474 A.NNALS OF THE BOYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA,
of Rizal
[(?. siphonospathus
Antipolo, prov. (díerriU Nos. 1641 and 1643 in Herb. Manill.)
Some Bpecimens of an adult but not yet flowering plant collected by B. Garcia
at Azayat in prov. Pampanga (No. 53 Herb. Manil!.) and another specimen of a
young plant collected by Van Wiakle at Guinayangan, prov. Tayabas (No. 31
Herb. Manill.) v?ith a sheathed stem not more than 10 mm. in diam. apparently
belong to the typical form. To a diminutive form of C. stphono3pai/ius (type)
apparently also belongs a specimen collected by R. Garcia at Arayat, prov,
Pampaugu (No. ' 0 in Herb. Manill.) with a sheathed stem only 8-9 mm. in diam.
and leaf-sheaths almost totally unarmed. To No. 58 R. Garcia assigns the vernacular
name of "Palimanoc" in dialect Pampanga, and to No. 60 that of "Maay" in
Tagala. Van Wiokle gives the name of " T a l ó l a " in Tagala to his No. 31, and
eays that it is employed in making furciture.
OBSEKVATIONS.—Loher's No. 1364 and Merrill's Nos. 1641, 1643, 1891 are very
similar and have equidistant very narrow leaflets, 10-12 mm. broad with the bristles
short i>r subspinous on 3 costae above and on the mid-costa beneath; the primary
spathes are all rather densely prickly. The fruit is broadly ovoid, shortly conically
beaked with the scales in 15 longitudinal series. In a dry condition the leaflets in
Merrill's specimens are subglaucescent above or contrary to the rule paler above
than beneath.
CALAMUS SIPHONOSPATHUS v a r , FABINOSUS Becc.
DESCEIPTIOÍÍ.—Apparently moro robust than the type. Leaf-rachis densely covered,
at least in youth, with a dense white luealy removable tomontum and armed in
its upper part with half-whorls of very robust digitate-quinate claws ; leaflets equidistant
and approximate (in the portion seen by me), broadly linear, with remote,
long, fulvous bristles on 3 costae above, and with the bristles shorter and more numerous
on the mid-costa beneath. Female spadix very rigid, up to 1 m. long, with comparatively
large partial iuflorescences ; primary spathes unarmed and covercd with
the same mealy white removable indumentum as on the ieaf-rachis ; later probably
glabrous. Fruit scales in lo longitudinal series.
HABITAT.—Phihppines at Simutan iu Central Luzon (Loher No. 1375 in Herb.
Kew).
OBSERVATIOSS.—While the type specimens are more or less rusty-furfuraceous in
the younger parts, in this variety tho indumentum is very conspicaoasly white and
very abundant, but apparently disappearing with age especially froni the spathes.
CALAMUS siPH03sosPATnus var. SUBLEVIS Becc. ia Webbia, p. I352.
DESCRIPTION.—Leaf-sheaths very slightly spinous or totally smooth. Leaves with
the petiole and first portion of the rachis smooth or very sparingly prickly on both
surfaces ; leaflets very narrow with ' costae smooth or very sparingly spinulous
above; spathes quite smooth. Fruit scales in 15 longitudinal series.
HABITAT.—Mount Mariveles near Manilla.
OBSERVATIONS.—The most typical specimens of this variety are some with male
collected by Merrill on Mt. Mariveles (2nd January 190i, Herb. Manill. •>.
C. siphonospathus'} BECCAEI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMOS. 4 7 5
The plant is said to bo 3-4 m, high ; sheathed stem 3 cm. in diam., leaf-sbeaths
unarmed, with only a few flabby laminar spines round the mouth ; leaves with a
short smooth and only at the margins slightly prickly petiole ; leaflets linear, vory
narrow, with 3 smooth costae above; miile spadix 60 cm. long, nodding, with totally
unarmed spathes ; of these the two lowest not carrying partial inflorescences ; these
are sevon. The flowers are said to be fragrant.
Other specimens, also from Mt. Mariveles, Lamao River (Nos. 308, 286, 1577 Herb.
Manill.) as to the vegetative organs much reseaible the male plant described above,
but the sheathed stem is 13-18 cm. in diam. and more or less armed with few
flabby elastic scattered spines ; the ocrea (up to 10 cm. long) is also similarly armod;
female spadix nodding, (iO cm. long with 6 partial iuflorescoiices and quite unarmed
spathes. The leaves have the petiole aud first portion of the rachis slightly spinous
or unarmed ; the leaflets are very narrow, with 3 costae smooth or vory sparingly
spinulous above ; fruiting perianth cylindricous, distinctly pedicelHform ; fruit scalea
in 15 longitudinal series.
CALAMUS SIPHONOSPATHUS var. OLIGOLEPIS (MAJOR) Becc. in Webbia, 73.
C. ivfiatus Warb. in Herb. Berol. ; Becc. in Perkins, Fragm. FI. Pliilipp. i, 45.
DESCRIPTION.-Scandent, of moderate size. Leaf-sheaths Leaves as large
as in type ; rachis in its first portion, rounded and unarmed beneath, obsoletely angular
above, where sparsely and rather closcly spinulous; leaflets rather closely set,
apparently subequidistant but • now and then with a space between two leaflets
longer than usual, linear-ensiform, very acuminate, up to 35-37 cm. long and
13-15 mm. broad, sub-5-costulate, or with the mid •cost a on the upper surface
acute and two sccondaiy nerves on each side of it stronger than the others, the
5 nerves furnished with numerous long fulvous spreading and at the base bulbous
bristles ; the lower surface paler than the upper one with the mid-costa more or
less bristly-spinulous and the side nerves naked. Female spadix as in the type ;
primary spathes rather densely spinulous in their upper part. Spikelets 3-4 cm.
long with 10-12 flowers on each side. Fruiting perianth very distinctly pedicelHform,
the calyx cylindraccous, polished. Fruit (when young) globose-ovoid, suddenly
narrowed at the summit into a broad conic beak ; scales in 12 series, convex,
shining, not cliannelled along the middle, pale grey-yellowish with lighter scarious
margin, the point short, spotted with reddish-brown.
HABITAT.—The Philippine Islands at Sampalor in the Prov. of Tajabaa in
Central Luzon {Warburg in Herb. Berol.).
OBSERVATIONS.—Distinguished from the type only in the more conically beaked
fruit with fewer scales, these being in 12 instead of 15-18 series. The leaflets are
remarkable 011 account of the numerous spreading long bristles which occur on the
five nerves of the upper surface, they are 13-15 mm. broad. Of this variety
1 have seen a portion of the upper part of a leaf, an almost entire female spadix,
85 cm. in length with 6 gradually diminishing supra-decompound partial infloressences
and tenninating in a rather large closely sheathed unarmed caudiculum.
AMK. ROT. BOT. GAHD. OALCUTTA TOL. X I.