ANUALS OF THE E O Ï A L IJOTANIC GAUDEK, CALCUTTA. [_[). MARGORITAE.
lopeoed spadix, female spadix ¡withojt the outermost fruit-spadix a n d
ed, (from Thorel's No. 929 in Herb. Paris).
8. DAEMOKOROPS MAKGARITAE Hance in Journ. of Bot. 1874, p.
Rec. Bot. Sarv. Ind. ii, 220;
Calamus Margantae Hance 1. o.
Beco, in
DESCRIPTION. Rather robust, 5 metres and more in length (Hance\ Leaf-slmihs
gibbous above, covered witli fugacious rufous scurf and powerfully armed with
elongate (2'5 cm. long), flat, deflexed, seriate spines, with oiany others smaller and
needle-like interposed between the larger ones. Leave» l - l ' S m. long in the pinnil
feroua part (6-10—pedalibus—Hance) the author probably including also the terminacirrus)
; petiole convex and sparingly prickly underneath, above flat and densely
covered with short, flat, often conflueût, ascendent prickles; rachis, in its first
portion, densely prickly above, like the petiole, and having from the middle upwards
an upper acute, salient, and prickly angle ; underneath armed along the centre of the
dovaum with a series of at first solidary, theu 2-5 nate and in the cirrus lialf
whorled claws ; other small claws are also scattered near the margins on the lower
surface of the intermediate portion. Leaflets numerous (50-75 pairs—Hance), equidistant,
rather closely set, 15-20 mni. apart, green on both surfaces, papyraceous,
linear-ensiform, broadest not very far above the base and thence attenuate to a rather
acute base and very gradually acuminate to a subulate and bristly tip, 30-45
cm. long, 13-18 mm. broad; on the upper surface the niid-costa acute with one and
occasionally two nerves on each side of it which carry some long bristles ; on the lower
surface tbe mid-costa alone is sparinjrly bristly ; margins closely and spveadingly ciliate.
Spadioes erect, subsessile, ventricose-fusiform before flowering and shortly beaked,
about 35 cm. long; outer spathe cymbiform, gradually and almost equally narrowing
towards both ends, the beak being not more than for one-fourth of its entire length
acutely two-keeied, armed all over, even on the luargin, and externally to the
keels, with unequal, flat, often laminate, scattered, spreading or deflexed, "1-2-5 cm.
long spines, those of the central part of the body being the broadest and longest;
second and third spathe sparingly spinulous; axial parts of the spadix glabrous;
secondary spathe and spathels bractiform, broadly ovate, acuminate. Spikelets
about 4 cm. long, having a strongly zig-zag sinuous axis and 6-7 flowers on
each side; involucrophorum bractiforra, embracing the base of the involucre and
quite devoid of a pedicellar part; involucre rather deeply cupular, truncate; areola
of the neutral flower somewhat depressed, and having a conspicuous, semicircular,
tumescent upper margin. Fruiling pejianth explanate with an apiculate base ; the
segments of the corolla twiiie as long as the calyx, lanceolate, rather acute. Fruit
when young ellipsoid and conically beaked, when quite mature spherical, 20-22 mm.
in diameter, tipped by a short stout beak and crowned by the small permanent
stigmas; scales in 18-20 longitudinal series, broadly channelled along the centre,
almost glossy, dark straw-coloured with light margins and darker intra-marginal line.
Seed globose, subreuiform ; albumen deeply ruminate ; embryo nearly basal.
HABITAT.—Hongkong, along water courses and streamlets on the hills overlooking
t h e valley of Wongneicliung {Ranoe, No. 18407 in St. Petersburg and Paris ~
D. Margaritae.] BRICCARI. THE SPECIES OF DAEMONOKOPS. 57
OBSEEVATIOXS.—Z>. Margaritae perhaps resembles D. Jenkinsimus more than any
other, differing from it chiefly in its short-beaked spadix, and in its outer
spathe, which has flat, often laciniate spines, but especially in the involucrophorum,
which is quite sessile, reduced to a simple concave bract, wanting the usual more
or less elongated pedicellar part. This character distinguishes D. Margaritae from
all other s[)ecies allied to D. melanochaetos and D. JenJdmianus.
PLATE 9.—: Hance, Lower portion of a leaf, upper
surface, spadix with young fruits; (from Hance's No. 18407 in the Paris Herbarium).
Female spadix in flower and two full grown fruits; (froca Hance's No. 18407 in
St. Petersburg Herbarium).
DAEMOSOROPS MARGARITAE v a r . PALAWANIEUS Becc.
DESCKIPTION.—Scandent, of moderate size. Leaf-sheaths . . . . Leaves of the upper
part of the plant elongate, terminating in a long and robust cirrus which is powerfully
armed with half to three-quarter whorls of very sharp claws: petiolar part . . . .; rachis
spinulous on the salient augle of the upper surface; leaflets numerous, those of
the intermediate and upper part of the leaf equidistant, not very closely set, 2'5-3
cm. apart, very narrowly linear-ensiform, acuminate to a filiform tip; on the lower
surface the mid-costa and one slender nerve on each side of it bristly, on the upper
surface usually smooth; margins very closely and finely ciliate. Male spadix . . . .
Female spadix before flowering elongate-fusiform, about 30 em. long, erect even when
in fruit, borne by a flattened pecicellar part, which, apparently, is 4 cm. loiif, 6—7
mm. broad and rather densely prickly; outer spathe narrowly cymbiform, shortly
beaked, armed with small, short, (5-15 mm. long), unequal, horizontal or deflexed
interruptedly seriate, narrowly laminar spines; the second spathe has a few scattered
feeble spines; the third is still less spinous. The panicle in fruit is 12-lo cm. long
with few branches; the internodes are slightly swollen in their basal part. Spikelets
short, with only 2-4 flowers on each sides; involucrophorum sub-sessile or very
shortly pedicelliform; involucre cupular, slightly exceeding the involucrophorum, absolutely
bidentate on the site of the neuter flower, of which the areola is rather
distinctly defined by acute margins, with the basal scar slightly tumescent. Fruiting
perianth explanate. Fruit spherical, abrui^tly raucronate, about 20 mm. ia diameterscales
in 21 longitudinal series with a narrow dark margin, neatly channelled along
the centre. Seed irregularly globular.
HABITAT.—Philippines. In the island _of Palawan, collected by F. W. Foxmrthy
in May 1906. (Herb. Bureau of Science, Manila, No. 899). '
OBSERVATIONS.—I have seen only incomplete specimens of this Daeoionoro'ps, which
is tlie only one of the group of Cymhosvatka hitherto fcund growing in the
Philippine Islands. It apparently differs from tj'pical D. Margaritae in the spikelets
01 the female spadix having fewer flowers, in the sharply defined areola of
the neuter flower, and in the outer spathe, being armed with small slender seriate
spines.
PLATE 10.—Daemonorops Margaritae var. palawanieus Beco. Tlie type specimen
No. 899 in the Herbarium at Manila.,
ANN. ROT. BOT. OAKD, CALCDTTA VOL. X I I ,