ANNALS OF THE BOTAL BOTANIC G-AEDEN, CALCUTTA. [Í?. Diepenhorstii
specimen it measured o metres, includiiig a long terminal flagellum; in delicate
individuals it attains 3-3 metres; partial inflorescences as in the male spadix very
elongate, the largest with 5-7 distichous very remote horizontal or deflexed spikelets
on each side; when the spadix is supra-decompound in the place of simple spikelets
there are some branclilets hearing 4-5 small few-flowered spikelets on each side •
<;ommon spikelets 4-12 cm. long, callous at their insertion, their axis rather rigid»
subcylindraceous, flexuous, with 4-10 alternately distichous distant flowers on each
side; spathels short, infundibuliForm, truncate, acute or apiculate at one side; involucrophorum
almost entirely exsert froni iis own spatliel, obliquely attached to the
base of the one above, cupnlar, rather deep, truncate, entire, involucre moulded
on the involucrophorum and slightly exceeding this, rather deep, truncate, entire;
areola of the neuter flower almost circular, concave and rather deep, sharply bordered.
Female Jloivers iuserted at a wide angle or sabhorizontal, ovate, obtuse, 3 mm, long;
t h e calyx shortly 3-toothed, thick and callous at the base ; the corolla divided almost
to the base into 3 half-ovate acute segments; stamens forming by their connate
base an urceoium which is crowned by 6 very short teeth; anthers ovate, acute.
muter /lowers smaller than the female ones, speedily deciduous. Fruiting perianth with
the calyx callous at its base, more or less irregularly split aud nevertheless forming
a short pedicel to the fruit. Fruit, when full grown and perfectly ripe, round
16-18 mm. in diam., shortly mucronulate; scales in 18-24 series, rhomboid, broader
than long, slightly lengthened into an obtuse apex, superficially channelled along the
middle, rather opaque, light yellowish with a very narrow darker intramarginal line
and very narrow hyaline finely erosely toothed margins. Seed globular, 10-12 mm.
in diam., deeply pitted on the surface; albumen deeply ruminate; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—Sumatra: west coast in the Prov. of Priamun, Diepenhorst fide Miquel;
i n the Prov. of Padang at Sungei-bulu, Beccari P. S. No. 907. The Malayan
Peninsula: on the Gunong Tambang Batak near Perak, at 1000-1300 met.
Scortechini No. 6-47'' in Herb. Becc.; in the same district on Gunong Malacca, Herb.
Calc. No. 7201 and Ridley No. 9815; at Pankor (male plant), Ridley No. 7898
and at Lumut Dending, Ridley No. 10241; in Selangore at Genting Bedai, Ridley
No. 7892; Pinang, at Muka Head, Curtis No. 765 in Herb. Kew. : Borneo' Lohh
No. 9 in Herb. Calc..
Malay ' R i g n o n " (Scortechini); "Rotang Chiclii (Ridley).
OBSEBVATIONS.—Of C. DiepenJmstii I have seen a portion of the authentic specimen
with mature fruit, which perfectly agrees with my No. 907 of the "Plantae
Sumatranae." I have been also able to establish that No. 860G A of Waliich
belongs to C. Diepenhorstii and not to C. melamcanthus (see observations on this
The diagnostic characfers of C. Diepenhorstii are the leaf-sheaths armed with
spines which have a broad lanceolate fringed black lamina and a swollen light base;
the numerous 1-costate narrow elongate equidistant leaflets with smooth margins and
oBually with 3. bristly nerves beneath; the very elongate epadices; the round fruit
•with light-yellowish scales; the round deeply ruminate seed and basal embryo.
•C. Diepenhorstii.'] BECCAHI. MONOGRAPH OF THB BEHUS CALAMUS.
I t is a very variable plant as to the size of the fruit, the number of its
scales, the dimensions and degree of branching of the spadices. The leaflets have
usually 3 bristly neiTes beneath, but in Lobb's specimens from Borneo, the midcosta
only bears bristles on both surfaces. This specimen, if it really comes from
Borneo, represents perhaps a local form, as, after mature examination, I now consider
C. singaporensis, which has the leaflets with all its nerves naked beneath, to be.
The specimen No. 7201 from Gunong Malacca has a partial inflorescence wliich
instead of simple spikelets bears branchlets whicli have 4-5 very small secondary
rspikelets on each side; the fruit, which is not perfectly mature, is globoae-ovoid
with scales in 18 series. In ray specimens No. 907 from Sumatra the scales are in
24 series.
PLATE 126,—Calamus Diepenhorstii Miq. Portion of the sheatlied stem of a very
robust individual; an intermediate portion of a leaf (under surface); portion of a
female spadix with flowers just after fertilisation,—the above from Soortechini's
No. 647 in Herb. becc. A partial inflorescence of a snpradceompouud spadix with
immature fruit, from No. 7201 in the Calcutta Herb.; mature fruits and seeds, one
•of these longitudinally cut through tlie embryo, from Beccari's P. S. No. 907.
CALAMTJS DIEI^ENHORSTII var. SINGAPORENSIS Becc.
C. dimaparemis Becc. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 45i, and in Rec Bot Surv
Ind. ii, 208.
DEScmpTioü.—Leaflets as in the typo but with tlie mid-costa naked on both
•surfaces or sometimes with a few straggling bristles above; the secondary nerves naked
on both surfaces.
HABITAT.—Singapore: in the wild part oí the Botanic Garden, B. J. Murtón
No. 126 in Herb. Kew,: and in the State of Johorc in the Malayan Peninsula at
Kowala Tebing tingi, Riihy No. 11200 in Herb. Borol. and Kew.
OBSEEVATIONS.-The male spadix which accompanies the leaf in Murton's specimens
has the spikelets with spathels which exceed the inyolucros, while in the type
usually the point of the spathels is on a level with their respective involucre;
the young male flowers in the var. úngaforatis are covered with brown and
silvery scales.
The abovemcntioned Lobb's specimen No. 9 of the Oalcutta Herb., said to
come from Borneo, might probably also be considered as belonging to a distinct
variety. This specimen is of the base of a leaf with portion of the sheath and a
male spadix which in no way differs from the corresponding portion of spadix of
t h e Malayan spocimens. The leaf-sheath has the characteristic black spines with light
base but the leaflets only bear a few long bristles on the mid-costa of both
surfaces.
PLATE 127.—Calamus Diepenhorstii var. singaporensis Beco. Basal portion of a leaf
(under surface); basal portion of a male spadix with an entire partial inflorescence —
From Kidloy's No. 11200 in Herb. Kew.