156 AKN.VL3 OF THE EOYAL BOTA^TIC GABDEN. CALCUTTA. HeudelotU
of 2-3, occasionally 4, on each side, the fascicles of one side opposite or alternate
-with those of the other side and -with short or long vacant spaces among them;
in some the rather long portions are sometimes nearly equidistant ; they are all
linear, lanceolate or laiiceolate-ensiform, narrow •ed at the base and suhulately
acuminate into a hairy ciliolate tip, papyraceous, rather rigid, sabshiinng, of about
the same colour on both surfaces, but a little paler beneath, where they are
glabrous, not scaly or dotted and -with all the nerves faint and naked or -n-ith a
ie-w vory small spinules along the mid-costa ; the upper surface indistinctly
3-co8tulate, or 1-costate with 1-2 slender nerves on each side of the mid-costa,
•which is rather aeuie and spinulous above ; the side-nerves naked or sometimes
very sparingly spiimlous ; the transverse veinlets much interrupted and rather distant ;
the margins slightly thickened by a fine nerve and finely spinulous-serrate ; the
largest leaflets, those a little above the base, 25-28 cm. long by 12-16 mm. in breadth;
t h e two extreme ones much smaller and quite free at the base. Male spadix not
seen. Female spadiz (not seen entire)—its axial unsheathed part very slender—
strongly armed -with very sharp, sohtary or aggregate black-tipped claws
which rest on a swollen light base ; primary spathes tubular, elongate, closely
sheathing, the lowest flattened aculeolate at the sides ; partial inflorescences short
(15-17 cm, long), rising erect and then arched downwards, not callous at
the axilla, with o-T spikelets on each side, secondary spathes elongate-infundibuliform,
smooth, obliquely truQcate at the mouth and produced on one side into a
triangular, acute, patent point; spikelets inserted just at the moiith of their own
spathe, slightly callous at their axilla, arched and strongly recurved, short, subcylindraceous,
2-4 cm. long, bearing 3-7 flowers on each side; spathels infuudibuliform,
narrowed at the base, smooth, truncate at the mouth; involucrophorum cupular,
very obliquely truncate, narrowing to the base and attached at the bottom of its
own spathe where it is almost entirely enclosed, very acutely 2-keeled on the side
next to the axis; involucre obliquely cupular, entire, rather deep ; areola of the
neuter flower concave, ovate, sharply defined. FruiiinQ perianth not pedicelliform,
but esplanate under the fruit. Female flowers about 4 mm. long; the calyx striately
veined, 3-toothed, ultimately entirely split; the corolla one-third longer than the
calyx, divided down into three narrowly ovate, nearly obtuse segments, smooth
outside • the stamens -with filaments connate by tbeir bases, elongate-triangular in the
free part, anthers linear. Fruii ovoid, roundish at the base and gradually narrowing
upwards into a conical beak, about 15 mm. long, 9 mm. thick; scales in 15-16
series, channelled along the middle, shiny, yellowish-brown with a darker rustyreddish
intramarglnal line, rather acute tip and erosely-toothed scarious margius.
Seed eloDgately-ovoid, about 9 mm. long, with an almost smooth surface and a not
very deep chalazal fovea in the centre of the raphal face; albumen
the Islands Cayaye and Souloubolon of
L Herb. Webb, Kew and Delessert); River
HABITAT.—Senegambia : abundant <
the River Gambia {Umdelot No. 372
Gambia {Ingram in Herb. Kew.).
OBSERVATIONS.—According to a note (the copy of Heudelot's original one ?)
accompanying a specimen in Webb's Herbarium at Florence, this is a plant not
-surpassing 2-3 m. in height. This specimen consists of the upper part of a leaf
C. falabensis] JJECCAEI. MONOGIAPH OF THE GENUS CALAAIUS, 157
•and of a small portion of a female spadix with only one partial inflorescence oliarged
with nearly mature fruits. Ingram's specimen is sterile and consists of the upper
leafy portion of a stem.
The description of the leaf-sheath and of the ocrca is from a sterile specimen
in the Herbarium at Kew, collected like those of Heudelot on the banks of the
River Gambia. Heudelot's original note, with the date of 1836 annexed to his
No. 372 in Delcssert's Herbarium, says that it is " a palm 2-3 m. high with
reclining stems which are 3-4 cm. in diam. and furnished as well as the leaves with
hooked spines. It was in flower and had fruit in March. Found on the Islands
Cayaye and Souloubolon, where it grows in such abundance on the banks of the
river ( Gambia) as to render it very difficult to penetrate into the interior of those
islands."
Heudelot's specimens are all very fragmentary, consisting of portions of the leaves
and detached partial inflorescences with almost ripe fniit.
PLATE 21,-Calamus Heudelotii Beee. The upper portion of a young plant (on the
left side) from Ingram's specimen in Herb. Kew; apex of a leaf and partial
inflorescences with matm-e fruit from Heudelot's No. 372 in Herb. "iVebb at Florence.
16. CALAMUS FALABENSIS Becc. sp. n.
DESOBIPTIOS.—Soandent MD apparently sloiidei. Leaf-slMh, Lcavis
not c i n i t e o n s ; pstiole . . . .; rachis in the upper portion fiattish beneatli, where
armed with remote, small, Wack-tipped claws; leaSets inequidistant, inserted at a
rather acute angle, some of them no more than 3 cm. apart with vacant space» 4-7
cm. Ions, papyraceous, rather rigid, dull-green, slightly paler beneath, vory narrowly
lanceolate, somewhat narrowed to the base and from the lower third part upward,
gradually acuminate into a very fine point, bristly spinulous at the sides, unicostate or
sometimes sub-tricostulato ; tlio mid-costa rather slender, famished with a few bristly
brown rather distinct spiuulcs on both surfaoos; the secondary nerves arc two on each
side of the mid-costa, with an additional one on cach m a r g i n - a l l are naked above
and one on each side of the mid-costa is spinulous-bristly beneath; transverse
veinlets fine, not very crowded and much interrupted; the largest leaSets (the
lowest of the small portion of the leaf seen by mc) 20 em. long and 18--20 mm.
in breadth; the upper rather suddenly shorter, the two terminal very narrow, free
at the base. Male spaiit elongate-flagelliform (not seen entire); the basilar axial
portions between two partial inflotesconces narrow and armed on the back with
more or less aggregate claws ; upper primary spathes very narrow, very long, tubularcylindtaoeous,
very closely sheathing, almost polished, but striate laterally, obliquely
truncate at the mouth and eitended at one side at the apex into a triangular
p o i n t ; partial inflorescences inserted above the mouth of their own spathe, not callous
at their axilla, arising at first erect next to the axis, then nodding, in one specimen
35 cm. long with 12-13 spikelets on each side and ending in a cylindraceous
tail-like appendix—about i cm. long, sheathed with unarmed spathes; secondary
spathes tubular-infandihuHform, narrowed to the base, unarmed, finely striately
veined, entire and obliquely truncate at the mouth, prolonged at one side into a
lather elongate triangular point; spikelets attached near, but inside the mouth of their