42 ANNALS OP THE EOYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. [^¿J, JENHINSIONUS.
2-i cm. ; the under-surface is usually quite smooth or with only a fewstraggling
bristles on the superficial mid-costa ; the margins are closely and
spreadingly bristly spinulous ; the largest leaflets, those a little above the base,,
are usually 40-50 cm. and in vigorous specimens up to 50-70 cm. long, and 20-22
mm, broiid ; those near the apex are gradually smaller and the ultimate ones
rudimentary. Spadiccs ( S and $ ) sub-axillary or inserted far below the mouth of their
sheath, not very broadly fusiform before flowering, erect, with a stout 3-6 cm. long
and more or less densely prickly peduncular pai't ; first or outermost soathe not very
deeply concave-cymbiform, lanceolate, very gradually narrowing to a long beak
reddish or rusty brown, long persistent and marcescent, acutely tw.o-keele i on
the dorsum, more or less furfuraceous and, except at tlie sides, coveracl, usually
very densely, with fuscesceut or spadiceoiis, shining, needle-like or even bristly
spines, wliich vary from a few millimeters to 3 cm. in lengtli and spread in
different ways; they have a bulbous base and are solitary or even fascicled, but
never seriate; the beak is almost as long as the body and unarmed; inner spathes
lanceolate-acuminato, very slightly concave or almost flat, of a cinnamon brown
colour when di-y, ihickishly papyraceous, spre¡idM5g during the anthesis, deciduous;
the second spathe bearing sometimes a fow needle-like spines on the two superficial
dorsal keels ; the others quite unarmed, glabrous inside, where of a darker colour
tkan externally. Male spadix 60-80 cm. long (including the beak) before the opening
of the spathes, cupressiform during the anthesis, nltra-decompomid, with 5-6 erect
appreased and approximate branches or partial inflorescieiices ; the secondary axial
parts more or less densely and decidaously rusty-furfuraceous ; the interuodes o£ themain
axis 2-3 cm. long, obsoletely flattened, rather slender and very slightly swollen
at the junctures; each branch forms by itself an ovate, densely flowered panicle,
10-15 cm. long, covered in every part with a rusty-furfuraceoua scurf, very
shortly stalked and divided again into numerous erect-patent secondary branchlets
which bear sub-distichously or slightly unilaterally 10-15 erect appressed spikelets and
on the whole lorm small cupressiform secondary partial infloresccnces ; secondary
and tertiary spathes with a very short, membraneous, sub-bracteiform, incompletely
embraciug limb and suddenly prolonged at one side into a subulate ciliate
point. The largest spikelets (the lowest of each branchlet) 2-3 cm. long, with a
rigid, slender, zigzag sinuous axis and with 4-6 distichous flowers on each sidethe
upper spikelets gradually shorter and with fewer flowers; spathels with a short
membranous bracteiform limb and prolonged at one side into a subulate bristly
penicillate point; involucre scarious, cupular, truncate, sub-biden(ate and with two small
brushes of small cilia on the side next to the axis. Male Jloivers erect, oblong,
obtusely trigonous, often slightly asymmetric, 4'5-5 mm. long, 2-2-5 mm. broad and
slightly narrowing towards the apex, not very acute; the calyx campanulate, very
superficially 3-toothed, each tooth with a small tuft of rusty haira at its apex, and with
3 groups of 9 strong veins outside, each group converging to one of the teeth ; the
corolla twice as long as the calyx, parted down almost to ihe baso into 3 coriaceous,
oblong-lanceolate, externally finely striate segments; filaments of the stameua subulate,
shortly cohering and thickened at tho base, slightly inflected at the apex ; anthers
linear, versatile, obtuse at the apex, attached about iiiidway, with cells a o-ood deal
disjoined; rudimentary ofary very small, hidden amongst the bases of the filaments.
