404 ANXAL3 OP THE EOY.VL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [C. pa/ustrl's.
approach the summit; some of the eegmentg are up to 50 cm. long and 9 cm. broad,
elliptic-lanceolate, inequidistant and often inserted in pairs on each side of the racbis.
Another specimen of Kurz (No. 8319), also f r om Pegu (Herb. Calc.) seems to
h a v e been dctached from a very robust plant. A leaf haa a petiole 10 cm. long
a n d 2 cm. broad, flat and with a few short straight prickles in its upper s u r f a c e;
t h e marginal prickles are also small; the leaflets are inequidistant, narrower than in
No. 1473, 6-7 cm. broad. A portion of a female spadix with veiy young fruit has
t h e primary spathes very sparingly prickly; the lowest 12 cm. long, flattened and
two edged, the edges acute and sparingly aculeate; the lowest partial iufiorescence is
40 cm. long and bears 8 spikelets on each side.
I have observed no differences between the specimens from the Andamans and
those of the Nicobars. In one specimen from those last islands the leaflets are
sometimes geminate on each side, but not always so and are very broad, the
largest measures 50 by 11 cm.; the primary spathes are rather densely armed
with deflexed prickles, the secondary spathes are also prickly. In Liebig's specimen
f r om the Andamans the leaf-sheaths are armed with the very large spines described
above solitary or 2-3 conflueiit togetiier or even disposed in small series, or sometimes
almost smooth,
PLATE 173.—Calamus paluatris Grif. Base of a leaf (under surface) ; an intermediate
portion of a leaf (under surface); summit of a male spadix; portion of the
cane (all the above from a specimen collected by Man in the Andamans); detached
m a t u r e fruits and seed from a specimen
CATAILDS PALUSTRIS v a r . AMPLISSIUUS Be
t h e Calcutta
DESCRIPTION.—Very robust. Sheathed stem 4-.5 cm. and perhaps more in diam.,
armed as in the type witli the usual very broad spines and f u r t h e r m o r e with others
many times smaller but of the same shape. Leaves very large, 3'5 m. in the pinniferous
part in one specimen; petiole very robust and short, 7 cm. long, 3 era.
broad, and like the first portion of the rachis convex and smooth beneath, flat in
t h e upper surface, where densely covercd with very short erect broad-based prickles;
cirrus very robust, f e a r f u l l y armed with strong half-whorled black-tipped claws; leaflets
not very numerous, in one specimen 35 in all, sub equidistant, 12-25 cm. apart on
each side, but with a tendency to be sometimes slightly approximate in pairs, alternate
or subopposite, inserted with a distinct axillary callus, very large, up to 50 cm. long
a n d 8-10'5 cm. broad, otherwise as in the type. Female spadix comparatively short
and dense, apparently 1 m. in length (not seen entire); upper primary spathes barely
a c u l e o l a t e ; the largest partial inflorescences 20 cm. long with 7 - 8 spikelets on each
s i d e ; secondary spathes slightly aculeolate; spikelets rather thick, much shorter than
i n the type, 4 - 6 cm. long.
HABITAT.—Cultivated at Buitenzorg where it was introduced from the Calcutta
Botanical Garden.
OBSERVATIONS.—The very large size of the entire plant and tlie snbcqnidietant
leaflets distinguishes this from the other varieties of C. falustris.
C. palustris^ BECCASI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENTTS cALAartrs, 405
PLATE 174.—Calamus palustris var. amplissimus Becc. Upper portion of the sheath
with base of the leaf; the base of the leaf following that of the preceding figure
seen from the upper surface ; terminal portion of a female spadix.—From the specimen
cultivated at Buitenzorg as mentioned above.
CJLAMUS PALUSTBIS var. MALACCEN6IS Becc.
DESCRIPTION.—SiicKSet? stem 2-5-3 cm. in diam. Leaf-shealha anned with numerous
laminar unequal long or short usually scattered and horizontal spines; petiole
moderately long with short prickles at the margins and beneath along the m i d d l e;
leaflets not very numerous, very irregularly set in pairs or even ternate on each
s i d e with a solitary one interposed (the groups very remote on each side, subopposite
or alternate with those of the other side), rigidulous, acutely 5-7 costulate, naked on
b o t h surfaces or with a few spiuules above on the mid-costa, lanceolate, narrowed
t o both ends, but more towards the summit, margins distinctly and closely ciliatespinulous,
especially from the middle upwards; the largest leaflets, the intermediate
ones, 30-33 cm. long, 3-4 cm. broad. Male spadix rather diffuse, -6-1 m, long;
spikelets more slender than in the type.
HABITAT.—The J l a l a y a n Peninsula in the district of Perak, Scortechini No. 50'' in
Herb. B e c c . ' I t is called by the Malays " R o t a n g Getah," a name which however is
also to otlier species. It grows in damp places.
OBSERVATIONS.—The leaflets are narrower and more i r r e g u l a r l y set than in GriiEth's
picture of the typical plant. It is also a smaller and more slender plant than that
f r om Pegu, the Andamans and the Nicobars, and has a more slender male spadix
a n d i
CALAMUS PALUSTRIS var. COCHIN-CIIINENSIS Becc. in Ree. Bot, Surv. Ind. ii. 211.
DEBCEIPTTOM.—Smaller than the type. Stem very long, when with the
on apparently 3-5 cm. thick; naked canes 12-13 mm. in diam., polished. Leaves
not seen entire, but apparently moderately large; petiole ; rachie in the
intermediate portion, probably from a radical leaf, with a very obtuse salient angle
i n tho upper surface, armed underneath along the middle with remote solitary
s t r a i g h t or slightly hooked 1-2 cm. long spines (in the leaves of the upper part of
t h e plant probably tlie rachis i^ clawed as usual); leaflets in distant pairs on each
s i d e of the rachis, with long vacant spaces interposed, the two of each pair very
close together, narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 15-35 cm. long, 4 - 5 cm. broad,
with S-'e slender costae n a t e d on both surfaces, slightly concavo-convex, narrowed
towards tho base, gradually acuminate at the summit, tip smooth or slightly bristlyspinulous,
margins inconspicuously and very adpressedly spinulous—the lower one in
t h e upper surface usually bordered by a shining band. Male spadiz
Female spadiz decompound with a few partial inflorescences in its lower part and
some simple spikelets at each primary spathe upwards and terminating with a small
and short aculeolate tail-like appendix; the larger partial inflorescences, the lowest
20-25 cm. long with 6-7 spikelets on each side; primary spathes tubular, closely
sheathing, slightly enlarged, above, obliquely truncate and entire at the mouth; the
first keeled on the back, the upper ones flat or even channelled at the base on