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Py * . ° 77 , a pa . . : . t . e . . rva OC iio 4 Library Arnold Arboretum Harvard University VOU VV OU OU VOU PYVPBPUPUPUPU PU PUPBUUPYUPU PUPPY AYALA PUA A AAA ae CAAA BAA A BUA AAA AAA AAU™A™™™M a) THE GARDENS’ BULLETIN SINGAPORE AAI Vol. XIII 30th June 1950 fe, ares A VV VV VV BYVAL AY AYA AAA 22 222 CONTENTS PAGE The Zingiberaceae of the Malay Peninsula by R. EF. Holttum 1 - i To be purchased at the Botanic Gardens, Singapore Price $10 Published by Authority PRINTED AT THE Catbadtiiemies 4 PrINTING OFFICE, SINGAPORE, By V. C. G. GATRELL, GOVERNMENT PR] ert ; ‘ THE GARDENS’ BULLETIN SINGAPORE —AAADAMPAAAADAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAA Vol. XIII 30th June 1950 Part 1 BD2AUAAUAAAAAAAAAAA AA AAAI AV THE ZINGIBERACEAE OF THE MALAY PENINSULA By R. E. HOLTTUM The only recent critical morphological studies of plants in this family are those by Valeton. Unfortunately they - cover only a limited part of the whole field, but their thoroughness and clarity of presentation showed the way for further progress. The present work was begun by an examination of living plants of those genera studied by Valeton, and his work is therefore the basis of that now presented. In addition to living plants of species of almost all genera, alcohol material of many other species was avail- able for study, mostly collected during the years 1930-1940 by Mr. E. J. H. Corner, with copious field notes, the sub- stance of which is included in the present descriptions. In addition, there are careful coloured drawings of several Species described by Mr. Ridley, which have supplied some ‘information not otherwise available. Of some species, however, only dried specimens have been examined, and aor are accordingly gaps in necessary information about em. The species descriptions here presented are rather _ lengthy, but I believe that this is necessary in the present inadequate state of our knowledge of the family. It has been my experience that earlier descriptions frequently omitted data which appeared to me necessary for a proper characterization of the species. For the purpose merely of identifying the species now known to exist in Malaya, much briefer descriptions would be adequate; but they would not be helpful in the understanding of species still to be dis- covered, either in this country or in neighbouring territo- ries. I have attempted also a comparative account of the morphology of the inflorescence, which appears to me of basic importance. 2 The present work is confined to species in the Malay Peninsula for two reasons. First, it was mainly prepared in the year 1944, when I had adequate material only of such — species for study; and second, I have now other work on hand which prevents me attempting a study of the family over a wider area. Though the work is therefore of neces- sity a partial one, and though in consequence I cannot offer a satisfactory solution of such problems as that of the. typification of Alpinia, I hope that the present work will be a useful basis for that wider study of this interesting family in Malaysia as a whole which is so desirable. | Summary of characters. Rhizome usually fleshy, sym- podial, each element of the sympodium ending in an erect leaf-bearing shoot, or sometimes in a flowering shoot only; horizontal part of rhizome bearing distichous scale-leaves,. Leaf-shoots short or tall (to about 5 m. or more), bearing one to many distichous or spirally arranged leaves; if many, the main part of the stem usually formed by the overlap- ping leaf-sheaths, the true axis being often slender and composed mainly of thin-walled cells. Leaves varying much in size, usually elliptic to elliptic-oblong, asymmetric or not, with or without a petiole between blade and sheath; sheath tubular towards the base only or throughout; ligule usually well-developed. Inflorescence terminal on the leafy shoot or on a separate shoot from the base of the leafy shoot or from the rhizome; flowers arranged in cincinni in the axils of primary bracts, or solitary in the axils of primary bracts, with or without secondary bracts; an involucre of sterile bracts sometimes present. Flowers usually lasting one day, or less. Calyx tubular, usually 5-toothed, often split rather deeply down one side only. Corolla-tube usually slender, often longer than the calyx, sometimes widened distally, bearing 3 lobes; lobes sub-equal or more often the dorsal one larger than the lateral ones; dorsal lobe always overlapping the others in bud, its apex sometimes hollow, hooded or spurred (e.g. Alpinia, Globba). Labellum adnate to the corolla-tube, usually, but not always the largest floral organ, entire, more or less deeply bilobed, or somewhat trilobed (never deeply trilobed except in Zin- giber, in which the lateral lobes are formed by the adnate staminodes). Two staminodes of the outer whorl, on either side of the dorsal corolla lobe, nearly always present as peta- loid structures adnate to the corolla-tube, or as rudimentary teeth; in Zingiber joined to the labellum at the base; in Geocharis joined to the filament except for their free apices; in Costus apparently quite united to the labellum so as to show no individual existence. One stamen of the inner Gardens Bulletin, S. X\ 3 whorl, on the same radius as the dorsal corolla-lobe, fertile; filament joined to the flower tube at the base, sometimes joined to the labellum or the staminodes above the insertion of the corolla lobes, short or long, broad