126 ANNALS OP THE ROYAL BOTAXIO G-ARDE)J. CALCU'N'A. [_D. SparsifloruS
portion of a apadi:^ with full-^rowa fruits; ono seed (from Scortochini's spccioiea
ill Herb. Beccavi).
PLATE 51.— Daemonorops didyruophylliis Beco. Portions of R. specimen with
femalo spadices from a plant cuUivated at Biiitetizorg under the name of D.
tus T. et B. (in Herb. Beccari).
47. *DAEMONOKOHS .SPAKSIFLOEUS Becc. in Rec.l Bot. Sun lud. 23-1.
DKSCRIPTION. -Seaudent, about 10 m. liigh (Lobb). Sheaihe i stem 2-3 cm. in
diam. Leaf-sheatlis move or less fugaciously rusty-furfuraeeous, thick and almost
woody, strongly striate longitudinally, gibbous above, powerfully armed with flat, elastic,
unequal, often obliquely-inserted spines of which some are small, others large
and 2—3 cm, long; they have a very broad base and thence narrow rather abruptly,
to a needle-like light-coloured and often sinuoua point; they have more or legsfringed
margins, are horizoatul or slightly deflexed, usually individually distinct, but
more or less aligned in oblique series; the spines at the mouths of the sheaths are
not larger than the others; the mouth itself is obliquely truncate. Ocrea almost
obsolete. Leaves elongate (in one specimen 1-S m, long in the piuniferous part,
terminating in a cirrus about 1 m. in length); petiole elongate, about SO cm. long
and 1 cm. broad (in one specimen), plano-convex in its basal portion; higher up
it is somewhat flattened or slightly convex above; underneath it is convex, more of
less sparsely prickly, or at times clawed at long intervals; the edges are obtuser
variously armed with very short or 3-7 mm. long, solitary or digitate spines,
some of the spines even extending on to the upper surface; at the part nearest tO'
the edges the rachis in the first portion of its upper surface is slightly convex, and
rather deeply furrowed at the sides, where the leaflets are inserted ; higher up it is
bifaced with an acute but not prickly salient angle; underneath it is armed as
usual with 3-nate and finally, especially on the cirrus, with Half-whorled rather
slender claws ; leaflets very numerous, very closely spreadiugly and regularly equidistant,
10 on each side on a portion of ihe rachis 12 cm. in length, papyraceous,,
rigidulous, almost equally green on both surfaces, linear, not or only very slightly
narrowing towards' the base, where very abruptly bent backward, acuminate from far
above the middle to a finely bristly tip which is slightly indented 15—20 mm. bdow the
apex; the largest leaflets are 24—25 cm. long, 12 mm. broad ; the mid-costa is sharp
and bristly-spinulous above towards the apex, and is accompanied on each bide by a
slender, bristly-spinulous nerve; the leaflets, however, appear distinctly tri-costuiate
not so much because of these secondary nerves, as on account of a sharp plica
running near each margin; transverse veinlets very slender, much interrupted,
einuous, not very crowded, translucent, raargins remotely ciliated with rather long.
bristles. Male spadix Female spadiz 35-50 cm. long on the whole, apparently
flattened before flowering, attached to about the middle of the uncovered portion of
its leaf-sheath and carried on a very short peduncular part (1-4 cm. long); the latter
is clavate, unarmed and flattish with bluutish edges; primary spathes deciduous
soon after flowering, laterally flattened, and split longitudinally aloug one side.
!l for doscnption oì variety taraaaicensis and p; for deacriptbn of variety croisifolins
0. sparsifiorus] OECCAIA. THE SPECIES OF DAKMONOUOI'S, 127
ei.ch gradually protmding beyond the one immediately below and covered with a thin
rusty-furfuraceous indumentum, strongly pluri-costulate-striate longitudinally, oblongspathulate
; the outermost U-14 cm. Inng, armed with weak, slender, acicular,
frmged, solitary spines; on the dorsal keel the spines are confluent and sub-digitate;
the spathes are at their upper end truncate, densely crinite or furnished with
weak, slender, non-pungent, filiform, flexible, sinuous, light-coloured, 15-'<;0 mm.
long, subspiny bristles; the second spathe dees not differ from the oufermost, except
in being less spinous as are the following, the innermost is quite unarmed; during
the anthesis the female spadix forms an erect, rigid, rather dense panicle; its
main axis is slightly zig-zag sinuous, obsoletely angular with internodea 5-8 cm.
long and slightly swollen at the junctures; all the axial parts are more or less
fugaciously rusty-furfuraceous; the partial inflorescences are 6-7 in number, are paniculiform,
very shortly stalked, erect, ovate-pyramid ate and have a slender but rigid
angular axis; the lower partial inflorescences, which are also the largest, are 10-14
cm. long and bear alternately, ou each side, 5-7 erecto-patent, gradually diminishing
spikelets; ujiper partial inflorescences gradually smaller and with fewer spikelets;
secondary spathes not completely amplectent, very short, triangular, scale-like, acute;
the lower spikelets of every inflorescenco are the largest, 6—7 cm. in length;
their axes are filiform, rigid, sinuous, subterete pr obsoletely angular, and scabrid
after the fall of the minute scurf which covers them at first; the spikelets have
numerous flowers (25-30) which are alternately and almost spirally inserted, 3-4
mm. apart; spathes very small, shortly annular, slightly produced at one side
into a very small bracteiform triangular point; involucrophorum slender, conspicuously
pediceUiform, 2-5 mm. long (in the lower part of the spikelets longer
than higher up), subterete or obsoletely angular, slightly broadened at its upper end
and three edged by an inconspicuous limb ; the involucre is discoidal or reduced to a
flat, orbicular surface, edged by an inconspicuous margin ; areola of the neuter reduced
t o a punetiform scar. Female floivers ovoid-oblong, 4-5 mm. long; the calyx obconical.
cyathiform, narrowing towards the base, often obsoletely angular, finely striately-veined,
truncate and with 3 very superficial, acute teeth at the mouth ; the corolla twice as
long as the calyx, its undivided part as long; the segments broadly triangular, acute
and finely striate; the stigmas during the anthesis reach the apex of t
and are rather short, linear-oblong and obtuse. Neuter flowers comparatively "
as long as the female, but considerably narrower, obsoletely angular and sinuous by
mutual pressure, lincar-oblong, obtuse; the calyx cyathiform, truncate with 3 very
small, superficial and acute teeth; the corolla thrice as long as the calyx, both
finely and striately veined. Fruit
HAHITAT.—North Borneo at Labuan {Lobb. in Herb. Kew.). In Borneo it has
been also collected by Law (Eerb. Kew.), precise locality not given.
OBSKRVATIONS.—A very peculiar species stamling alone amongst those known to
me by its flowers being noi exactly distichally set, but almost spirally arranged
round the slender axes of the spikelets. The flowers are, moreover, carried on a
very slender involucrophorum, similar to that which is found in some species of
Calamus, as for instance in C. symphijsipus. Though apparently of the group of
D. Draco, it is not very closely related to any of these species known to me.