362 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN. CALCUTTA. SpatflulatuS.
HABITAT.—The Malayan Peninsula; collected at Malacca by Tb. Lobb {Herb.
Kew.) and found again in the same locality more recently by Mr, F. A. Heryey.
OBSEKVATIOSS.—Lobb's specimen consists of a portion of the sheatbed stem with
an entire leaf and of a female spadix with immature f r u i t ; tlie largest partial inflorescence
is 13 cm. long with 11 spikelets in all. Heryey's spechnen has a znore
robust fumale spadix thaa tlie preceding, its largest inflorescence being SO cm. long
watli 13 spikelets on each side. This specimen forms the passage to tlie Tar. rolustus.
0. spathulahis is distinguishable by the hght yellowish colour of all its parts when
dry, by the subcirriferous shortly petiolate leaves with few firm spathulate cochleate
many-costulafce closely and skarjjly transversely veined leaflets, and the ellipsoid small
fruit topped by a long narrow cylindricous tip.
From C. Mariianns it differs in its larger size, in the loaves with longer petioles,
larger and more obtuse leaflets.
PLATE 149.—Calamus spatliulatus Becc. The summit of a leaf (upper surface);
portion of tiic female spadix in flower; partial inflorescence with mature fruit.—From
Hervey's specimen in Herb. Kew.
CALAMUS SPATIIULATIJS var, KOBUSTUS Eecc. io Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 459
and in liec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 215.
DESCRIPTION.—Scandent, of moderate size, 6-10 m. long. Sheathed atsm 20-22
mm. in diam. Leaf-»heaths armed as in the type but with more robust, even 10-15
mm. long spines. Leaf-skeath flagella very long ( 2 m. ), strongly flattened at the
ba.se, armed lower down with solitary and upwards with 2-3-nate or half-whorled
claws. Leaoes 1-1-3 m. ia leogtli, subcirriferous; leaflets about 5 on each side, some
o( thorn up to 40 cm. long, usually 2.')-30 cm., a few at the apex smaller, the
uppermost semi abortive, laterally aculeolate on the side of the prolongation of the
rachis. Male spadir. Female spadix robust {not seen entire); its main
axis almost I cm. in diam. ; partial inflorescences robust, about 30 cm. long, with 10
spikelets on each side ; secondary spathes rather short, tnbular-infundibuliform, almost
glabrous or fugaciously scaly-furl'uraceous, unarmed or sparingly spinulous,
horizontally truncate at the mouth, sometimes longitudinally split; spikelets 6-8 cm.
long with 12-18 flowers on each side. Female flowers about 4 mm. long, Fruii
(nearly mature) ovoid-elliptic, about lo" mm. long, including the cylindric beak which
is 3 mm. Jong; scales in 18 series, pale-yeitowish, with faintly rusty-brown margins.
Seed oblong, rounded at both ends, deeply pitted on the back ; chalazal fovea
elongate, shallow on the flattish raphal side; albumen equable; embryo basal.
HABITAT.—The dense forests of the Malayan Peninsula at the foot of Gunon<r
Malacca (Sir G. King's collector No. 7136 in Herb. Gale.). "
OBSERVATIOSS—The leaves of this variety differ only in their larger size from
those of the type-specimens; the spadices, however, are considerably more robust,
their main axis attaining I cm. in diam. The leaves ia the type as in the variety
vary a good deal as to their termination; some of them being distinctly, though
G. Martianus'] BECCARI, MONOGBAPH OF THE GENUS CALIMDB.
shortly, cirriferous, while others terminate in diminutive leaflets which
on the side of the prolongation of the rachis. aculeolate
PLATE 150.—CALAMMDD;S SPATIIULATUS var. EOBUSTUS Becc. Portion of a sheathed
stem with base of a leaf and a flagellun,; the summit of "a^'loaf • l o A n ' T i
partial infloreaceMo with almost mature f t u i t . - F r o m No. 7136 in Herb. Oalo.
129. CAIAM™ JUiiiiAKUs Becc. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India, ii, 459, and in
Kec, Bot. Surv. Ind. ii, 314.
C. paicilMm (not of Eoxb. ) Mart. Hist. Kat. Palm, iii, 334.
DESCIitPTioH.—Scandent, Tevy slender. Slimllitd slim 6 mm. in diam. Zmf-
'/••at/a light yellowish like the other parts of the plant when dry, flagelliferous,
gibbous above, sprinkled with small rusty scales, armed with Tery small short ascendent
black-tipped prickles which rest on a broad and tumescent base and aro flat
underneath. Oma short, thinly coriaceous, obliqnely trnncate, naked.
slender, callous at their in.ertion, armed fro,,, the base with at iirst
scattered and upwards baltwhc-led daws. L,a«„ impari- or sub.in,paripinnate, or
suboirrifetouB and terminaling in a rudimentary leaflet, small, 35-40 cm. long,
opetiolate; rachis more or less obsoletely trigonous, rather densely and irregularly
armed thoughout to the base of the terminal leaflet with rather robust blacktipped
solitary or even geminate and ternate claws ; .leaflets very few, about 10 in
all, remote, very inequidistant, but not with a tendency to be approximate in
groups, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolite, gradually tapering lower down
towards a very acute base, usually broader above the middle, and thence rather,
suddenly narrowed to a subulate tip, which terminates in a small brush of a few
black bristles, firmly but thinly papyraceous ; opaque and yellowi.sh-groBn on both
sm'faces (when dry), sub-5-costulate ; the mid-costa slender acute, the side costae
still more slender and often indi.rtinguishable from other secondary nerves, two
of which almost mnrginant, all naked on both surfaces ; transverse yeinlets very
sharp and distinct on both surfaces, very close together and continuous across the
blade ; margins quite smooth ; the largest leaflets, the intermediate, 14-15 cm.
long, 18-30 mm. broad ; the two of the lowermost pair horizontal, smaller,
inserted just at the month of the sheath, the upper ones somewhat smaller, the
one at the summit the smallest ; often the leaf terminates in two unequal leaflets,
tlie one decurrent on the other. Mai, tfailix yery slender ; longer than its leaf'
with .3-4 remote partial infloresccnces and terminating in a filiform aculeolate
flagellum ; primary spathes tubular, very narrow, very closely sheathing, rather
densely and sparsely clawed, obliquely truncate and naked at the mouth wliero
prolonged at one side into a short triangular point, their base gradually passing
into a slender elongate, externally clawed, axial part ; partial inflorescences lax"
elongate, insetted with a conspicuous axillary callus above the mouth of their
respective spathes J the largest, the lowest, 15 cm. long, with 4-5 spikelets on each
side ; secondary spathes smooth, excessively narrow, yery closely sheathing, sKghtly
enlarged above, or subclavnlo, truncate and apiculate at one side at the
mouth; spikelets horizontally inserted outside the mouth of their own spathe with a
distinct axillary callus, their axis very slender, slightly sinuous between the flowers;
AMN, EOY. BOT. QABD. C-u.ceiTA Vol.. XI.