88 ANNALS OP THE EOYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. Lewisianus.
spines SpaJices approximate to the apex of the stem, beiore flowering
fusiform-Glliptic and moderately or shortly heated, axillary in appearance, erect,
supported on a short pedicel (1 cm. long) which is more ov less prickly on the dorsum
and at the margins; outermost spathe cymhiform, fm-furaceous, two-keeled, narrowed
into a beak, which is halt the length of the body and i.s armed with narrowly
laminar, subulate, elastic, rather long, blackish, not very crowded, solitary spines,
often 80 sleoder as to become bristly; second spathe slightly spinous along the two
keels; the otiiers glabrous and of a cinnamon colooi-. Male spadix (when not
enveloped by the spathes^ densely panicled, thyrsoid; rusty-furfuraceous on the
axial parts, with about five branches partial inflorescences), each 6 cm.
long, decompoundly divided into branchlets which bear 3-i very small
spikelets on each side; secondary spathes amplectent; spikelets very short,
rarely more than 1 em. in length with very few flowers (3-6 in all) ;
spathels amplectent, bracteiform, very slightly prolonged at one side, obtuse or
slightly apicuJate; involucre cupular, exactly truncate, the third part of the
length of the calyx, more or leas distinctly 2-tootlied on the side next to the
axis, teeth ciliate. Male fiowirs comparatively large, 6-6-5 mm. long, 2'5 ram.
broad,! oblong, obtuse; the calyx tubular-campanulate, very superficially 3-toothed,
its margin ciliate-furfuraoeous, especially on the apex of the teeth; the corolla
twice as long as the calyx, or longer, divided two-thirds down into three
oblong-lanceolate, rather ubtuse segments; stamens with filiiments connate
together for about two-thirds of their length, rather thick and subulate in the free
p a r t ; rudimentary ovaty very small. Femals spadix (when not enveloped by the
spatl.es) short, densely panicled, with 4-5 small partial inflorescences; the joints of
the main axis furfuraceous, the lower ones short (10-12 mm. long and
tumescent from midway down, the upper slender and more elongate; partial
inflorescences very short, with only 2-3 alternate spikelets on each side;
secondary spathes bracteiform, auiplectent, acumin ite, very finely veined; spikelets
very short with a sinuous axis and 5-6 distichous flowers in all; spathels
bracteiform, amplectent, acuminate, finely striate; involucrophorum rather thick,
about S mm. long mth a distinct axillary callus and a deep transverse fovea,
expanded at the apex into a sub-spathaceous and unilaterally acute limb;
involucre cupular, rather deep, about the third part of the length of the calyx,
truncate, entire or very obsoletely 2-dentate, finely striate]y-veined externally;
areola of the neuter flower orbicular, with a semicircular swelling on its upper
margin. Female jbwers ovate, 6 mm. long; the calyx urceolate, very superficially
3-toothedj rather strongly striately-veined externally; the corolla longer by onothird
than the calyx, ventricose in the part included in the calyx, divided down
almost to the base into three segments which are suddenly narrowed from the middle
upwards ioto a lanceolate point; staminal urceolum crowned by six short apiculate
teeth; anthers small, sagittate; ovary globular; style short and thick; stigmata
circinate, revolute. Fruii apparently small, globular, very suddenly beaked, 12 mm.
in diameter (cot quite mature); scales in 15 series, channelled along the centre,
straw-yellowish, shining, with a broad, pale, erosely-denticulate margin, and a
dark spot on the very obtuse point.
HABITAT.—Pulo Penang {Griffith)-, where it has been found again by Caudichaud
and more recently by GurUs and by liidUj/ at Moriot Koad (Hidley No. 19466 in
li.
D. Uiuishnus.'] BECCAKI. THE SPECIEa OF DAEM0N0E0P8.
Herb. Kew. and Calcatl.)- Griffith gives tlio Makyaii
The analogous name "K. Kusom" i» applied in Panglio
ime of
! to D.
' Rotang Kichu
OllSKHViTIOIis,—01 this speoios I have seon the type-specimon» in the Herbaria
of Kew, St. Petersburg and Calcutta, but they MC all in a »oty fragmentary
state and with female spadices only, while those of Gaadiohaud preserved in the
Herb. Delcssert at Genera and in Florence (Hatb. Webb) and Pari«, which
studied als have been o by Martins, bear male spadiees only without the outer
derived from Gaudiehand's
bear male
s p a t h e r My description of " the male-spadix and flowers
specimen.
Ridley's specimens (No. 9166) have a portion of a leaf (probably from the
•ntermediate part of the stem) with numorou», closely-set, equidistant leaflets, which
are very long and narrow ( 3 0 - 3 5 cm. in length, 12-13 mm. broad) with alnio.t
narallel margins from a little above the base, where they are very suddenly backwardly
phcate ; the mid-costa underneath is very finely bristly-spinulous from base to
apex The spadiees of these specimens are male only, and are somewhat larger
than'those represented in Griffith's plate. The outer spathe in one specimen is nearly
40 cm long (including the beak), and is armed with numerous, long, slender, often
ctiniform spines, which are deflexed, especially those along the centre; the beak
itself is in len.>th one-fourth of the entire spathe; the second and third spathes are
armed on their" upper parts with erect slender spines which are callou.s at the base.
Owing to the incompleteness of the typo-specimens I must acknowledge that t
have not a very clear idea of this species. It seems to me very closely
related to D. fetiohns from Malacca, of which it is perhaps the representative
form in Penang; it diflers, however, from this in its leaflets being not distinctly
S-costnlate and perhaps in its comparatively large male flowers, and also in the
very few-flowered female spikelets. Griffith describes the leaflets of 0. Lmkiami
as having the mid-costa bald on the lower surface, and really in a portion of a
leaf from an authentic specimen in the Calcutta Herbarium, the line of close small
bristles along the mid-costa on the lower surface Ls wanting, and only a few of
t.hem may be seen near the apex; I have observed the same fact in the St.
Petersburg specimens, while in those of Gaudichaud, which have been referred by
Martius, as also by myself, to D. Lmitiama, the bristles are rather numerous, but
apparently they are deciduous in old leaves.
The diagnostic characters of J). Lmàiamis a r e : - S i m non-scandent- U a f ^ h , a th
armed with lopg, laminar, subulate scattered or subseiiate non-confluent spines; leaflet»
of the lower leaves narrow, numerous, equidistant, rather close set, not distinctly
Scostuiate' spadiees rather closely approximate to the apex of the plant, axillary
lin appearance), very shortly peduncled; outer spathe aimed with scattered long
slender spines, the beak comparatively short; partial inflorescences of the female
snadix with very few, few-flowered spikelets; involucrophorum 2-d mm. long; areola
of the neuter flower suborbicular with a semi-circular swollen border. Fruit spherical,
small, suddenly beaked.
ANN, BOY. BOT. GARD. OALCUCTA TOL. S I J .