
«3 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GAEDEN, CALCDTTA.
86. 0. tetradacty/us Haiioe.—Slender. Sheathed stem 6-10 mm. in diam. Leafsheaths
smooth or very scantily armed. Leaves small, about 45 cm. long; petiole
very short. Leaflets few, usually paired on each side of the racbis, the pairs subopposite
and forming 3-5 groups with long vacant spaces interposed, lanceolateelliptic
or oblong-lanceolate, 3-costulatc, smooth on both surfaces. Male tpadix ultradccompound,
arcuate. Female spadix simply decompound, ending in ii slender clawed
flagellum; the largest spikelots (the lowest) 4-5 cm. long with 5-6 remote flowers
on each side; involucrophorum more or Jess distinctly pedicellate. Fruiting perianth
distinctly pcdicelliforin. Fruit globose, 8-10 mm. in diam. Scales in 21-23 series
faiutly channelled along the middle.
Hong-Kong.
87. G, acanthospathus G-riif.—Snbscandent, rather robust. Sheathed stem 3-5 cm.
in diam. Leaf-sheaths not very elongate, covered with small spiny tubercles or with
broad-based, solitaa-y or confluent and subseriate spines. Leaves large, as much as
1-5 m. long; petiole short. Leaflets large, as much as 45 cm. long, 5-6 cm. broad,
many-costate and plicate, lanceolate, remote, inequidistant, never aggregate or paired.
Spadices elongate, flagolliform; primary spathes coriaceous, elongate, closely sheathing,
more or less armed with short conic prickles or almost smooth ; larger female
spikelets arcuate, sub-scorpioid, 5-7 cm. long with 10-14 flowers, which are disposed
in two somewhat unilateral series. Fruiting perianth pedicelliform, thick and short.
FJUH broadly ovoid, suddenly conically beaked, 24-25 mm. long, including the beak
and the perianth 14-15 mm, broad. Sealcs subshining, in 15 series, cinnamon brown,
superficially channelled along the middle. Seed deeply pitted on the back; albumen
subruminiite"; embryo basal,
India: Sikkiui Himalaya.
88. C. Feanus Becc,—Scandont. Sheathed stem 16-22 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths
mottled, armed with irregular subclimidiate conic prickles. Leaves about 1 m, long,
petiole very short or 0. Leaflets few (6-8 on each side), inequidistant, but not
fascicled j rather remote, somewhat concavo-convex, elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate,
manycostulate, the costas inconspicuously spinulous above, naked beneath, ¡¿0-3^ cm.
long, 5-7 cm. broad. Female spadix flagelliform, elongate; spathes very
elongate, entire, very closely sheathing, sparingly prickly; lower partial inflorescences
(the largest) 10-14 cm. long with 3-4 scorpioid .spikelets on each side; the flowers
slightly pointing awards. Fruiting perianth pedicelliform. FS-uit broadly ovoid, suddenly,
conically beaked, 17-18 mm. long, 12 mm. in diam. Scales in 15 series, opaque,
not channelled along the middle. Seed deeply grooved on the back; albumen subruminate;
embryo basal.
Tenasserim.
89- C. baou/aris Becc.—Stem erect, about 2 cm. in diam. Leaves about
2 m. long. Leaf-sheaths armed with long spines, open on the ventral side and
gradually passing into the petiole; this long and armed at the base with long
horizontal spines; rachis smooth beneath. Leaflets equidistant, narrowly lanceolate,
concolorous and shining on both surfaces, with 3 acute costse which are spinulous above
and smooth beneath. Male and female spadices erect unarmed; primary
tubular, rather loosely sheathing and split longitudinally above, smooth or <
BECCAEI. MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CALAMUS. 93
furnished with a fnw subspinous paleol» on the apex. Male flowers cylindraceous,
4 mm. long. Female flowers elongate-conic, 4 mm. long. Fruit spheric, 1 cm. in
diam. with a cylindraceous beak.
Borneo.
80. C. perakensis Becc.—.Siem short ercct. Leaf-sheaths open on the ventral
aide, passing gradually into the petiole. Leaves 1-1-3 m. long; petiole rather long,
armed at the sides with very long, sometimes as much as 6-7 cm., straight
horizontal spines; rachis minutely prickly beneath. Leaflets numerous, equidistant,
lanceolate-ensiform, 3-costate. Male and female spadices rigid, straight, not flagelliierous;
primary spathes tubular at the base, bursting upwards and more or less
expanded into an elongate, lanceolate, acuminate blade. Male flowers cylindraceous
4-5-5 mm. long. Female flowers perfectly bifarious, ovate-conical, 4 mm. long. Fruit
with mahogany red scales.
The llalayan Peninsula.
57. G. ramosissimus Gri£E.—Erect or snbscandent. Leaf-sheaths gradually passing
into the petiole. Leaves 2-3 m. long, terminated by a single entire Janceolate
leaflet; petiole 10-30 cm. long, armed lower down with straight robust spines and
upwards with stout claws. Leaflets numerous, subequidistant, lanceolate, manycostulate,
shining, concolorous. Male and female spadices relatively short, not flagelliform,
rigid; primary spathes open, flat, broadly linear, overlapping each other.
Fruit broadly ovoid or globose-ovoid, distinctly beaked, 13-14 mm. long, 8-10
mm. broad. Scales in 15 series, mahogany red.
The Malayan Peninsula.
92. C. paspalanthus Becc.-Scandent. Sheathed stem 1-2 cm. in diam Leafsheat'.
s conspicuously tumescent at the base of the petiole. Leaves rather large; petiole
elongate. Leaflets numerous, equidistant, approximate, narrowly linear, witl) 3 acute
cost®, which are sparsely bristly above and very minutely and closely ciliate
beneath. Male spadia: very elongate, flagelliform, with large and diffuse partial
inflorescences; primaiy spathes very long, tubular at the base and reduced to long
strands in their upper part; spikelets numerous, 1-5.2 cm. long, with 10-16
perfectly and closely bifarious, sub-horizontal flowers on each side; spathels and
invokcros boldly, striately veined. Female spadix very different from the male one,
very long (as much as 3-5 m.); partial inflorescences kept spreading by a reiy
large axillary callus; spikelets 10-12 cm. long with 15-20 flowers on each side,
spathels smooth. Fruit broadly ovate, 18 mm. long. Seed flattened, suborbicular.
Borneo.
• with spathels not or indisirregularly
armed with very
C. paspalanthus var. peninnularis 'BecG.—Male
tinctly striately veined. Female spadix with
small claws.
The Malayan Peninsula.
SS. C. Guruba Ham.—Scandent. Sheathed stem 1-2 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths
gibbous above, usually armed with ascendent, obliquely inserted spines. Leaves usually
60-SO cm. long, sometimes us much as I"3 m.; petiole 10-20 cm.
•fi-i
•SI,
j ' i '
' f f
I ' r
« ] • : I
I'
I
i i'l:'! •