Î^SALS.OF THE FIORAL BOTA.^IC GARDEN, CALCUTTA,
[/?. geniculatus
Bomefme. sl.ghtly curved, 4 - 5 mm. loag and only . b „ „ t I mm. thick ; the calyx
t u b u l a r , s t n a t e l y veined, with 3 superficial and rather ohtu.e teeth ; the corolla finely
s t r m t e l y yeined, about twice as long a, the calyx, parted down almost to the ba,o
i n t o 3 hnear segments ; filaments of the stamens filiform, free from the base and
w i t h mfleoted apices ; a n t h e r s versatile, linear, with the cells slightly disjunct in their
basal part, obtuse at both ends ; r u d i m e n t a r y ovary with a short cylindrical basal
p a r t , and 3 long linear rod-like stigmas, which a t t a i n to or even surpass the middle
of t h e corolla. Fm,le spadin very similar to the male one as to the general dimensions
of the spathes, the peduncular part, aud the number of partial inflorescences
but qmte different as to the flowers ; the lowest partial iuflorosoonces are 15-20 cm
long, have also a very short ;l.ô-20 mm. long) plano-convex peduncular part, a rather
t h i c k angular axis which has very short internodes, end only 3 - 5 spikalels on each
aide ; the spikelets are 8-18 cm- long, t h e upper ones somewhat shorter, are spreading
on account of a very conspicuous axillary callus, and carry distichally 4 - 7 flowers
on each s i d e ; their axes are slender, angular, conspicuously flexnose, the joints
between each flower being strongly curved (not zig-zag sinuous with straight ioiuts) •
spathels very shortly and rather loosely asymmotric.lly infundibuliform'
produced at one side into a triangular membranous point ; involucrophorum'
d i s t i n c t l y callous at its axilla, sometimes, especially in the lower part of thé
spikelets, very shortly pedicelliform, obconical aud obliquely calyciform, narrowin..
towards the base, but most frequently sessile in its spathel, slightly produced bul
b l u n t i s h at one side, and ™ith the other side embracing the base of the neuter
flower; involucre very obKquely cupular, slightly prolradiug beyond the
involucrophorum, especially on the side of the neuter flower, of which the
ai-eola is very distinct, ovate or suborbioular and niohs-like, sharply bordered the
scar not callous. F«mU jlmm 6-7 mm. long and rising from an ovoid 'base
n a r r ow towards the apex; the calyx ovoid-urceolate, finely striately veined with
3 very superficial bluntish teeth ; the corolla about as long as the calyx, ventricose
a n d undivided in its lower half, the segments lanceolate ; stamina! uroeolum
almost entirely united to the corolla, and crowned by 6 very short, thickish
t r i a n g u l a r , subulate teeth ; anthers linear, somewhat shorter than the segments'
FrmÛng pm«th almost explauate or very shortly pedicelliform on account °of thé
callous base of the calyx- Fruit broadly ovoid-elliptical, or globular-ovoid, 30-22
mm. long including the perianth and mucro, and 15—18 mm. b r o a d ; very mddeuly
t e r m i n a t e d by a slender, 2-3 mm. long beak ; scales in 15 longitudinal series, glossy
s l i g h t l y broader than long, grooved along the centre, of a dirty straw-colour with
a vei7 narrow, uniform, red-brown or very dark marginal Kne ; the margin itself is
v e r y narrowly scarious, finely erosely toothed, the point very shortly produced
obtuse. Seed sub-globular or slightly oblong, minutely pitted and tubercled- thé
ohalazal fovea punctiform, inconspicuous; albumen densely ruminated; embryo 'basal
HABITAT-—Pulo Pinang {a-Hffitk\ In the continental part of the Malayan
P e n i n s u l a it seems common in the district of Perak, where it was collected on
Gnnong T a m b a n g Batak {SeorkeUni No. 301' in Herb. Beocari) and in the same
d i s t r i c t by King't ciUeetor (No. 7849), at Goping (No. 576), at Laml (No. 3735 and
2 9 3 1 ) ; by R i i k y on the T h a i p i n g Hills (No. 11409 in Herb. Calcutt. and Becoari )
D. genicLilatus] BECCAEI. THE SPECIES OP DAEMONOROPS JGG
at Bujong Malacca (No. 9813 in Herb. Calcutt. and Becoari.). In Selangore at the 15th
milo, Pahang T r a c k (Biiten No. 8778 in Herb- Calcutt. and Beccari.). State of Fall,an"
Kuala Lepis {Maehado No. 11635 from R i d l e y in Herb. Beccari,).