or narrow; anther with dorsal connective which may be laterally extended into a lamina or into appendages, and/or apically into a small or large fleshy or petaloid crest; pollen-sacs usually dehisc- ing longitudinally but sometimes by apical pores, sometimes with adnate or free sterile basal extensions or spurs. Style slender, passing upwards close to the filament and between the pollen-sacs, by the growth of which it is held in position, bearing the stigma just beyond the apex of the polien-sacs. Stigma usually swollen with an elliptic aper- ture fringed by hairs. Ovary inferior, unilocular with parietal placentation, or trilocular with axile placentation or with ovules joined to the septa, or unilocular with placenta basal or erect from the base. Nectar-glands (stylodes) either erect outgrowths within the base of the flower-tube, on either side of the style, or in Costus inter- septal glands connected to the base of the flower-tube by two cavities. Fruit a dehiscent capsule or a fleshy berry, or indehiscent with wall of varying thickness, breaking irregularly when old. Seeds always with an aril; aril sometimes covering the seed entirely or more or less lacerate, or a basal cushion only; perisperm sometimes (always?) present as well as endorsperm. Rhizome. The rhizome is usually at or just below the surface of the ground. In some genera (e.g. Achasma) it is often more deeply buried; in others (especially in Hornstedtia and Geostachys) it is supported above the ground on stout unbranched stilt-roots which may in some cases be very iong. In some species of Scaphochlamys it ascends obliquely or even almost vertically, usually in places where there is a litter of dead leaves of some thickness, and is supported on more slender stilt-roots. The rhizome is always sympodial, every branch of it ending (potentially at least) in an erect shoot which bears leaves or flowers, or both. The rhizome is renewed by a bud from the axil of a scale-leaf near the base of the erect shoot. The rhizome thus consists of a series of separate parts, each beginning as a bud at the base of an erect shoot and ending in a similar erect shoot; these parts we will call rhizome-elements. They may be short or long, stout or thin, according to the nature of the species concerned. In many plants of other families such a rhizome func- tions as a resting organ, persisting below ground during seasons unfavourable for growth, while the leafy shoots wither. In the climate of Malaya however (except to some Vol. XIIT. (1950). 4 extent in the extreme north) there is no such unfavourable season; growth is possible at almost all times of the year, though it may occur mainly at the wetter periods, and there is no time when the plant cannot maintain its leaf-shoots. Thus the rhizome does not serve as a resting organ in the great majority of Malayan Zingiberaceae; and Zingibera- ceae as a family are largely confined to regions of the world with a warm and relatively uniform climate. There are however some exceptions, chiefly in the genera Kaempferia, Curcuma and Zingiber; in such cases the rhizome is fleshy and adapted as a resting organ. In Curcuma especially, it produces a repeatedly branched mass, such as never occurs in our native Malayan forest plants. Species with such resting rhizomes are usually adapted to a seasonal climate, and their flowering comes at a definite stage in the life-cycle. Some of them (such as the common Turmeric, Curcuma domestica) can tolerate the uniform climate of Singapore and respond to it by growing continuously; flowering of such species is here erratic and in some cases rare. But by this adaptation to a regular seasonal resting period, such species have been_enabled to invade countries beyond the uniformly moist and warm climatic regions, and have also in many cases left the shelter of the forest (in which alone most Malayan species can live) and entered more open country. There are however no true xerophytes in the family. Leaf-shoots. The characteristic leaf-shoot of the family is erect with the apex curving over slightly, about 1-5 m. tall, and unbranched; branched leaf-shoots occur only in Costus. In the Hedychium tribe there are several genera (Kaempferia, Scaphochlamys etc.) which have quite short leaf-shoots; these are discussed further below. In Alpinia and allied genera with tall leaf-shoots, each shoot bears a number of two-ranked leaf blades which spread more or less horizontally. The lowest blades are usually at about one-third of the total height of the shoot; they are shorter and proportionately broader than those higher up. The largest leaves are those rather above the middle of the leaf-bearing part. The apical leaves in genera like Phaeomeria, which have no terminal inflorescence, are again smaller and also proportionately narrow; in Alpinia and allied genera, in which the inflorescence is terminal, there are fewer small apical leaves. In all leaf-shoots of this habit there is a short petiole at the base of each leaf: only in Cenolophon is the petiole sometimes rather long. The petiole, or base of the leaf-blade, is joined to a sheath. At the junction of petiole and sheath is the ligule, which is almost always conspicuous; it forms .a narrow or Gardens Bulletin, S- 5 broad lamina passing across the base of the petiole, and sometimes has raised auricles on either side. In some cases (e.g. Hedychium longicornutum) the ligule is very long; in others it is short. In plants of the Alpinia habit, it lies close against the sheath of the