D. Jenkinsianus.'] BECCAMI. THE SPECIES OF DAEMONOEOPS. 43
iemaU spadix, when with the spathes, very similar to the male one, but usually
smaller, 50-60 cm. long; the flowering panicle alone 20-27 cm. in length, simply
decompound, with 5-6 main branches or partial inflorescences; when in flower on tho
whole cupressiform ; when in fruit forming a dense thyrsoid-ovoid panicle, the
branches at first furfuraceous, later glabrescent, shortly and stoutly stalked, the uppermost
alono provided with a rather long peduncular part ; all bearing many erecto-patent
spikelets, which have a rigid zigzag sinuoua axis; the lower spikelets of each branch,
the largest, 7-8 cm. long, witli 6-7 alternately distichous flowers on each side, the
upper ones gradually shorter and with fewor flowers; the internodes of the main axis
obsoletely angular, 3-4 cm. long, not or very slightly swollen at their base; the
internodes of the. spikelets between two flowers are 4-5 mm. long, cyli'idraceoue,
slightly swollen at tlieir base; spathels bracteiform with a very short scarious and at
one side apiculate limb; involucrophorum pedicellifotm, 2-3 mm. long, cylindraceons
or obsoletely angular, slightly callous at its axis, broadened at the apex irto a
short oblique limb; involucre cupular, often somewhat obliquely truncate, obsoletely 3-
denticulate, slightly raised above the involucrophorum, strongly striately veined outside;
areola of the neuter flower rather small with a slightly tumescent semicircle above
the scar. Female flowers ovate, 5-5-5 mm. long; the calyx campanulate, truncate, very
distinctly and strongly veined; the corolla twice as long as the calyx, divided from a
little above the base into 3 narrow, lanceolate, acuminate segments which remain erect and
only slightly open divaricate during the anthesis; staminal urceolum crowned by 6 short
suddenly apiculate teeth; anthers effete, sagittate, a good deal shorter than tho lobes of
the corolla; ovary ovate-globular; style stout, short; stigmata subulate, papiJlose-lamellose
on the inner side, spreading horizontally amongst the segments of the corolla dm-ing the
anthesis. Fruiting perianth persistent, not quite explanate under the fruit, the calyx
being slightly convex and callous at the base. Fruit spherical, very shortly umbo,
nate-mucronulate, 15-18 mm. in diameter; scales in 18 longitudinal series, deeply and
narrowly channelled throughout along their centre line, the fruit appearing therefore very
distinctly marked by 18 longitudinal narrow furrows; the scales are straw-yellowish
or yellowish-brown, with a very narrow and inconspicuous darker intra-marginal line
and a lighter erosely-toothed murgiu, rhomboid, as long as broad, with an obtuse
not produced and not spotted apex. Seed erect, sub-spherical, very slightly flattened
not ventrioose on the raphal side, 13 mm. in diameter, 10 mm. thick, with a granular
and minutely pitted surface, the small pits corresponding to narrow channels which
are filled with a dark sub-resiuous stuff and penetrate two-thirds of the albumen
rendering the otherwise horny albumen ruminate ; embryo basal near the scar of
the iusertion of the seed.
HABITAT. —North-East India and Upper Burma, Sikkim Himalaya {Prain in Herb
Beccari); Chittagong Hills [Gamble in Herb. Beccari; Hooker f . ^ Thomson in Herb.
Kew.; Burkill No. 2i023 in Herb. Calcutta.); Dulka Jahr in tlie Terai {T. Anderson,
GamUa iu Herb, Boccari); Western Duars at Chekopara and at Buxa Reserve {Gamble)-,
Jalpaiguri and Kurseong {Burkill in Herb. Culcctta.J. In Cachar at Shapore {Keenan
in Hoi-b. Kew.); Sylhet {Rooher f . LV Thomson in Herb. Kew. aud C. B. Clarke
in Herb. Beccari); Assam {Griffith in Herb. Kew.); Khasia iliWs {Hooker /.'"^
Thomson in Herb. Kew.),
According to Anderson (1. c.) the fruit is mature in December in the Dulka
Jahr, whence the canes are exported to the districts of Dinajpur and Maldah.
AKN. ROT, BOT. GAED., CAI.CUITA, TOL. X I I.