4 4 0 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIO GAEDEN, CALCUTTA. [F?. GJGANTEUS^
slightly compressed, rounded at both ends and convex on both faces, covcred by a
thick adherent ODCO fleshy and acid integument, 18-20 mm. long, 15 ram. broad
and 12-13 mm. thick, minutely tubercled and pitted on the back; the cbalazal
fovea in the centre of the raphal side; albumen deeply ruminated ; embryo lateral
bolow the centre.
HABITAT.—Sumatra at Muara Enim and at Muara Dua in the Prov. of
Pelembang, Miqusl. Probably also in the Island of Bangka. It furnishes a very
long and big Rotang, and the very acid integument of the seed is eaten by the
natives (Miquel). It receives the name of "Manan" and "Mangnou" (Miquel).
OBSERVATIONS.—I have seen of tliis a few detached fnuts from the authentic
specimens in the Herbaria of the Leyden and Utrcclit Museums and a complete
epikelet in the Calcutta Herbarium belonging to the same gathering as the above
fruits. Moreover, I have received a Lirge fruiting specimen from a plant of
uncertain origin cultivated in the Botanic G-atden at Buitenzorg, but probably coming
from Bangka as in the Leyden Museum one specimen of this same apecios is
labelled: culta Bogor ; Bangka.
G. Manan is very closely related to C. gigantcui. In the general characters of
the female spadix, in the structure of the fruit and in the pedieellifovm fruiting
perianth, as well as in the long-cirriferous leaves it approaches C. inermia and allied
species; it is however distinct by the not geminate leafletd and the seed v?-ith the
embryo situated on the face opposite the chakzal fovea a Httle below the centre.
The fruiting perianth is organically connected by means of strong fibres with
the involuora and the axis of the spikeleis, and consequently the fruits in
Herbarium specimens are very strongly attached to their spikeiets and do not easily
fall away, and it is only possible to detach them by laceration.
It is one of the lai-gest species of the genus, perhaps only second to C.
andamanicus.
PLATE 196.—Calamus Manan Miq.—Base of a leaf with a small portion of the
upper part of its sheath; an intermediate portion of a leaf (upjjer surface); one
oi the lower leaflets; the basal portion of a partial inflorescence with mature fruit:
seed seen from dorsal and raphal side and one longitudinally cut through the
embryo.—From the Buitenzorg specimen mentioned above in Herb. Hecc.
1 6 7 . CALAMUS GIQANTEUS Becc.
Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind.
1 Hook.
215.
f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 460, and
DESCRIPTION.—Very robust, scandent. Leaf-sheaihs almost woody, gibbous above,
5 - 7 cm. in diam,, glabrous, very powerfully armed with numerous unequal spines
of which some very large, laminar, 2-3 cm. long, acuminate from a very broad
base, solitary or slightly confluent and obliquely subseriatc, usually defluxed; these
intermingled with many others a good deal smaller and frequently ascendent. Leaves
cirriferoua {Scortechini), large, 2-5-3 metr. long {Scortechini)\ petiole 3-5 cm. broad at
the base, where flat above—armed with short rather robust spines; rachis very robust,
smooih above, and armed beneath only at the sides with comparatively small claws-
Ji
C. giganteus.'] BECCAUI. MONOGBAPH OF THE GENUS OAIAMUA. I41
in its first portion; cirrus armed with half-whorled claws; leaflets (in the small
portion of rachia seen by mej apparently subequidistant, numerous, 6-8 cm. apart
on each side, papyraceous, opaque, glabrous, subglaucous beneath, pUcately Bub-
6-costulate, with other rather prominent secondary nerves between the stronger
coatte (all nerves naked on both surfaces) broadly ens ¡form, 55-60 em. long, 3-4 cm.
broad, very gradually attenuate to both ends, acute at the base, acuminate at the
summit into a subulate tip; transverse veinlets not very conspicuous, approximate, margins
smooth. Male spadix ultra-decompound with many large panicled partial inflorescences >
one of these about 45 cm. long witli 5 stout gradually decreasing branchlets or
compound spikeiets on each side; primary spathes ; secondary spathes
tubular-infundibuliform, about 3 cm. long, closely sheathing, somewhat narrowed to the
base where flat on the inner side, with acute margins, convex on the back, sparingly
aculeolate, truncate and entire at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a
triangular acute or acuminate erect point; branchlets inserted a little above the
mouth of their own spathe with a rather distinct axillary callua; the lower ones, the
largest, 20-22 cm. long, with 5-7 very closely alternately and flatly bifarious
spikeiets on each side; tertiary spathes (those of the bianchlets) shortly and broadly
infundibuliform, truncate, entire at the mouth and apiculate at one side; spikeiets
inserted at an angle of 45° just at the mouth of then- own spathe, flattened, short,.
15-20 mm. long, with 5-10 perfectly flatly bifarious and closely packed flowers on
each side; apathels concave, broadly bracteiform, extended at one side into a broad,
slightly apiculate point, which is longer than the involucre and subtends ita
flower; involucre half-enclosed in its own spathe and attached at the base of
the one above, dimidiately cupular or like a swallow's nest, deep, lunately excavate,
bidentate, and acutely two-keeled on the side next to the axis. Male flowers not
seen as they had fallen when the specimens wore gathered. Female spadix simply
decompound, a good deal larger than the male one, with a very stout axis and many
partial infloiescences and terminating in a caudate somewhat aculeate appendix ;
primary spathes tubular, coriaceous, very closely sheathing; the two first very short
and broad (10-15 cm. long, 3-3-5 cm. broad) distinctly flattened, and acutely two-edged,
densely and sparsely aculeate; the upper ones more elongate and more cylindraceous,
slightly narrowing towards the base, where flat on the inner side, densely
armed with small stout blackish hooked scattered prickles, obliquely truncate
at the mouth and prolonged at one side into a triangular erect dorsally keeled
point; partial inflorescences about 30 cm. apart one from the other, elongate,
inserted at the mouth of their own spathe; their axes very stout, in one specimen
70 cm. long, with 10 distichous spikeiets on each side, and terminating in a
short aculeate tail-like appendix; secondary spathes as in the male spadix, but
slightly larger; spikeiets inserted at the month of their own spathe with a rather
distinct axillary callus, very robust and rigid, somewhat flattened, archcd and
deflexed, 10-16 cm. long with 14-lS distichous flowers on each side, the upper ones
the shortest; spathels asymmetrically broadly iufundibuliforn), short, truncate, entire,
dirty-furfuraceous, smooth; involucrophorum sessile, cupular, attached almost outside
its own spathcl at the base of the one above; involucrue cupular, shallow, entire,
slightly excavate and bidentate on the side of the neuter flower of which the areola
is very distinct, lunate and sharply bordered. Fruiting perianth distinctly pedicelliform,
6 mm. long ; tubular cylindraceons, slightly inflated at the base, polished
ANN. EOT. BOT, GABIK, CALCUTTA VOL. X I.