186 ANSd.LS o r THE BOYdL EOTA^'IC GAKDES. CALCUTrA. ID. geniculatus
leflflets, Avhich are quite smooth and baid on botfi surfaces. It seems, however,
closely related to n. Forbssii, D. oli^op/i^/llm and D. Sahut. The leaf-sheaths in the
disposition of the ci'iniferous collars closely resemble those of D, psmdo-mii'iiHlis.
PnATE SO.—Daemoiiorops maoi-ophyilus Bees. it represents the type specimen
in Herb. Beccari.
7-3. Dagmosorops GesictlLATDs Mart. Hist. Mat. Palm, iii, 321) ( 1 8 4 9 ) ; Miq.
FI. Ind. Bat, iii, 9.3 ; Walp. Ann. iii, 478 and v, 828 ; Hook' f. Fl".
Brit. Ind. vi, 470; Booc. in liec. Bot. SurT. Ind. ii, 32!<; Ridlet Hat
r i . Mal. Penin. li, 184.
Cammus grnalatm Stifl. in Calc. Jonrn. Nat. Hist, t (184.3), 67 and Palm
Brit. Ind. 77, pi. CCIIA.B,; Miquel, De Palm, Arc. Ind. 28; h!
Wendl. ia Kerch. Palm., 236.
Dbsompiios.—High scandent, but flowers also when only 2 - 3 f t . from the c^ronnd
(SmrmUm). SlmtlwJ 3'5-4 cm. in diameter. La/siMs not gibbous above, armed at
short intervals, especielly on the upper part of the dorsum, with several sab-parallel, ohliaiic
semi-circular or at times complete spiniferous crests or row-! of deflexed or spreading
spines united by their bases into membranous rings; the spines are mostly larc^e
unequal, 3 - 4 cm. long, thinly laminar and blackish; intermingled with these spines L-e
slender, brittle, needle-like or setiform spiculae; the parallel rows of spines, as a rule
descend obliquely from the rim of the mouth and surround the dorsum of 'the sheath \
some of the lower rows, however, are completely encircling; the mouth is very oblique'
densely armed with long and narrow ascendent spines of which some are as
as 10-15 cm. in length. 0(;rsi inconspicuoui. Leavsi; large, eloni^ate
2-1-1-5 m. long in tho pinnilerous part, and terminating in a strongly-cllwod d°rns'
about as long; petiole elongate, usually 30-40 cm. in length but in vigorous leaves'
especially in those of the lower p.rt of the stem, as „,uch as 60-80 cm., robust '
to lo mm. broad near the base where it is plano-eonve.t; higher up it
flattened-bioonvex, or convex beneath, and obsolotely angular above, conspicuously
and rather closely armed on tho very obtuse edges with very long, erecto-patent, ri.id
straight, spiky, woody spines that are frequently accompanied, at their bales'
by others shorter and divergent or digitate; the longest spines are those near the'
base, which are as mncli as 15-18 cm. long, and become gradually shorter higher
up, where they are sometimes transformed into digitate, hooked prickles; on the
upper surface the petiole is sparsely and uiinutely prickly, the prickle, being
often approximate in small series; the dorsum of tlie petiole is smooth, eipecially
the rachis in the lower portion of the upper surface has an obtuse
and is more or less deeply grooved at the sides, higher up the salient
angle becomes acute with Hat faces; it is smooth all over; on the under surface
the taelii. i. armed with 3-nate, or .5-7-naie black-tipped claws. L„Jl,i, rather
very ineqmdistant, more or less distinctly approximate into several group.
and i
cuch
up
at ita
salient
D. geniculatus] «ECOAlil. THE SPliCIáS OP IJAEMON iROPS. 187
formed each of 5-7 leaflets, on each aide of the rachis, the groiijjs on one side
beiDg subopposite, or shortly altemata with those of the other side; in each group the
leaflets are all in one plane, almost equidistanr, and 2 - 4 cm. apiwt; the vacant spaces
between the different grou))s vary from 3 to 15 cm.; the leaflets are rather firmly
papyraceous,, green, paler beneath, narrowly lanceolate or ensiform, broad(JSt about
their middle, and tlienoe tapering somewhat to a not very acute, but suddenly plicate
base, aud gradually narrowing above to a subulate and finely cauilate briatly tip; on
the upper surface tho baftets have thu mid-coata acute, remotely spinulous or quite
smooth, and aever-il unequal slender aud smooth secotidary nerves ; on tho under
surface usually 3 but not unfretjuently 5 and at times 7 nerves are more or less
unequally hu'nished with spinuloua or _ very short bristles; transverse veinlets very
numerous, but usually not very distinct; margins inconspicuously, remotely and appressedly
apinulous ; the lower margin has a rather disrinct bristly indentation not very
far below the caudate apex ; the lower and intermediate leaflets are 30-10 cm. long,
2 0 - ^0 uim. broad; the upper are not munh smaller, Mak spadix erect, rigid, elongate,
terete, acuminate before flowering: when in floweT it has a rather dense supradocompound
cupressiform panicle, which in vigorous specimens attains 40-60 cm. in
length, and is supported by a peduncular part as long or even longer; the latter is flattened,
narrows slightly towards the base, has smooth surfaces, and not very aharp
edges, which are usually smooth at their bases, but are more or less powerfully armed
in the remainder; in some specimens the spines are solitary, very strong and up to 4-9
cm. long, sliglitly deflesed and regularly disposed, in others they are fascicled, of
unequal length but short, and digitate-divaricate or at times almost obsolete ;
primary spathes thin, papyraceou-s, exsuceous, covered when young with a fugacious,
soft, furfurdceous aourf; they split easily longitudinally, ar§ open and rather flat during
the anthesis and soon deciduous; the outermost spathe is narrowly lanceolate and
acuminate, it has two slender keels on the outer dorsal surface, which usually carry,
at regular interval.-', several tufts of very weak, slender, and long, nr.n.pungent,
gubspiuy bristles; these same bristles occur also on the ventral side along the line of
opening of the spathe; further the surface between the keels and especially towards
the upper end is not infrequently covered with short, scattered, comb-like series of
black spiculae; the inner spathes are very narrow and acuminate, each gradually
protruding beyond that immediately below; only the lower are bristry along
the centre of ttie dorsum towards .he apex; the axial parts of the panicle ai-e
densely furfuraceous when young, and glabrcacent afterwards; the main axis of
the apai.lix is slightly flattened, and obsoletely and irregularly armed; the partial
inflorescences are 5-7 in number; secondary and tertiary spathes bracteiform, produced
at one side into a triangular exsuccous acuminate point; partial infloreiceucea ovate
in outline, strongly callous in their asillas, erecto-patent, 12-17 cm. long, with 3-5
gradually shorter spreading braachlets; the lowest of these ia the largest, 6-7 cm.
long, and carries 4 - 6 spikelets on eacti side; the others are shorter and with fewer
spikelets; both branchlew aud spikelets are conspicuously callous in the axilla; the
spikelets are spreading, flattened, comb-like, 2 - 3 cm. long, 10-11 mm. broad, aud carry,
perfectly bifariously, 20-25 contiguous flowers on each aide; spathels bracteiform horizontal
or slightly deflexed, broadly and shallowly cymbiform, acute; the apex not or
very slightly proti-uding beyond the involucre which is deeply cupular, tmncate, entire
and tomentose at the base like its spathel. Male /lowers elongate, linear, terete, obtuse
Ans. Eo-v. Box. Gaud., Calcdita, Yoi. XII,