leaf next above. The sheaths of the Alpinia type of shoot are long and fit closely one inside the other. They are tubular near the base only, the edges being separated by a narrow gap for part of their length. In Phaeomeria, with leaf shoots about 4 m. tall, the sheaths of the largest leaves are more than 2m.long. The basal part of the shoot, which bears no leaf- blades, is covered with a succession of bladeless sheaths, which often bear subapical rudimentary blades, their round- ed apices representing their ligules. Such leaf-shoots which do not bear terminal inflores- cences are often termed jfalse-stems, the idea being that they consist only of a series of concentric leaf-sheaths, the inner - sheaths being longer and larger, no true stem being present. This condition is found in a young banana shoot which is not yet flowering; but in all Zingiberaceae of the Alpinia or Phaeomeria habit a true central stem is present. In the _case of flowering shoots of Alpinia, the stem obviously reaches the apex of the shoot; in fully grown shoots of Phaeomeria it reaches at least three-quarters of the total height of the shoot. The stem is however formed entirely of soft tissue and has no part in the mechanical support of the shoot, which is provided by the leaf-sheaths. The basal internodes of the stem are rather short, becoming progres- sively longer upwards. In Phaeomeria the few small apical leaves, which add only a short additional height to the shoot, are attached at rather long intervals on the stem. If a shoot is examined in which these last leaves are not yet developed, the stem may be found to be only half the tota! height of the shoot. In Alpinia and allied genera (Catimbium etc.) some species at least show a seasonal flowering. The leaf-shoots grow almost to their full height, but the stem-apex with the inflorescence is still some distance down, hidden by the leaf-sheaths. There it develops until all parts are formed. and apparently it waits for some climatic stimulus to start it on its final stage of growth and flowering. Judging by the behaviour of Catimbium muticum in Singapore, the stimulus seems to be wet weather following a dry period. In Costus there are four differences from the Alpinia- type of leaf-shoot; (1) the leaves are spirally arranged; (2) the sheaths are tubular to the apex; (3) the leaves are (often at least) articulate to the top of the sheaths and are deciduous, as in the majority of orchids; (4) the shoot is Vol. XIII. (1950). 6 usually branched. The iigule in Costus is a ring (usually narrow) which passes right round the shoot. In the short-stemmed genera Kaempferia and its allies, the essential structure of the leaf-shoot is exactly as in Alpinia or Phaeomeria, but the stem proper is very short, +he leaves few on each shoot, their blades often more or less erect instead of horizontal, and their petioles longer. In all cases there are bladeless sheaths protecting the base of the shoot and enclosing the sheaths of the true leaves (which are sometimes reduced to one on each shoot). In all cases where there is more than one leaf, there is a gra- dation in size and shape and usually in length of petiole from the lower (or outer) to the upper (or inner) leaves. Leaves. The relation of the leaves to the leaf-bearing stem is described above. In texture the leaf-blades are usually thin or fairly thin, sometimes slightly fleshy or slightly tough, but never thickly fleshy nor coriaceous. They are often slightly hairy but never densely so. In size they vary much in different genera, some being quite large (to about a metre long); they are never less than a few centimetres long. Some are flushed with purple or other- wise coloured, in whole or in part. In shape they are more or less elliptic, rarely if ever as wide as long, and rarely cordate at the base; they are often asymmetric in the Kaempferia group, the lamina on the two sides of the midrib being of unequal width; in the Alpinia group the asymmetry is most obviously seen in an unequal base to the lamina. As noted above, the leaves on a single leaf-shoot are not uniform in size. In describing the various species, one should ideally give the usual range of size on a single shoot; but this in practice is rarely possible, as the material is not available. The size actually given in the descriptions in this paper is that of the largest leaf on a shoot, this being the most convenient for comparative purposes. In his detailed study of Curcuma (Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. no. XX VII), Vale- ton gives the sizes of several leaves on a single shoot. The Inflorescence. The inflorescence is always ter- minal, either on a leaf-shoot or on a separate shoot (usually from near the base of a leaf-shoot) and usually erect, though In some cases it is more or less decurved or even prostrate. It consists essentially of an axis bearing primary bracts spirally arranged, with a short cincinnus in the axil ofeach - primary bract, this cincinnus being sometimes reduced to a single flower. Only in Plagiostachys, Languas and Alpinia (in the sense of the present paper) are there branches of rank equal to the main axis of the inflorescence, such branches bearing primary bracts with axillary cincinni. Gardens Bulletin, S. 7 It seems fairly clear that a similar type of inflorescence, variously branched and with the ultimate branch-systems cymose, is primitive in the Liliiflorae; and it is evident that the Scitamineae arose from a Liliiflorous stock. Therefore one may