OBSERVATIONS.—A very distinct, but rather variable, species, allied to D, veriiei^.
lam. The male spadix is almost identical in the two species and the spikelets of
both are more similar to those of a Calamus than to those of the greater number of
DaemnorofB, and indeed they closely resemble the spikelets of the species of the
group of C, paUistru.
Though externally the male spikelets of D. verUeiUam and D. ,enit«lata, are
v e r y similar, their flowers are widely different internally, as those of' t h e first have
t h e stamens inserted about midway down the corolla, and have a t the sides and at th
b a s e of each filament a fleshy globular nectariform body, while in D. oennhll
t h e stamens are inserted in the bottom of the corolla and ate devoid of these
special n e c t a r i f o rm bodies. D. (/mieulatm also differs considerably from D verHaiU^'
i n the armament of the spathes and leaf-sheaths, tliese last in D. gaie.btu, not
•offering such perfect contrivances for harbouring ants as in the other.
D. genieitbtm varies in the length and armament of the petiole, and of the pednu
cnlar part of the spadix, in the degree of spinescence of the p r i m a r y spathes, in th^
number of bristles on the nerves on the under-surface of the leaflets in the m
or less distinctly pedicelliform involncrophomm, aud in the shape and siJe of the fiurt
I n R i d l e y ' s No. 8778 from Selangore the complstely mature fruit is
l a r g e r than usual ellipsoidal, 25 mm. long (including the perianth and beak) and
19 mm. b r o a d ; the seed i. globose-ovoid, 14 mm. long, 1,2 mm broad M o t ^
t h e " Materials " 1. c. apparently considers D. ¡eniculatm as different from the n l . nt
diagnosed in Hook. f. PI. Brit. Ind. vi, p, 470, for after c i t i n g it he a d d " the word
" p a r t l y . ' Perhaps Mr. Ridley supposes that the male flowers a t t r i b u t e d in the " Flora
of British I n d i a " to D. are not its own, but I . m quite certain that
t h e y really belong to it, although veiy similar to those of O. venuilhn, as already
s t a t e d above- I have been able to ascertain this fact by numerous' Herbarium
spooimons, and also by the manuscript notes and drawings of D. gauubtus and D
«ertidUara, made by the late Father Scortechini on the Kving plants in their native
c o u n t r y .
PI.ATE 8 1 . - D a e m o n o r o p s geniculatus Mart. An intermediate portion
leaf
^ u n d e r - s u r f a c e ) ; p o r t i o n of a s h e a t h e d s t em wi t h e n t i r e s p a d i x i n f r u i t : f r om
S c o i t e c h i n i ' s specimen No. 3016 in Herb. Beccari. Partial i ' n f l o r ' e s r a M e ' ' ^ i a ° ' g r o w i n ,r
ovaries (in the upper part of the plate); from No. 7849 in Herb. Calc.
PLATS 8 2 . - D a e m o n o r o p s geniculatus Marl. Base of the petiole and upper part of a
l e a f - s h e a t h ; an intermediate portion of a leaf (midei-sm-face); an e n t i l e male s p a d i x -
a n isolated outoi spatbo. From a specimen collected by Scortechini in the District
-of Perak (Herb. Beccari).