1 4 6 AÍTNALS OF T H E LIOZAL BOTANIC GARDEN. CALCUTTA [ ¿J. OBLOLIGUS
flowers; theii- axis is slender, filiform, and i n d e n t e d at the insofcion of eveiy flower;
spathels very sQiall, obliquely exteudcd at one side into an amplectent, triangulav
obtuse point; involucre formed by a very inconspicuous annular limb round tlic
small circular surface [upon •vvliicli the flower rests. J/s/c floiocrs very small, dblong,
obtuse, 3'5 mm. long, 1 mm. thick, covered with a fine, rusty-pulveruleat, reraoveable
s c u r f ; the calyx very Mnall, broadly trilobate; the corolla several timBs longer than
t h e calyx, very finely striate. Female spadix more robust than the mala, 40—60 era.
long, fas'igiato-cupressiform wliile in flower, afterwards when in fvuit forming
a loose, ovate, crect or slightly nodding panicle; the lower interuodes oC its
m a i n axis are 2 - 4 cm. long, 7 - S mni, in diam., and are almost terete, the upper
i n t e r n o d e s are irrogularly angular; partial inflorescences 7-10 in number, at first
erect, ultiaiutely spreading, more or less distinctly callous at thoir axilla, 12-1.5 cm.
long, with 5-6 alternately bifarious spreading spikelets on each side, their axes
s t r a i g h t , rigid, and more or less distinctly 3—l-gonous; the upper infl'irescences are
snorter and have fewer spikelets; secondary and t e r t i a r y spathes very short, annular,
membranous, slightly produced at one side i n t o a triangular, acuta point; spikelets
at first erect, then spreading, slightly callous at their axilla; the lower (largest) are
5 - 7 cm. long and have 7 - 9 bifarious flowers on each side, their axes are rather
slender ( l ' 5 - 2 mm. thick) angular and somewhat sinuous; spathels very short, annularamplectent,
producod at one side into a small, scale-like, broadly triangular, acute
p o i n t ; involucrophorum distinctly pedicelliform, subtrigonous, 1 - 4 mm. long, narrowing
towards the base, at first appressed, later spreadin:.'-, and with a distinct axillary
callus, t r u n c a t e and with a very short, scale-liko limb at one side, at the uppet end;
involucre somewhat raised above t h e involucrophorum, p e r f e c t l y flat, disciform, with the
l i m b reduced to a v e i y narrow annular rim round the circular scar; areola of the
u f u t e r flower slightly concave, niche.like and with a small basilar, non-swollen scar.
Neuter flowf.rs 4 mm. long, more slender and more acuminate than the m a l e ; the corolla
BBveral times longer than tho calyx which is very small. Female flowers while ia
bud trigonous-pyramidate, acute, 5 mm. l o n g ; the calyx very shullowly cupiiiar or
almost flat, truncate, and with three very superficial t e e t h ; the corolla several times
longer t h a n the calyx, ventricose and undivided in its lower third, the segments
t r i a n g u l a r , acuminate, strongly striately-voinod. Fi-uithig perhnth very broadly obconieal,
subpedicelliform. Friúi (when quite mature) oblong-cylindrical, rounded at botli
ends, the apex minutely manimillute, ííO-25 nno. long, l O - l l mm. in diam.; scales
i n 15 longitudinal series, each stuies composed of 11-12, not reckoning the
r u d i m e n t a r y ones, narrowly and sharply grooved along the centre, almost r e g u l a r l y rhomboidal,
broader than lun^. rather dull or slightly glosHy, of a uniform straw-colour with
a slightly darker but faint; i n t r a m a r g i n a l line, and a lighter, scarious, finely eroselyt
o o t h e d m a r g i n ; the t i p obtuse. ¿Seed oblong-cylindrical, rounded at both ends, lb mm.
l o n g or at times less, 7 mui. thiuk, very slightly tubercled and p i t t e d ; the chalazal
fovoa very indistinct, superficial and in the shape of a small fissure almost in the
c e n t r e o f ' t h e raphal side; the albumen ruminate or penetrated by numerous very
n a r r ow channels; embryo exactly basal.
HABITAT,—On the volcanic mountains of the west part of Java, and probably
also in S.E. Sumatra, {Zollinger No. 2301 in Herb. Boissier). In Java it
t h e name of " R o t a n g " or " H o h - e h t a r t a s ."
D. oblongus] BECCAKI. THE SPECRES OP DAEMOSOBOPS. UR
OBSERVATIONS.—B. oblongn is, in Java, the representative species of D. llijitrix
I t is very closely related to the latter but apparently specifically distinct by not
v e r y striking yet numerous characteristics; of these, the most conspicuous are the
move elongate cyclindraceous f r u i t ; the shorter spines at the mouth of the sheaths;
t h e leaflets, though bristly on five nerves beneath, have the bristles not very
close together, and do not form a continuous line as in D, Ilijstrix] further the
f e m a l e flowers of D, oblongus, have the calyx almost flat, and therefore several
times shorter than the corolla, while in D, HyslTiz the Ciilyx is shortly cupuliform,
and t h e corolla four times as long as the calyx ; the involucre protrudes beyond the
involucrophorum farther than in D. Ht/siriz, and the areola of the neuter flower is
more evolute, concave and niche-like.
T h e specimens of D. ohhngus upon which Blu-ne, Martins and Jliquel have
consisted of mixed up parts of m o r j t h a u one species, a f.-icfc which caused
many errors. The inspection, however, o! most of the authentic specimens, and
t h e study that I have made of very complete specimens of the true 2). ohlongus,
g a t h e r e d from plants cultivated at Buitenzorg, has enabled me to disentangle the
i n t r i c a t e synonymy of this species. I have thereby discovered that Z>. platyacanthu
Mart, and D hirsiitia Bl, are in a great measure the same as D. oblongus. The first
description of 0. oblongus Reinw. appeared in Martins' large work in the first edition
of the page 207 of Vol. I l l ; this spscies must, ther.3fore, be considered as astablished
on the peculiarly elongate fruit figured by Martius in plate 160 f. IV, 1. 2. 3, but
the leaf-shcath attributed to it, and represented in f. V of tJie same plate
1(30, is really that of Oalamus adspergus. Martius's D. platyacanthus is wholly 0,
ohlonqtts, and the spadix reproduced by him in pi. 160 is really that of this
species, but with young fruit. To D. oblongus belongs also the leaf-sheath represented
in f. I l l of that plate, but without the peculiar spines at its mouth, for
these had been mutilated in the specimen used for that plate, as I have been able
t o prove by the authentic specimen.
Damonorops hirsutus Bi. is a p p a r e n t l y D. Ilgstrix growing in Sumatra as to
t h e leaves (Rumphia iii, pi. 185, f. A. B. C.) and 0. ohlongus as to the fruit
{Uumphia iii, pi- 133 U. E, and pi. ^ D.)
D. hhsulus var. brivifolius is a p p a r e n t l y made up of the f r u i t of D. ohlongus, and
t h e leaves of D. irichrous.
r L i T E 59. —Daemonorops oblongus Mart, Upper part of a leaf sheath and base
of the petiole; an intermediate portion of a leaf (upper surface); male spadices, ona
b e f o r e the anthesis, the other after it. In ccntre of plate, a portion of female
spadix in flower; a fruiting panicle: two detached spikelets with very elongate
f r u i t s . All parts from plants c u l t i v a t e d at Buitenzorg in Herb. Beccari.
ANK. KOT, BOI, GTARU., OAI.CU'