reasonably assume that the form of inflorescence with developed cincinni is primitive in the Zingiberaceae, and that the genera with single flowers in the primary bracts are derivative. On this basis we may classify the genera according to the particular modifications of the inflorescence which they show, having regard not only to reduction of the cincinni but to modifications of the bracts. Such a classification is found to give a very natural group- ing, and provides a much more satisfactory basis for a sub- division of the family than floral characters, most of which are variable within single genera. Unfortunately the ful! details of bracts and bracteoles are usually omitted from the older descriptions of species and genera, even down to the descriptions of Schumann himself. In the present paper full details of this nature are given so far as available in the material in the Singapore Herbarium or Gardens, and the genera in some cases are re-defined accordingly. But it is in many cases impossible to be sure to which genera, as so defined, the species described by Schumann belong. Primary and Secondary Bracts. Schumann uses the term primary bracts for the main bracts of the inflorescence, and.this term is similarly used here. In the axil of each primary bract of such a genus as Alpinia is a cincinnus. Each flower on the cincinnus is terminal, and the next branch is axillary, in the axil of a bract placed below the said terminal flower. Thus all bracts subsequent to the primary bracts subtend branches of the cincinnus, not indi- vidual flowers, and all are of equal status. Such bracts may be called secondary bracts, but it is more usual and more convenient to call them bracteoles. In some cases the cincinnus has been reduced to one flower; then the secondary bract (if any) accompanying that flower must represent one of the cincinnus-bracts, and though we may call it a bracteole we must not forget its status as a secondary bract. Ina normal cincinnus, the first secondary bract faces at right angles to the primary bract, and subsequent secondary bracts face alternately in two directions at right angles to each other. But in Scaphochlamys there is a two-keeled secondary bract immediately facing the primary bract and enclosing the whole cincinnus with its bracts and flower- buds. Within this two-keeled bract the remaining secondary bracts are normally placed. In Kaempferia we have a similar arrangement; except that only one flower is present, Vol. XIII. (1950). 8 cand the two-keeled bract becomes two-lobed or even separat- ed into two narrow bracts. Such two-keeled bracts, in the -.game position at the base of a lateral cyme, occur in Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Pandanaceae, Gramineae and other monocotyledons; and they occur also in Marantaceae, Lowiaceae and in Heliconia (Musaceae). It seems likely - therefore that the presence of such bracts in Scaphochlamys is a survival of an ancestral type, and that in Alpinia and other genera such bracts have been lost. In some cases however it is not at all easy to understand whether the two-keeled secondary bract has survived or not; this is especially true where the secondary bracts are tubular. Tubular secondary bracts. The distinction between -ftubular or cup-shaped secondary bracts and those which are open to the base appears to be important; the tubular form predominates in the Alpinia tribe, the open form in the Hedychium tribe. As the bases of leaf-sheaths throughout the family are tubular, it seems reasonable to regard the tubular form as the most primitive, though comparison with ..such structures in allied families needs to be made before this can be regarded as more than a tentative suggestion. Taking this as a basis however, the genera of the Alpinia tribe can all be shown to be derivative from the Alpinia type, with its developed cincinni having all secondary bracts tubular or cup-shaped. On the same assumption, the genera of the Globba and Hedychium tribes have departed more from the primitive type, and this seems probably to be the case also as judged by other criteria. In some species of Alpinia, Geostachys and Elettaria, the tubular secondary bracts are so large that each encloses the whole of that part of the cincinnus which lies beyond it, up to a late stage of development. The tubular bract encloses at its base not only the shoot which lies in its axil but also the main axis, and with it the flower at its apex until that flower is almost ready to open. Modifications of the Inflorescence. The following are the principal types of modifications which occur, the ter- minal inflorescence with developed cincinni and tubular . secondary bracts being regarded as primitive. Further details are given in the discussions of the individual tribes and genera. 1. Specialization of the flowering shoot. The flowers are borne on a leafless shoot, often short, some- times almost entirely underground or decumbent. This occurs in many genera, sometimes in all species, sometimes in part only. Gardens Bulletin, S. 9 2. Reduction or increase in size of the primary bracts.. Where the inflorescence is near the ground, or partly embedded in the ground, the protection. of well-developed primary bracts is needed; on the other hand, in some genera the primary bracts have almost disappeared (Languas,. Catimbium). Sane 3. Development of an imvolucre of sterile bracts. This occurs only in the Hornstedia group of genera. ‘4, Reduction in the number of flowers in the cincinni.. . Where reduction occurs, it is usually to one flower. This has occurred in several genera of both sub-families. In some genera most species. have one flower, while others have two or even more, but this is not usual. An interesting case is Hornstedtia leonurus; another is Zingiber Clarke. 