4 1 8 AIJUAIS OP THE IlOy.iI, BOTANIC GAEDEIT, C.VLCUTTA. [C. uiridispinus.
loose iu tlieir upper part, entire, naked and vory obliquely truncate at the mouth,
prolonged at one side into a triangulai- acuminate dorsally keeled and erect point, the
first longer but otherwise not differing from the others, flattened with acute naked
e d g e s ; partial inflorescences coming forth erect from the mouth of their respective
spathes: the lower ones 8-10 cm. long with very few spikelets: the upper ones
reduced to vory few spikfilets; secondary spathes very narrowly t u b u l a r - i n f u n d i b u l i f o r m,
closely sheathing; spikelets spreading, attached at or above the mouth of their
respective spathes with a distinct axillary callus, the larger ones, the lowest, 2-2*5
cm. long wit.h T-S flatly not very approximate bifaaious flowers on each side;
spathels very sliortly broadly and unilaterally infundibaliform, entire, prolonged at
one side iuto a short triangular point which subtends its own iiower; involucre almost
exsert from its own spathel and laterally attached to the base of the one above,
almost regularly cupular aud entire. Male flowers ovoid-obloug, slightly narrowed to
t h e summit, 4 mm. l o n g ; the calyx indistinctly veined, divided down almost to the
middle into 3 broadly triangular acute t e e t h ; the corolla almost twice as long as the
calyx, its segments polished outside. Female spadix
HABITAT.—The Malayan Peninsula. Discovered by L. Wray, J r . , in March 1890
on G-unong Bubu in the district of Perak at about 1,900 metr. above the level of
t h e sea (Herb. Kew.).
OBSERVATIONS.—Apparently a very localized mountain species. The specimens I
have examined consist only of an entu-e leaf -with a good portion of its leaf-sheath
and a male spadix in flower. The species is distinguished from the allied cnes by
i t s small size; its leaf-sheaths armed with slender sub-bristly and larger laminar spines,
these often multifid from the base and light-coloured; its inequidistant 3-costate narrow
leaflets, with the costae and margins quite smooth; and its slender, rigid, unarmed male
spadix. The nearest ally seems C. neglcctus, but this has equidistant leaflets.
PLATE 183.—Calamus bubuensis Bece. An entii-e leaf with its leaf-sheath; an
e n t i r e male spadix.—From Wray's type-specimen in Herb. Kew.
154. CALAMUS VIBIDISPIKUS Becc. in Hook. fil. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 468, and in
Eec. Bot. Surv. Ind. ii. 313.
DESCRIPTION.—Slender, scandent. Sheathed stem 8-15 ram. in diani. Leaf-sheaths
not flogelliferous, somewhat gibbous above, rusty-furturaceoas, veiy densely armed
w i t h spines of uuequai length, greenish brown or sclustaceoug when dry, furfuraceouB,
f r i n g e d at the margin at first, the largest flat, 1-2 cm. long, rather broad at
t h e base, horizontal or slightly deflexed, these intermingled with others very short
deflexed or ascendent. Ocrea inconspicuous or deciduous ? Leaves rather elongate,
3 5 - 5 0 cm. long in the pinniferous part, terminating iu a slender cirrus; this armed
w i t h hali-whorls of black-tipped veiy sharp claws; petiole variable in length, 10-35
cm. long, flat and smooth above, rounded beneath, more or less prickly at the
margins, rachis a little above the base speedily becoming bifaced, roundish aud more
or less irregularly clawed beneath; leaflets rather numerous, very distinctly approximate
on each side into 4-6 groups; each group composed of 2-5 leaflets, which
0. uiridispinus.'] BECCAEI. MOS-OG-BAPH OP THE GENUS OALAiros. 419
a r e approximate but inequidistant among themselves and disposed on one piano (the
groups sub-opposite with variable vacant spaces, 5-15 em. in length, interposed),
e n s i f o rm or linear-lanceolate, very gradually narrowed towards the base and very
long-acuminate at the summit into a subulate spaiingly bristly tip, thinly papyraceous,
r a t h e r firm, opaque, greea and subconcolorous on both faces, slightly paler beneath,
tricostate, the costae rather acute, naked or very sparingly bristly above, indistinct
and smooth b e n e a t h ; transverse veinlets distinct, much i n t e r r u p t e d , not very crowded;
margins smooth or with a remote adpressed spinule here and there, the lower one
bordered witii a very narrow shining band in the upper surface; the largest leaflets,
those about the middle, 2 0 - 2 8 cm. long, 1-2-5 cm. broad, the lower and upper ones
slightly saialler. Male and female spadix almost similar, simply decompound, flagelliform,
elongate, about as long as the leaves ( ' 6 - 1 m.) with very few (2-4) very
remote partial inflorescences, terminating with a filiform, usually rather short aud
unarmed appendix; the peduncular part rather elongate, strongly flattened and
armud on the edges with long acicular straight horizontal spines; primary spathes
v e r y elongate, closely sheathing, smooth, often longitudinally split, terminating in a
lanceolate point, passing at their base into a long and slender axial p a r t : this flat
on the inner side, with acute margins, convex on the back, where smooth or
s p a r i n g l y prickly; tho first spathe flattened a good deal, the edges vory acute, more
or less spinulous, tho upper ones less flattened aud usually unarmed; partial infloresinserted
a little below the mouth of their
^id, almost straight, with 2-6 spikelets on each
long, tubular, sliglitly enlarged above or subcla-
cences elongate, nodding, 15-30 cm.
own spathe, their axis slender, ri
side; secondary spathes 15-25 mm.
vate, very closely sheathing, unarmc
entire and naked at the mouth
spreading point. Male spikelets
t h e mouth of their own spathes
15-18 perfectly bifarious flowerf
•rmed, finely striately veined, very obliquely truncate,
and prolonged at one side into a lanceolate acuminate
slender, horizontal or slightly deflexed, inserted at
with £t distinct axillary callus, 4-6 cm. long, with
; on each side; spathels asymmetrically infundibuliform,
broad at tho mouth, prolonged at one side into a triangular spreading often
split point; involucre cupular, rather shallow, laterally adnalo to the base of the
spathel above its own, its margin truncate almost entire. Female spikeki^ larger
t h a n the male ones, 5-10 cm. long with 6- I 0 flowers on each side, strongly deflexed
and conspicuously callous at their axilla, their axis rigid subcylindraceous; spathels
s h o r t l y tubular, slightly infuudibuliform, finely striately veined, truncate, entire and
naked at the mouth, slightly prolonged at one side into a broad triangular point;
involucrophorum laterally adnate outside its own spathel at the base of the one
above, with very short subannular limb; involucre cupular, rather shallow, truncate;
areola of the neuter flower very distinct, lunate, flat, callous. Female flowers small,'
conic, about 3 mm. long, horizontal, perfectly flatly bifarious, remote, about 7 mm,
a p a r t on each side. Fruitivg perianih campanulate, slightly pedicelliform on accoui
of the hardened and sub-calious calyx, which howe^
iplit down to the base
3 broadly ovate almost polished acute lobes;
of the corolla as long but
narrower. FVuit (not quite mature) obovate, 11 ni
long, 6 mm. broad, suddenly
contracted at the summit into a rather long beak;
light .straw-
coloured with reddish-brown intramargical line, slightly channelled along the middle,
t h e i r margins finely erosely toothed. 8eed ovoid-elliptic, smooth; albumen equable;
embryo lateral.
ASN. EOY. BOT. GABD., CAI