" T i
1 6 8 ASIIAL9 OP THE EOYAL BOTANIC GAEDSN, CALCUTTA. [(?, MDIATUS
yellomsb, neatly bordered witli a naitow reddish-brown band wUch is a little
larger toward» tll6 shortly prolonged, obtuse, dontioulale tip; their margins erosely
denticulate. Seed aubglohoie, 6'5 mm. long, with a slightly depressed chalazal Jorea
on the raphal side, otherwise with even surlace; albumen equable; embryo basal.—
One tmit had two seeds, which were flat on the ventral face and conyei on the
back.
HABITAT—Ceylon, in the southern part of the Island. Distributed by Thwaites
with the same number as C. paehselemcm (C. P. No. 2334). It was first discovered
by Maior.&eneral Walker, according to a specimen in the Kcw Herbarium. Another
specimen collected by Gardner is in Webb's Herbarium at Floience.-Singalese
name ' Kookool-wel.'
RVATIONS.-Very closely related to 0. pachj$tmonm (see observations on] this
) and C. radiaius. From the last it difiers in the fewer, broader and manynerred
leaflets, and in the fruit with scales in 12 instead of 15 series.
PLATE 28.—Calamua digitatu Becc. Fruiting specimen from St. Petersburg
Herbarium.
PLATE 29.-Calamu8 digitatus Btco. Female specimen in flower (on the righthand
side) from a specimen in De Candolle's Herbarium; male specimen m flower
on the left side from Webb's Herbarium.
. 23. CALAMITS EADIAIDS. Thw. Enum. PL. Zeyl. Addenda, 431; Hook. f. Fl.
Brit. Ind. Ti, 442; Becc. in Reo. Bot. Surv. Ind. n, 20.
DESCIUPTIOS.-High scandent, yery slender. Sheathed Btem 5-7 mm. in diam.
Zeaf-sheaihs sometimes flagelliferous, not distinctly gibbous above, move or less
densely covered with straight, elongate or short, subulate, slender horizontal
spines, which are solitary or confluent by their broad bases and subsenate
lonaer more numerous and pointing upwards near the mouth. Ocr.. short and
obliquely truncate in full-grown leaves. leave, not pinnate, but with 5-8
d i g i l t e or radiate leaflets grouped at the apex of the petiole ; petiole
5-7 cm long, sabterete, narrowly channelled above, sparsely spinulous throughout
and sparingly clawed on the back, leaflets rigidulous, chartaceous, about 25 cm.
lone and 15-22 mm. broad, the two of the centre united at the base, all about
of the same length, very broadly linear (the outer usually narrower than the
central ones), shortly attenuate at the base, very suddenly contractcd at the
anex into an acmninate and very sparingly bristly-spinulous tip, shorter m
the centre leaflets, shining above, paler beneath, with the mid-costa slender but
very acute and with 3-4 slender secondary nerves on each side of i t ; transverso
veinlets slender, sharp, rather crowded, much interrupted; margins smooth; the
mid-costa and nerves smooth on both surfaces. Male spadix
Mite Jlowen (as described by Thwaites) cylindraceous-falcate; calyx twice_ as
lone as broad with 3 short, acute, triangular lobes; corolla about three times
l o n L than the calyx, divided down almost to the base into 3 linear, acute
s e e L n t s - stamens with filaments thickened in the lower half. FemaU spadiz simply
decompound, inserted near the mouth of the leaf-sheath with a distmct basal
C. ruuidus] B E C C A M . M O K O G B A P H O F T H E G E N U S C A L AMU S . 169
callus and a transverse axillary rima, flageUiform, very slender, with very few
partial inflorescences ( 2 - 6 , Thwaites), and prolonged into a Hliform minutely and
densely clawed ilagellum; primary spathea tubular, yery narrow and long, very
closely sheathing, obliquely truncate at the mouth, rather densely armed with
scattered small claws; the lowest flattened, the upper ones cylindraeeous ; partial
inflorescences small, delicate, 5—8 cm. long, inserted at or above the mouth of
theii- own spathe with 2-4 spikelets on each side; secondary spathes very
narrowly tubular, slightly enlarged above, glabrous, longitudinally striately veined,
truncate and apiculate at one side at the mouth ; spikelets inserted juat at the
mouth of their own spathe with a callus and transverse rima at their upper axilla,
very short (l-2'5 cm.), distichous, strongly deflexed, the largest—the lowest—with
6-7 flowers on each side; the upper somewhat smaller and with fewer flowers; spathel
obliquely infundibuliform, much narrowed at tho base, apiculate at one side at the
mouth where some strong nerves converge; involucrophorum shortly infundibuliform,
obKquely truncate, attached at the base of the spathel. above its own; involucre
deeply cupular or sub-infundibuliform, entire, obliquely truncate at the mouth,
strongly striately veined, callous at tho base; areola of the neuter flower
broadly ovate or nearly round, with a very sharp border. Female flowers ovoidacute,
about 3 mm. long ; calyx acutely trilobate ; corolla divided into 3 lanceolate,
acute segments, one-third longer than the calyx; calyx and corolla strongly
striately veined ; stamens with the filaments united by their bases, elongately
triangular in the free portion. Fruiting perianth explanate (not pedicelliform).
Fruit globular, 10-11 mm. in diam., supported by the somewhat pedicelliform
involucre and tipped by a distinct mucro; scales in 15 series, distinctly broader
than long, faintly channelled along the middle, yellowish, sharply bordered with
a narrow reddish-brown band which is a little broader towards the shortly
prolonged, obtuse, denticulate tip ; margins finely erosely denticulate. Seed iiregularly
globose, about 8 mm. long, with almost even surface; chalazal fovea small, slightly
n the raphal side; albumen equable j embryo basal.
HABITAT.—Ceylon : in the southern districts of the Island {Walker in Herb.
Kew ; Tkmitcs C. P. No. 3805).—Singalese name ' Kootool-Wel.'
OBSEKVATIOKS.—A very elegant species remarkable among all Asiatic
Lepidocaryece by its digitate leaves, resembling those of the American Lepidocaryum.
I t is also easily distinguished from the two related species, C.
and C. aigitaius, by the unicostate and peculiarly arranged leaflets.
PLATE 30.—Calamus radiatus Tkw. Portion of a plant with a female apadix
in flower, from Thwaites' No. 3805 in De Candolle's Herbarium.
24. CALAMUS EUVIDUS Becc. in Rec. Bot. Surv. I n d . ii, 202.
DESCEIPTION.—Scan dent. Leaf-sheaiks Leaves not cirriferous; petiole
rachis acutely bifaced and smooth above, ai-med beneath throughout
with rather strong, solitary, scattered claws; leaflets very few, remote, alternate,
oblanceolate, rather concave beneath, somewhat suddenly acuminate, long-attenuate
at the base, chartaceous, rigid, about the same colour perfectly glabrous and
AUK. E O I . BOT. GAKD. OALCVTTA VOL. X I .