1 63 ANNALS OP THE BOYAL BOTAHIO QARDEN, CALCUTTA. ocfirolepi's
P l a t e 65.—Daeraonorops ochrolepis Becc. Upper portioa of a leaf-sheath with tbe
lower portion of a female apadix in flower; aa entire fruiting spadix; intermediate
portion of a leaf (under surface). From Merrill's No. 2069 in Herb. Manill.
Daemonobops ochrolepis var. badulosus Becc.
Description.—Rather robust. Sheatked stem about 4 cm. in diameter, copiously
armed with interrupted, approximate, oblique series of pectinate, very slender, rigid
bristles, which are united by their bases into very narrow, membranous, interrupted
crests. Ocrea very short, ligulifovm, uppareutly bristly. Leaves large; petiole about
18 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, fiat on the upper surface, convex on the back, and like
the lower portion of the rachis (which is flattened and biconvex) covered on both
surfaces, but especially on the upper, with very small, but robust, almost uniform
ascendent spines; in its upper portion the rachis is convex, bifaced above and has
the salient angle spinulous; leaflets as in the typical form, the largest aa much as
60 cm. long and 35-38 mm. broad. The portions of fruiting spadix seen by me
do not differ from the corresponding parts of the typical form. Fruii spherical, very
shortly and conical-beaked, only 18 mm. in diameter, but it is not quite mature.
Habitat.—The Philippines: Tayabas Province, Luzon, S. M. Curran, March 1908.
To this same variety I refer a fruiting specimen collected in Mindanao, Camp Keithley,
Lake Lanao, by Mrs. Mary Strong Clemm, Jan. 1907, No. 898. (In this specimen the
fruits are globose-ovoid, only lo mm. in diameter, but they are very immature.)
Observations.—This variety differs from the type, in the petiole and lower
portion of the rachis not being smooth, but densely prickly on both surfaces; also
in the salient angle of the rachis being spiuulous throughout to the very end of
the pinniferous part.
To the variety radulosus of D. ochrolcpis apparently belongs a specimen with
male spadices which was collected by Loher at Siya biindoc (Province Rizal), Philippines,
June 1905 (No, 7078 in Hei-b. Kew.) Of this I subjoin a description.
The sheathed stem is about 3 cm. in diameter. Leaf-sheaths armed with several
oblique series of pectinate slender spines, which are darker, stronger, and longer
than in Clemens's specimens No. 898 from Mindanao; petiole strongly prickly on
its upper surface; salient angle of the rachis spinulous; leaflets as in the type.
Male spadix erect, elongate, before flowering very narrow and terete, 1-1-I m.
long, 1 cm. in diameter, composed of 9-10 partial inflorescences and an equal
number of primary spathes; during the anthesis the panicle is strict and very
narrow; pedicellav part rather elongate, rather densely armed with ascendent, straight,
spieuliform spines; primary spathes before flowering cylindrical, covered externally
with a very adherent, thin, brown-furfuraceous indumentum; internally they are
polished, striate and of a cinnamon-brown colour; their mouth truncate and fringed
or ciliate with rigid, blackish, bristle-like spiculae; the outermost spathc covers only
the base of the next within, is armed with scattered spiculae externally, acutely
keeled on the back, and terminating in a broadly triangular point: when spread out
D. Ciemenaianus.] «eccabi. t b e s^bcies of DAEMo^oaoP8. 103
(after the anthesis) elongate-cuneiform; the second and the third inner spathes are
sparingly bnstly-spinulous, and also cuneato (when open); the succeeding ones are
smooth, broadly linear and terminate in a deltoid bristly point; the axial part of the
spadix is slender, ruaty-furfuraceous; partial inflorescences 8-12 cm. long, much
branched; sirikelets, very slender, angular, with several sub-unilateral flowers; each
flower is supported by a small, scale-Hke, acute bract (spathel) within which it is
furnished with a rudimentary involucre. Male flowers lanceolate, acuminate, irregular
and asymmetric from mutual pressure; the calyx very small, and short, trigonous,
3-dentate; the petals striate, 6-7 times as long as the calyx.
P l a t e 6(
of a leaf (upper
before flowering in situ;
in Herb. Kew.
ochrolepis var. radulosus Bacc. An intermediate portion
portion of the sheathed stem with a male spadix
I entire male epadix in flower. From Loher's No. 7078
62. Daemon DROPS Clemensiahds Becc. sp. q.
Desokiption.—Apparently scandent and of moderate size. Sheathed stem about 2
cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths copiously armed with scattered, or shortly seriate, blackish,
stiff, very narrowly laminar, aub-bristly spines; the mouth armed with numerous, closely
imbricate, black, very long, (8-1 á mm. long, 2-1 mm. broad) erect, rigid, laminar
spines. Leaves elongate, 1-3 m. or more long in the pinniferous part, and terminating
in a rather robust clawed cirrus; petiole about 25 em. long, very slightly flattened,
equally biconvex, armed all round with light-coloured spines, of which those at the
edges near tbe bai-e are about 2 cm. lung, straight and ascendent, the others unequal,
short, straight, sub-horizontal; rachis for about half way up biconvex, smooth above,
but armed below along the centre and even on each side with small, solitary, lightcoloured
claws ; towards the apex the rachis is bifaced above with an acute smooth
salient angle, and is armed beneath with first 3-nate, and then 5-nate red-tipped
claws. Leaflets numerous, equidistant or nearly so, not very closely set (2'5-3'5 cm.
apart on each side) elongate and narrow, linear-ensifonn tapering from below the
middle to a rather acute base, gradually acuminate upwards to an elongate and
slender bristly tip, dull on both surfaces, rather thinly papyraceous, spinulous above
upon the mid-costa and one slender nerve on each side of it; underneath furnished
with rather long bristles on the niid-costa only; transverse veinlets not very
sharp; margins appressedly spinulous; the intermediate leaflets 40-42 cm. long, 13-15
mm. broad. Male spadix erect, nodding, 50-60 cm. long, carried on a densely spiculiferous,
6-10 cm. long pedicellar part j before flowering cylindraceous, slender, about 1 cm.
in diam. ; the spathes protrude as usual, each gradually beyond the one immediately
below, and all are prolonged at the upper end into a triangular, more or less bristly or
spiculiferous point; the outermost is armed more or less with stiff, elongate,
often fascicled jspiculae. Male flowers lanceolate, not very acute, about 4 mm. long;
the calyx very shortly cyathiform, 3-toothed; corolla about 5 times as long as the
calyx. ^ Female spadiz rigid, not very elongate, with several rather approximate
partial inflorescences, its pedicellar part densely covered with stiff spiculae, which are
usually united by their indurated and rather swollen bases; partial inflorescencos
Ann. Eot. ^ot. Qard , Calouita. Vol. XII.