168 ANNALS OP THE EOiAL BOTANIC GAEDEN, CALCUTTA. [/). uerticHlanS
aaoendont spicalae; inner spathe« gradually smaller, flat, not dorsally keeled and
somewhat less densely spiculiferous; tlie internodes of the main axis are slightly
flattened, have very obtuse edges, are slightly swollen at • the joints, and have an
a x i l l a r y callus and a deep transverse fovea; pai-tial inflorescences 10-13—not
r e c k o n i n g the ultimate and rudimentary—rather dense, ovate in outline, rigid, with
straight or slightly flesuoiia axes,; the lower inflorescences are the largest, 12-15
cm. long (the others decreasing gradually in size), with a short 2 - 3 cm. long,
plano-convex pedicellar part, and 5-7 gradually shortening, bifarious, erecto-patent
b r a n c h l e t s on each side; the lowest branchlots are 6-7 cm. in length, bracteiform,
a n d have 4-6 bifarious spikelets on each side; secondary and tertiary apathes
bracteiform, exauccous, brown, finely striate, with a very short tubular part,
e x t e n d e d laterally into a broad, triangular, finely acuminate limb; spikelets
1 2 - 1 5 mm. long, quite flattened, 8-10 mm. broad, with 15-18 perfectly bifarious,
contiguous, almost horizontal flowers on each side; their axes contracted, and
t h e spathels very approximate or even imbricate, entire, concave-subcymbiform,
and extended at one side, i n t o a broad, rather obtuse point which subtends the flowers
a n d protrudes beyond the involucre; the involucre is cupular, rather deep, round,
run c a t e , entire. Male jlowers cylindrial or slightly clavate, with a round top,
4 mm, long, and l"5 mm. thick; the calyx tubular-campanulate, faintly striately
veined, truncate, very i n d i s t i n c t l y 3-denticulate; corolla two and half or three times
as long as the calyx, parted down two-thirds of its length into 3 coriaceous, not
d i s t i n c t l y striate, linear-oblong, concave, obtuse segments, and f u r n i s h e d intornally at the
i n s e r t i o n of the stamens, a little past the middle, with 6 small, but rather
conspicuous, light-coloured, fleshy, tuberculitorm bodies, which alternate with the
bases of the filaments; the filaments are free among themselves, red-coloured, thickish,
t e r e t e , subulate, with inflected apices; anthers versatile, oblong, deeply parted at the
base, blunt at tlie apex; rudimentary ovary formed by 3 rigid, slender, erect,
acute, red rods, united by their bases and reaching to about the middle of the
corolla. FemaU spadix simple, decompound, rigid, erect, 1-1'5 m. long, forming a
l a r g e panicle; its peduncular part is rather short ( 8 - 1 5 cm. long) somewhat flat, or
plano-convex with rather obtuse, smooth, or very sparingly crinite edges; primary
spathes as in the male spadix, deciduous; the main axis rather robust at
its base, slightly swollen at the joints and bearing, at intervals of about
10 cm., several partial inflorescences; the internodes are plano-convex, have
a c u t e edges at their base, and are slightly flattened everywhere else; partial inflorescences
spreading when in f r u i t ; the lower ones 20-30 cm. long with a short ( 1 -3
cm. long) plano-convex pedicellar part, and a distinct axillary callus; they have 5-8
or almost horizontal spikelets on each side; secondary and tertiary
io the male spadix; spikelets 8-12 em. long, slender, with numerous
and rather approximate flowers, (I counted from 18 to 28 on each side), their
axes slightly sinuoiis; spathels infundibuliform, produced at one side into a membra«
nous, reddish, broadly triangular, acuminate point, furfuraceous-tomentose on their
lower p a r t ; involucrophorum embraced by its spathel, and usually shorter than its point,
obconical and with a short, obliquely truncate, entire or posticously obsoletoly
