4 5 4 ANNALS OF THE EOVAL BOTANIC GABDEN. CALCUTTA. [C. ramuiosus.
broad, 3- or sometimes sub-S-costuIate; all the costao very slender and nakod on
both surfaces; transverso veinlets mtlier distinct in the upper surface, not very
approximate, much interrupted. Male spadiz Female spadic inserted far
below the mouth of its sheath, about as long as the pinniferous part of the
leaves, simply dccompound, with 5-6 partial inflorescences, and terminating in a
filiform tail-like appendix, quite unarmed in every part; primary spathes elongate,
closely sheathing, papyracoous, shortly opened at the summit on the ventral side and
proiongod into a more or less elongate triangular point; the first flattened and
rather acutely two-edged, the upi^er ones moro eyliudracoous; partial inflorescences
ovate, panicled, spreading, inserted at the mouth of their respective spathes,
the lower ones about 15 cm. loug with 7 - 8 gradually diminishing .-¡pikelets on each
side, the upper ones somewhat shorter and with fewer spikelets; secondary spathes
tubular, sliglitly infundibuliforra, closely sheathi-ig, truncate at the mouth, apiculate
at one side; spikelets inserted far above the mouth of their own spathes, spreading,
filiform, the lower ones of each inflorescence about 5-6 cm. long witli 10-12
flatly bifarious horizontal flowers on each side; spathels cylindraceous, slightly
enlarged at the mouth, truncate, entire, glabrous, apiculate at one side; involucrophorum
disciform, laterally attached at the base of the spathei above its own
and quite exsert fiom this; involucro disciform, orbicular, very slightly concave,
entire; areola of the neuter flower depressed, slightly callous, tumescent. Female
flowers very small, about 2-5 mm. long, the calyx with 3 broadly triangular teeth;
the segments of the corolla ovate, slightly longer than the calyx. Fniitinii perianth
distinctly pcdicelliforin with a flat base. Fruit very small, sphtcric, shortly but
distinctly beaked, of the size of a coriander seed (when nearly mature); scales in
18 longitudinal series, straw-yellow coloured with a red-brown marginal line, slightly
channelled along the middle.
HABITAT.—The Philippines, Halsey harbour in Culion Island, Menill No. I)07
Herb. Berol.
OBSERVATIONS.—Related to C. ramxihaus, but easily distinguishable by its smooth
leaf-sheaths, fascicled narrowly lanceolate leaflets, simply decompound spadix and
very small round fruit. Like C. ramuhstis by its natural affinities it ought to be
included in the group with 0. aruensis, but the involucrophorum is not pedicellate,
and on this ground it has been placed rather nrtificlally in the group with C. inermis
where however all the species have very large fruit.
PLATK 204-.—Calamus microspha^rion, Becc.—Portion of the sheathed stem with
an entire fruit-spadix; biisal portion of a leaf (under surface); sunmiit of a leaf,—
From Merrill's Wo. 507 in Herb. Berol.
1 7 5 . CALAMUS RAMUI.,OSUS Becc.
Webbia, 349.
Perkins Fragm. Fl. Philipp. 46, et
DESCRIPTION.—Scandent, rather slender. Sheathed item about 2 cm. in diam. Leafsheath
» cylindraceous ; gibbous above, obliquely truncate at the mouth, rather densely
armed with scattered but somewhat regularly distributed spines which leave above
them a deep impression on the surface of the sheath and are all of about the same
C. ramulosusr\ BKCCARL -MONOÜR.ÍPH OF THR GENUS CALAMUS. 455
size, light-colourcd with a brownish tip, horizontal, subulate 8-15 mm. long. Ocrea
very short, Ilguliform and forming a narrow rim to the mouth of the sheath. Leaves
elongate in outline, about 1 metre long in the pinniferous part, terminating in a
slender cirrus, this armed with approximate half-whorls of small black-lipped claws;
petiole obsolete; rachis in the upper surface flittish near the base, angular
upwards and more or less armed throughout with unequal and rather robust prickles;
in the lower surface clawed along the middle; leaflets numerous, very distinctly
approximate in many fascicles, oach of these .3-7 cm. apart ard formed on each
side by 3 - 9 very approximate leaflets, the fascicles of one side often sub-opposite to
tho.se of the other side; furthermore the leaflets are thin in texture, subhcrbaceous,
green and coneoloroua on both surfaces, linear, narrowed towards the base, gradually
aeuminatc at the summit into a finely subulate tip, 20-25 cm. long, about 1 cm.
broad with the mid-costa acute above, and this often accompanied there on each
side by another secondary nerve and thence sub-3-costulate, all nerves naked on both
surfaces; transverse veinlets remote, much interrupted. Inconspicuous; margins very
indistinctly and adprcssedly spinulous; the upper leaflets gradually decreasing in size,
less distinctly grouped and irregularly set. Male spadix Female spadix
inserted about midway on its sheath, 1 m. long with 6 partial inflorescences in one
specimen and termlnafing in a slender filiform tail-like appendix; ultradecompound,
much branched, panicled, loose, quite unarmed in every part ; lowest primary spathe
tubular, elongate, very closely sheathing, flattened, acutely two-edged; upper spathes
more cylindraceous, closely sheathing, rather thin in texture, narrowed at the base
into the flattened axial part, prolonged at the summit into a rather elongate acuminate
point; partial inflorescences inserted at the mouth of their own spathes, diffusely
panicled-pyramidate, the lower ones the largest 30 cm, long with 6-7 gradually
diminishing branchlots on each side, besides a few simple spikelets in the terminal
.parts, the lower branchlots 10-12 mm. long, pyramidal in outline, with 8-9 gradually
diminishing spikelets on each side ; secondary spathes very small, tubular-infundibuliform,
scarious in their upper part, truncate and entire at the mouth and prolonged
at ono side into un erect triangular point; spikelets horizontally inserted above the
moutli of their respective spathes, slightly arched, very slender, the larger ones, the
lowest of eacli branchlet 4-5 cm. long, with 5-7 flowers on each side; spathes closely
sheathing, tubular, slightly enlarged and exsuccous or subscarlous in their upper part;
involucre laterally attached at the baso of the spathei above its own and quit«
üxsert from this, cupular; involucre exactly cupular, entire; areola of the neuter
flower lunate. Female flowers vejy small, 2'5 mm. long; the calyx with 3 broadly
triangular lobes; the segments of the corolla barely narrower than the teeth of
calyx and about as long. Fruiting perianth distinctly pedicelliform with a flat
base. Fruit very small, when very young globular shortly beaked; scales in 15
longitudinal .series, straw-yellow coloured with a red-brown marginal line, not
channelled along the middle.
HABITAT.—The Philippines : Guinayangan, prov.
No. 2070 in herb. Berol.).
Taya bas in Luzon, ( Merrill
OBSERVATIONS.—This species is very distinct by its very narrow leaflets grouped
many very distinct fascicles and by the supradecompound very loose and much