and smooth upwards; leaflets numerous, equidistant (at least in the upper leaves
of the fall grown plants), the lo.ver ones horizontal, the others inserted at an angle
of about 45", thinly cbartaceous but rigidulous, dull on both surfaces, slightly paler
beneath, ensiform or very narrowly lanceolate-ensiform, gradually acuminate from the
middle upwards into a bristly-spinulous tip, somewhat narrowed and plicate at the
base, where furnished above with a distinct axillary callus at their insertion and of
a simüar one, beneath, inside the plica: they are 3-costulate with the mid-costa (acute)
and one more slender costa on each side of it, all furnished with rather remoto
fulvous bristles : beneath all the nerves loss prominent and only the mid-costa sparingly
bristly-spinulous; marjrins acute (not thickened by a marginal nerve) furnished -with
small spinules, these longer and more patent towards the summit; the largest leaflets
those a little above the base, 30-40 cm. long and 20-25 mm. broad, the upper
ones rather suddenly shorter, and the two of the terminal pair small and free at the
base; transverse veinlets not very regular and much interrupted. Male spadiz ultradeeompouud,
large and elongate; with many rather dense partial inflorescences,
flagelHform at the summit and terminating in a tail-like filiform (6-10 cm!
long) densely aculeolate appendix; primary spathes tubular, closely sheathing, elongate,
marcescent and dissolved into filaments at the mouth, light (when dry), finely
longitudinally striate, unarmed on the ventral or inner side, sprinkled with very small
solitary broad-based claws on the back; partial inflorescences arising erect from the
mouth of the spathe and then arched and pendulous, much branched; one is 50 cm.
long and forms a rather large and dense panicle; others (of the upper part of the
spadix) are much smaller and 12-25 cm. apart; secondary spathea elongate-
ANH, EOT. BOT. GARD. CALCDTTA VOL. X I.