5. Reduction in length of cincinni. In Camptandra, Scaphochlamys and Curcuma the cincinni have: each several flowers, but their axes are reduced greatly in length so that the whole cincinnus is packed into the base of the primary bract, the flowers alone protruding. 6. Modification of secondary bracts. In the Hedychi--. eae especially the secondary bracts are not tubular; in some genera they are much reduced in size, in others very large (Geostachys). 7. Shortening of the rachis. This has occurred in varlous genera, but especially in the Hornstedtia group and in Kaempferia. 8. Shortening of the scape. This occurs especially in those genera which have the inflorescence partly buried in the ground. 9. Prostrate inflorescences. These occur in Elettaria,. Elettariopsis and Geostachys; but in Geostachys some species have erect symmetrical inflorescen- ces. Where the rachis is prostrate, the cincinni or individual flowers all curve upwards, and a secund arrangement occurs. 10. Plagiostachys. Were the inflorescence is terminal on a leaf-shoot, but the stem is much shorter than the leaf-sheaths, and the inflorescence: emerges by breaking through the side of the sheaths. There are also other modifications; there are main branches as in Languas, of equal Vol. XIII. (1950). 10 rank to the terminal branch, the cincinni are all reduced to one flower and. the primary bracts are lacking. | Flowers: biology. In all. reported: cases: the-flowers of Zingiberaceae last less than 24 hours. Usually they open in the early morning and by next morning have faded. In some species of Zingiber they open in the afternoon and last only a few hours. Few observations have been made on insect pollination of plants of this family. The flowers are all tubular and contain nectar, but insect visitors, other than ants and still smaller insects, are apparently not common. In some genera (Curcuma, Camptandra, Roscoea) there are basal spurs or appendages of the antHers which are so placed that a visiting insect must touch them and in so doing move the pollen-sacs into contact with its back, thereby receiving pollen which it carries to the stigma of another flower. But such cases are the exception. In some cases seeds are freely produced (Costus speciosus) and in others rarely. Self- sterility is reported in Hedychium, and hybrids are easily produced in this genus. But self-sterility cannot be universal, as I have found seeds produced by an isolated inflorescence of Zingiber zerumbet. In Zingiber, Curcuma and probably to some extent in Scaphochlamys, the bases of the closely imbricating bracts hold water (in Curcuma the bracts are joined for half their length and form closed pockets) ; the bracts and flower-buds are then immersed in water, or are permanently wet and mucilaginous, and the old flowers disintegrate and add to the mucilage. A similar condition exists in the cup-shaped inflorescences of Hornstedtia. In Zingiber at least the fruits often ripen and dehisce while mucilaginous. A mucilaginous covering for developing fruits is also found in some species of Amomum and Plagiostachys, but here the result is produced by the decay of the bracts themselves, the whole outer part of the inflorescence being thus covered for a time with a slimy mass. This can naturally only occur under conditions of moist shady forest, and the inflorescences concerned are all close to the ground. The inflorescence is partly or almost completely buried in some or all species of several genera, notably in Achasma, Elettariopsis and Elettaria. In some cases only the expand- ed floral members are above ground, the tube being largely buried; the tube then must be long, and in Elettaria and Elettariopsis it is certainly of variable length, adjusting itself to suit the depth at which the ovary is placed. In some cases the fruit itself develops below the surface of the ground. Gardens Bulletin, S. il Flowers are sometimes replaced by bulbils in Globba, but this form:of vegetative reproduction does not normally occur in any other genus. Usually the bulbils occur in the axils of the lower primary bracts, thus strictly taking the place not of flowers but of whole cincinni. In all other genera the rhizome is the main means of vegetative propa- gation, in some cases branching very freely (e.g. Aaemp- feria pulchra, many species of Curcuma). Flowers: morphology. The form of the flower is remarkably constant throughout the family; it is in fact the character which distinguishes Zingiberaceae from all other plants. Owing to this great constancy of form, it is diffi- cult to divide the family into natural groups on the basis of floral characters; the kinds of differences which occur are slight and in many cases subject to variation within groups the members of which are evidently nearly allied. Schumann’s keys to genera are for this reason very unsatisfactory. The Zingiberaceous flower is based on the ancestral liliiflorous type of 3 sepals, 3 petals, 3 + 3 stamens and a gynaecium of 3 parts. The sepals are always joined to form a tube, and are relatively inconspicuous. The petals are also partly joined to form a tube; in most cases they are the conspicuous outer members of the flower and thus look rather like the sepals of a lily