4 8 6 ANNATES OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. HenryatlUS
side, Imear-easiform, somewhat luu-rowed towards the base, very gradually acuminate
to a long caudate bristly apex, usually witli a superficial but distinct indentation
on the lower margin not far from the apex-.-this bristly from tlie indentation
upwards—thinly papyraceous, green ou both surfaces, slightly paler beneath, with 3
very distinct costae which aro smooth or very sparingly spiuulous above, fainter and
furnished beneath, only near the summit, with small approximate subspiny bristles;
transverse veinlets approximate, very minute above, ahnost indistinct heneatli ; margins
remotely, very finely and adpressedly spinulous, tlie lower one slightly thickened and
bordered in the upper surface with a very narrow shining band ; the largest leaflets,
those a little above the base, 45 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad: the upper ones gradually
smaller and more distant: those of the cirrus abortive, very narrow.
PLATE 222.—Calamus brachystaehys Becc. The entire fruit spadix; tho basal
portion of a leaf with a portion of the sheath; the subcirriferous summit of the same
leaf; seed entire and longitudinally cut through the embiyo.
191. CALAMUS HENR^ANUS Becc. in Eec. Bot. Suvv. Ind. ii, 199
DESCRIPTION,—Scandent, Stem slender, about 10 m. long ( A . Henry). Leaf-sheaths
not seen. Leaves (not seen entire) with the rachis ( i n a portion probably from near
the base) rounded beneath, where it is armed along the middle with short, black,
solitary claws and laterally with some short, straight, horizontal spines, channelled
above in the centre, and with another narrow channel on each side for tho insertion
of the leaflets; these 32-37 cm. long, 14-16 mm. broad, inequidistant, pale green
when dry, sub-concolorous and finely striately veined longitudinally on both surfaces,
linear-ensiform, narrowing towards an acute base and gradually acuminate into a very
slender, slightly bristly-spinulous point, furnished above with 5 finely spinulous nerves,
of which the mesial is more prominent and more remotely spinulous than the others
and the one near each margin fainter than the intermediate ones; in tho lower
surface the five nerves are finer than above and of these two more finely and less distinctly
spinulous than the others; mai-gins very adpressedly spinulous. Male spadix
not seen. Female spadix not seen entire ; partial inflorescenceo 35 cm. long, very
strictly paniculate, bearing various erect spikelets; these decreasing in length from
the base upwards, irregularly and not diatiohously adpressed to the axis, which
terminates with a spike longer than the side ones and about one-third the length
of the entii-e inflorescence; primary spathes ; secondary spathes membranous,
smooth, tubular, slightly enlarged above and extended at one side into a broad
triangular finely striately veined tip; spikelets furnished with a peduncular portion
included in their respective spathes: the lower ones, the largest, 8-9 cm. long with
very many distichous flowers: the upper ones gradually shorter: the uppermost
with only 2-3 flowers on each side; spathels spathacoous-auricuHform; involuerophorum
inserted at the bottom of its own spathe at the base of the one above ( not laterally
adnata to the axis ), also spathaceous auiiculiform, 2-keeled on the side next to the
axis; involucre moulded on the involuerophorum with the areola of the sterile
flower elongate and bearing a persistent callous peduncular support to the flower
about 1 ram. in length. Female flowers erect in the involucres and half enveloped by
G- thysanolepis'] BECCABI. MONOGBAli'H OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 4 8 7
these, 4 mm. long. Fruit obovate, suddenly and distinctly beaked, small ( 12 mm.
long when not quite ripe ). Fruiting perianth not pedicelliform, cleft into 6 lanceolate
almost equal lobes; staminodes forming a ring more or less split and crowned by
6 short triangular teeth; scales yellowish-brown with ii broad intramarginal chestnutbrown
line, faintly channelled along tho middle; margins very narrowly scarious
and erosulate. Seed not seen matui-e, but with equable albumen.
HABITAT.— China; Yunnan on the
No. r¿239 in Herb. Cale.).
Szemao at about 1700 m. {Henrt/
OBSERVATIONS.—1 Lave seen only a small portion of a leaf and of a fruiting
spadix of this which, however, seems a species very distinct by its partial inflorescences
-with spikelets adpressed to the axis of the spadix, decreasing in length
from the base upwards and not alternately distichous as is usually the case iu
almost all other Calami. The flowers erect in the involucre and adpressed to the
axis of the spikelets are of very rare occurrence. The neuter flower in the female
spadix furnished with a very distinct and pej'sistent pedicel on the areola of the
involucre is also characteristic. 0. Ilenryanus shows a certain affinity with C.
leptospadix.
PLATE 223. - Calamus Henryanus Becc. Two partial inflorescences and portion
of the leaf. From the authentic specimen in the Calcutta Herbarium described above.
192. CALAMUS THYSANOLEPIS Hance in Journ. Bot. xii, ( 1874) 265 ; Becc. in Rec.
Bot. Surv, Ind. ii, 216.
DESCRIPTION.—Stemless, erect. Leaf-sheaths apparently not tubular and gradually
into the petiole. Leaves non-cirriferous, •8-l'2 m. long; petiole elongate,
Bubterete, complanate; rachis in its intermediate portion trigonous, acutely bifaced
above, roundish beneath, where armed along the middle with rather strong solitary
claws; leaflets numerous, conspicuously clustered, 2 to 6 on each side being very
approximate and almost in contact with one another and pointing difi"erent ways; the
fascicles are usually opposite with long vacant spaces ( 5 - 1 0 cm. long. ) interposed, yellowishgreen
on both surfaces, ensiform-acuminate with the mid-costa acute and one nerve
stronger than tho others on each side of it, all spinulous on the upper surface ; margins
spinulous; the largest leaflets 37 cm. (15 in., Hance) long, those of an intermediate
portion seen by me 30 cm. long, 15 to 20 mm. broad; the upper ones gradually
smaller. Male spadiz Female spadix not flagelHferous, unarmed, simply decompound
with about (5 recurved partial inflorescences; primary spathes unarmed, loosely
sheathing, furfuraceous, easily reduced into filaments; spikelets dense-flowered, about
7-5 cm. (3 in., Hance) long; spathels shortly tubular-infundibuliform, prolonged
at one side into a triangular acute point. Fruiting perianth distinctly pedicelliform.
fruit broadly ovoid-ellipsoid, shortly conically beaked, 15 mm. long; scales in 18 series,
not channelled along the middle, reddish-yellow passing into reddish-brown towards tho
apex, the margins finely ciliate-fringcd. Seed ellipsoid, slightly flattened, subtubercled
on the back, with a deep chakzal fovea on the raphal side; albumen
embryo basal.