r
294 ANWALS OF THE EOYiL BOTANIC GAED£N, CALCUTTA. [{?. ramOSiSSimUS^
armed with slender, acicular, ascendent spines; the blade about 40-50 cm. long with
two acute keels, these spinulous in their lower portion; the upper spathes graduallyshorter,
but always longer than their respective inflorescences, those of the summit
lanceolate, acuminate; the axis of the spadix between two partial inflorescences smooth,
irregularly and obsoletely angul?.r aud more or less superficially, often obsoletcly
pitted from pressure of the flowers in the bud; partial inflorescences panicled, broadly
pyraniidate, rather dense, the larger ones, the lowest, 15-30 cm. long with many
distichous, erecto-patent, gradually diminishing secondary branchlets, of whicli the
lower ones the largest, 8-10 em. long and with 8-10 spikolets on each side; the axis
of the inflorescences and of the branch]ets slender but rigid, straight or very slightly
sinuous; secondary spathes shortly tubular and more or less prolonged at one side
into a membranous acute or acuminate and sometimes lanccolate limb; spikelcts crectopatent,
delictite, small, their axis slender, closely zig-zag sinuous, the lower ones, the
largest, 2-3 cm. long with 8-10 distichous flowers on each side, those of the summit
about 1 (-•m. long with 3-4 flowers on each side; spathels very approximate, densely
hairy-furiuraceous, bracteiform, with a short subobtuse point which is pushed down
by its own flower; involucre orbicular, almost explanate-disciform. Mak Jlowers distichously
iasei-ted at an angle of about 45°, at first ovate-acute, when full grown slender,
subterete, 3'0-4 mm. long, the calyx tubular, slightly striately veined, truncate at
the base, with 3 broad obtuse or acute lobes, which are often hairy-penicillate at
t h e apex; the corolla twice as long as the calyx, divided down almost to the base
into 3 oblong-linear, acute, externally shining segments; filaments shortly connate at
the base, subulate, inflected at the apex; anthers linear, narrowly sagittate, rather
acute, versatile; the cells discrete to the middle; rudimentary ovary slender, reaching
to about the middle of the corolla, formed by a short columnar part which terminates
in 3 long subulate points. Female spadix simply decompound, erect and rigid,
usually shorter than the male ones and with a more robust axial part, rustyfurfuraceous
throughout; spathes as in the male spadix; partial inflorescences
erect with an axillary callus and a distinct transverse fovea; the lower ones, the
largest, 15-17 cm. long with 8-10 spikelets on each side; spikelets rather thick,,
erecto-patent or when in fruit eubhorizontal, 3-5 cm. long with J 5 - 20 very
approximate flowers on each side; spathels densely furfuraceous, very short bracteiform,
broad, concave, obtuse, deflexed; involucrophorum subtended by its own spathel and
attached at the base of the one above, shallow, calyculiform, prolonged into an
obtuse deflexed point on the side of the neuter flower; involucre shallow, calyculiform,
slightly concave, irregularly lobate, distinctly veined; areola of the neuter flower
punctiform. Female flowers crowded, inserted at an angle of 45°, ovate-conic, 3 mm,
long; the calyx flat and callous at the base, boldly striately veined, its teeth short,
broadly triangular, acute, with broad polished margins; the corolla slightly longer
than the calyx, its segments acute and polished outside; stamens united by their
bases into a thia membranous cup, which is crowned by 6 triangular teeth; anthers
sterile, flattened, broadly sagittate and very obtuse; ovary oblong-ovate with a short
stout style and thick lamellose recurved stigmas. NeuUr flowers as long as the
female ones, but thinner. Fruiting perianth almost explanate, not or very shortly
pedicelliform, and with the corolla twice as long as the calyx. Fruit broadly ovoid
or globose-OToid, rounded to both ends, topped by a narrow and rather long (2
mm.) beak, 8-10 mm. broad aud 13-14 mm. long, including the beok ; scales in
C. paspalanthus.'] BECCARL MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAlrUS. 295
15 series (mahogany-red), subconcolorous, rather loosely imbricate, shining, slightly
channelled along the middle, tip rather obtuse and, like the margins, erosely
toothed. Seed ovoid, rounded to both ends, 9 mm. long, 7 mm. broad, 6 mm.
thick, with a smooth yellowish-brown surface, convex on the back, and with a deep
chalazal fovea in the centre of the raphal side ; albumen equable; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—The Malayan Peninsula: Malacca, Griffith; in the district of Perak at
Larut, between 700-1,200 m., Herb. Oalc. Nos. 2617, 2910, 6342 and Scorteahini
No. 5 ^ ; Grunong Malacca, between 300-500 m., Herb. Calc. No. 7181; Gunong
l j u k , Scoriechini No. 1235 in H. Becc.; Maxwell's Hill, 900 m., Scortechini No. 416
in Herb. Beccari.
OBSERVATIONS.—I have described the complete specimens gathered by the Kevd
Father Scortechini and by Sir G-. King's collectors. I have not seen Griffith's
authentic specimens; he based the species on a male spadix which had very few
flowers and only one terminal spathe left. Nevertheless I entertain no doubt
as to the identification. Griffith in the test at p. 85 gives as uncertain the locality
of his specimen, but at p. xiii he assigns to it that of Malacca.
Five out of seven leaves that I have examined were terminated by 3 approximate,
but quite free leaflets, of which that of the middle one was barely shorter
and slightly narrower than the other two; the spathes of C. raTnosissimus more
than those of any other species of the group approach those of pome species
of Daomonorops, as they are longer than the inflorescence, they envelope the lower
ones and cover a good portion of the spathes immediately above.
C. ramosissimus is characterised by its subereot habit; the leaves with one
terminal entire lanceolate leaflet and the numerous subequidistant lanceolate manycostulate
shining concolorous side-leaflets; t h e rather short epadices with open, flat, long
broadly linear spathes which overlap each other.
PLATE 109.—Calamus ramosissimus Grif. An entire male spadix and the terminal
portion of a leaf.—From Scortechini's No. 1235 in Herb. Becc.
PLATE 110.—Calamus ramosissimus Grif. Leaf-sheath and base of a leaf; portion
of the upper part of a l e a f ; female spadix in flower; an entire fruit-spadix.—From
Scortechini's No. 51*", in Herb. Becc.
92. CALAMUS PASPALANTHUS Becc. in Hook. f. FL. Brit. Ind. vi, 450, and in
Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 207.
DESCRIPTION.—Rcandent. Sheathed stem 2 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths flagelliferous
very conspicuously inflated-tumescent above at the base of the petiole, almost black
when dry, densely armed with large elastic horizontal laminar straight narrowly
lanccolate subulate brown-greenish 2-4 cm. long, solitary or slightly confluent and
subseriato spines, which are fringed-furfuraceous at the margins in youth and have
their base broad, flat beneath, tumescent and light-coloured above; the spines at the
mouth of the sheath erect, veiy slender and aouminatc, up to 8—9 cm, long. Ocrea
very long (up to 20 cm,), speedily difolved into fine filaments and maroescent.