or an orchid. It is the staminal part of the flower which is greatly modified. The one functional stamen is on the same radius as the dorsal petal, and thus belongs to the inner whorl (in contrast to the orchid flower, where the functional stamen belongs to the outer whorl). The two adjacent stamens of the outer whorl are nearly always clearly present as stami- nodes, small or large; there is no doubt of the position and status of these staminodes. It is the other three stamens concerning which there has been doubt or difference of opinion. The structure which represents these three stamens, in whole or in part, is called the lip or labellum. It has exactly the same relation to the fertile stamen (as regards the general shape and symmetry of the flower) as the lip to the column in orchids; but the lip of an orchid is a petal. There have been several theories as to the origin of the Zingiberaceous labellum. (See Valeton Bull. Jard. Bot. Buit. 2nd Ser. XX VII: 119). 1. Robert Brown suggested that the labellum repre- sents the single outer stamen only, the two inner ones developing into the stylodes (nectar-gland) .. The stylodes are however late developments in the ontogeny of the flower and a study of Vol. XIII. (1950). 12 vascular tissue gives no support to the theory of their staminal origin. * 2. Lestiboudois and Eichler considered that the lip represents the two stamens of the inner whorl, the intermediate one of the outer whorl being entirely aborted. Support to this theory is given by the frequent bilobed nature of the labellum. 3. Schumann proposed a combination of the two theo- rf ries; he suggested that in some genera the two inner stamens form the lip (e.g. in the bilobed lips of Hedychium and Kaempferia) and in other cases that the single outer stamen forms the lip (e.g. in Alpinia, where the lip is not bilobed). 4. Costerus, after examination of the vascular strands in the various parts of the flower, considered that the labellum consisted of a combination of all three stamens, the middle one being some- times more strongly, sometimes less strongly developed. Valeton reports Costerus as stating that in Zingiber itself the vascular strand corresponding to the single stamen of the outer whorl! is quite lacking. Troll (quoted by Loesener in Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, 15A: 551) considers that in the large labellum of Costus all 5 stamens other than the fertile one are combined. te) | The theory of Costerus appears to be the most satis- factory. It explains the existence of the broad trilobed lips of some Alpinias as well as the more or less bilobed lips of some other genera. Troll’s amplification to the case of Costus also explains the large labellum of that genus and nape absence of separate lateral staminodes of the outer whorl. The structure of the functional stamen is normal. Its appendages are of various form but none is a striking structural modification. The most frequent type of appen- dage is an apical extension of the connective into a more or less lobed and spreading lamina, reaching its greatest development in Cyphostigma. This structure is usually called the anther-crest. It is fairly constant within some groups of species (e.g. Amomum, Cenolophon) but in other groups of quite closely related species it may be present or absent (e.g. Boesenbergia) . Thus it is not often a satisfactory generic character, though in some genera or sub-genera it may be useful. Gardens Bulletin, S. 15 The basal extensions of the pollen-sacs are probably of more diagnostic value than the apical crest of the connec- tive; but here also they are not always constant within a genus, as can be seen in Curcuma. - The remarkable feature of the stamen is the way in which it always holds the style between the swollen pollen-sacs; this is a unique feature of the family. _. Ovary, fruit and seeds. The ovary is always inferior, as in all other Scitamineae. In the Liliifiorae it has its counterpart in Amaryllidaceae; but Zingiberaceae are not nearly related to any extant members of that family, which has become adapted mainly to strongly seasonal or dry climates. The ovary of Zingiberaceae is either trilocular with axile placentation (in most genera) or unilocular with parietal placentation (the Globba group) ; or in some genera (Kaempferia and allies) there is a tendency to the reduction or elimination of the septa, the ovules being confined to a small basal group or to a larger or smaller columnar placenta, sometimes apparently with partially formed septa joined to it in the basal part of the ovary. This last development is not confined to a single genus, but seems to have arisen on various lines within the Kaempferia group. In at least one species of Scaphochlamys there may be only a single ovule. Similarly, within the Alpinia group there seems to be a tendency to incomplete development of the septa in some species of Languas in which there are few ovules. These modifications of the ovary need further investigation. Still more is further investigation of fruit-structure necessary. For many species no data at all are available. Valeton first described the structure of the fruits of some long-known species of Zingiber, and he made many new observations on the fruits of other genera. The fully dehiscent type of fruit, with the three valves separating to the apex and spreading apart, is apparently found in only a minority of cases. It occurs in Hedychium, Zingiber (the dehisced fruit here still enclosed by the large bracts), Roscoea and Globba. In Costus dehiscence occurs, with extrusion of the groups of seeds, but the splitting does not reach the apex of the ovary, which is crowned by the persistent and very tough calyx. In Catimbium (Alpinia p.p. of Schumann) the fruits break open completely on the normal three lines of dehiscence if pressed slightly, but do not open naturally. In Hornstedtia the fruits are reported by Valeton to break open irregularly in their basal parts, while still enclosed by the persistent involucral bracts. In some species of Amomum and other genera the fruits are Vol. XIIT. (1950). 