b i d e n t a t e limb; involucre usually asymmetrically cupular; areola of the neuter flower
ovate or roundish, sharply defined by acute raised borders. Pemile flowers small,
D. verticiHaris] BECCAKI. THE SPECIES OP DAEMOSOBOPS. 169
n a r r o w l y ovoid, 3 ' 5 - 4 mm. in l e n g t h ; the calyx cyathiform, truncate, almost entire,
or obsoletely 3-toothed, very soon split into 3 parts; the corolla about twice
as long as the calyx, parted down two-thirds of its length into 3 ovate, rather
acute segments; stamina! u r c e o l um united to the corolla in its lower half, and crowned
b y 6 t r i a n g u l a r , rather b r o a d , ."ubulate, thickish t e e t h ; antiiers small, sagittate-lanceolate,
obtuse, slightly shorter than the segments of the corolla; ovary globular;
style obsolete; stigmata slender, subtrigonous, subulate. Nculer flowera small, cylindraceous,
very similar to the male, but more slender and shorter (3 mm. long). Fruit
spherical, very s h o r t l y umbonate-mucroiiate, small (11—12 mm. in diam. ' ; scales arranged
i n 15 longitudinal series, rliomboidai, slightly broader titan long, shining, grooved
along the cenire, first of a dirty straw-colour and finally reddish-brown with a
n a r r ow durk marginal line, the tip not produced, obtuse, the margins finely
erosely-toothed. Aced almost symmetrically globular, very finely tubercled-scabrid and
convex on the back with a very small punctiform, almost central, round chalazal
fovea on the raphal side which is less convex than the o t h e r ; albumen r u m i n a t e;
embryo basal. Fruiling perianth almost entirely
HABITAT.—The Malayan Peninsula. In the interior of Malacca {Griffith)', in the
same district at Ayer panas 'Liidhy No. Ic80 in Herb. BeccariJ and at Bukit Sadanan
Ridky -^j- and "j®-- in Herb, Beccari ; in the District of Perak (-SeoriccAw«); i n the
same district at Lavut between 600-900 m. (No. 6088 in Herb. Calcutt.), and at Goping
(No. 576 in H e r b . Calcutt., King's ocUecior)-, Negri Sembilau {Ridley No. 3iiD5—Rotang
c h i n c h í n ) ) ; at Selangore, Bakit K u t a {Eialey, No. 7882 in Herb. C a l c u t t . ) ; at Johore
Ridley (No. 10953 in Herb. Berol). In Sumatra : Mandau River, Siak, {Ridley No. 9093
i n Herb. Kew). iVIakyan naQ)e " R o t a n g Simóte" Grifí., but probably correctly "R
S u m u t " or " t h e ant's Rotang".
OBSERVATIONS.—A very distinct species easily recognizable by the peculiar armament
of its sheaths ; by its spathes covered with seriate black spiculae ; by its small
round fruit etc. It is related to D. geniciilatus, ard the male spadices of both are
v e r y similar ; the armamout of the sputhes is, however, very different, and so is
t h a t of the l-jaf-sheaths. The fruits of Scortechini's and King's specimens f r om Perak
have dirty light-gveen or straw-yellowish scales; those of Lidley's specimens from
Malacca and Negri Sembilan are reddish-brown, a difference probably depending upon
t h e different degree of maturity.
D. verticillaris is essentially a myrmecophilous plant, as already pointed out by
GrifBth and probably there exists a connection between the nectar from the bodies in
t h e male flowers, tho strongly swollen axillary callus at every branching of the
spadix, and the ant-harbouring galleries round the leaf-sheaths. Ridley ,Mat. FL.
Mai. Pon, ii. p. 187) wiites that Martins and Hooker have confused l>. vertioillaria
with D. periaaanthus " especially in the matter of the male flowers, those of the
l a t t e r being described as those of this species." From what I can judge, however,
by a largo set of specimens at my disposal, the case is quite the reverse, and it
seems to mo that Mr. Ridley has described the male flowers of D. verticillarig as
those of D. psriacanthus Miq. and vi':e versi.
ANK. ROY. BOT. GARD., CxtcmTA, YOL. X I I.