14 quite fleshy and indehiscent. In other species of Amomum:. they are thin-walled but perhaps not dehiscent. | The seeds are always provided with an aril. This is im the form of a basal cushion in Costus, but more or less envelopes the seed in other genera. In the Hedychium and Globba groups the aril is deeply lacerate; in the Alpinia. group not or little lacerate. In the Alpinia group the seeds are closely packed in the ovary, angled where they meet, with rounded outer surfaces where they are in contact with the ovary wall. In the Hedychium-Zingiber group they are ellipsoid or ovoid and hardly angled, apparently due to less close packing; the interstices being filled in some cases. by the tangled lobes of the arils. Internally the seeds contain perisperm (nucellus) © which in all cases investigated is white and starchy, and also endosperm round the embryo. The base of the seed has a plug, with which the radicle of the embryo is in contact; on germination this plug is pushed out by the growing radicle. The arrangement is closely similar to- that of Musa. Systematy of the family: historical. Linnaeus knew so little of Zingiberaceae that his small contribution to its. systematv has been rather an embarrassment than a help to later botanists. The first good botanical descriptions, made from living plants, were by Koenig, published in Retzius’ Observationes: (1783). As noted by Schumann, Koenig’s descriptions are much better than many of those of later authors; but even with all his care Koenig did not always include the details necessary for certain recognition of his species. The next considerable contribution was by Roxburgh, who also studied the plants alive, in many cases under cultivation at Calcutta. To him we owe the real foundation of our knowledge of the family. Unfortunately he did not always use Linnean generic names in the Linnean sense. Nineteenth century botanists mainly followed Roxburgh’s system, and the result has been a confusion in the applica- tion of the names Amomum and Alpinia which botanists of the present century have still failed to clarify, largely because nobody has yet clearly defined the limits of the genera concerned. Wallich continued Roxburgh’s work by publishing excellent plates of several species in his Plantae Asiaticae Rariores. Roscoe made considerable studies of plants in cultiva- tion at Liverpool, and published a valuable series of coloured plates in 1828. Gardens Bulletin, S.. 15 Blume published short diagnoses of many species native in the Netherlands Indies, but unfortunately these are quite inadequate for recognition of the plants, and the later descriptions of Miquel. are little better. The first satis- factory work on the Zingiberaceae of Java was by Valeton (see below). Griffith made a small contribution to our knowledge of Malayan Zingiberaceae, valuable chiefly for his drawings of species of Achasma and Hornstedtia (1851). In 1861 Horaninow published the first monograph of the family; it contained little original material but is valuable as a summary of knowledge up to that time. Baker described the Zingiberaceae of India (including those known from the Malay Peninsula) in the Flora of British India (1890-1892). Here are many new species, including some from Malaya, but the descriptions are too brief, and being founded in many cases on dried specimens only are sometimes misleading or inaccurate. Fortunately we have in the Singapore herbarium duplicate specimens of most of the type collections of Baker’s Malayan species. Baker subsequently described the Zingiberaceae for the Flora of Tropical Africa, some of them being illustrated in Hooker’s Icones. Schumann had also previously (1892) published an account of African Zingiberaceae. In 1899 Schumann described collections of Zingibera- ceae (mainly dried material) from German New Guinea, and also from Celebes, Borneo and other parts of Malaysia; this study, and his former work on African Zingiberaceae, led to his undertaking a monograph of the whole family for the Pflanzenreich (see below). In 1899 also Ridley published his first account of the Scitamineae of the Malay Peninsula. This was based mainly on his own collecting and that of Curtis during the previous ten years, and included 58 new species. In some cases the species were described from plants cultivated in Singapore or Penang, and of these coloured drawings usually exist; in the majority of cases the descriptions are based on dried material and field notes. It says much for Ridley’s energy and zeal as a collector that the majority of Peninsular species were described by him in this early paper. His descriptions however leave much to be desired, and if we had not his specimens and drawings a great proportion of the descriptions would be valueless. The figures given for dimensions of parts of flowers are rarely even approximately accurate; and even comparative state- ments (such as staminodes longer than petals) are sometimes wrong. In many cases species are wrongly placed generically, and the new genera Carenophila and Vol. XIII. (1950). 16 Conamomum (both in my opinion superfluous) are so inaptly described that Schumann placed them in the wrong sub-division of the family. Ridley’s account of the family in his Flora (vol. 4, 1924) is not any more satisfactory than. his paper of 1899. Simultaneously with Ridley’s work, Gagnepain des-- cribed many new species of Zingiberaceae, chiefly from Indochina; and he wrote an account of the family for Lecomte’s Flore Générale de VIndochine (1904). Gag-- | nepain’s observations are evidently based on careful examination of material, and so far as they go are admirable; but they sometimes do not include the details of inflorescence-structure which seem to me important. He sae little contribution to the definition of genera in the amily. Schumann’s final and most important work appeared in. 1904 as a monograph of the whole family, published in Engler’s Pflanzenreich. Nearly half the species in that. volume were originally described by Schumann himself; but most of these were based on dried material, and it is only too evident that Schumann had little first-hand knowledge of living plants of the family. The main failings of Schumann’s Monograph, in my opinion, are (1) his lack of attention to the structure of the inflorescence and (2) his failure to realize that single floral structures, especially the: crest of the anther-connective, are rarely sufficiently distin-. tive and constant to characterize genera, never to serve as. bases for larger divisions of the family, except for the case: of the petaloid development of the staminodes. As shown by Valeton, Schumann’s genera are consequently in many cases very confused. So far as Malayan species are concerned, Schumann’s work is almost valueless, as he saw specimens of few of Ridley’s species. He merely copied Ridley’s descriptions, the errors in which often caused him to misplace the species. His keys sometimes enable one to find species from Borneo: or elsewhere which may be related to Malayan species,. but often the data are so insufficient that one is left in uncertainty. A work such as Schumann’s should serve as an oppor-. tunity for a thorough revision of nomenclature. Apart from the fact that his generic concepts are unsatisfactory, and the consequent name-changes therefore sometimes wrong or unnecessary, he leaves unsolved two of the major problems of nomenclature, namely the status of the names Amomum and Alpinia. As regards Amomum, he removed the remaining Linnean species from that genus and used it as the type for a new genus Aframomum; he only retained the use of the name Amomum, for those Asiatic plants so: Gardens Bulletin, S. 17 called by Roxburgh and later writers, by an interpretation of Amomum cardamomum L. which will not bear criticism (see Burkill in Kew Bull., 1930, p. 32). It is perhaps. fortunate that he did so; otherwise he might have proposed a new generic name for the Asiatic species. I very much question whether his genus Aframomum is really dis- tinguishable from the Asiatic Amomum; certainly the characters he gives in his generic key do not distinguish the two. If the African and Asiatic species may be retained together in one genus, we may revert to Amomum granum paradisi Linn. as the type species and no. question of a nomen conservandum need arise. The question of Alpinia is discussed at length under that genus. There is no doubt that Alpinia in Schumann’s monograph does not contain the only Linnean species of 1753; there is equally no doubt that it does contain a great mixture of species which should, when further studied, be separated into several genera. It is therefore unreasonable: to apply the next generic name (Languas Koenig) to all Schumann’s species indiscriminately. This attitude is adopted by Loesner (Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, Bd. 15A: 611, 1930), who retains the name Alpinia in Schumann’s sense pending a further revision of the species. As will appear later, the name is here used in a different, restricted, sense. About the time when Schumann published his mono-. graph, Valeton began to take an interest in the Zingibera-. ceae of Java. His first paper (1904) dealt mainly with Hornstedtia, Achasma and Phaeomeria, and about the same: time he published a series of valuable illustrations of these and other species in Icones Bogorienses. His later papers dealt mainly with the same genera, and with Curcuma, Gastrochilus, Kaempferia and Zingiber. His studies were extremely thorough, and he described the structure of the inflorescence of many species for the first time, even in the case of some which had been well known for over a century. His work in fact represents a great advance towards an understanding of the family, and on it the present account is largely based. Unfortunately Valeton was not able to complete his work by making any general survey of the family. The only publication of importance subsequent to Valeton’s work is Loesner’s account of Zingiberaceae in the second edition of Engler’s Pflanzenfamilien (Bd. 15A, 1950). Loesener refers to Valeton’s work, but he is unable to adopt all of Valeton’s generic and sub-generic concepts because many species are not known in sufficient detail: and though he attempts to straighten the confusion of Schumann’s genera Gastrochilus and Kaempferia, his re- arrangement contains errors due to inaccurate descriptions Vol. XIII. (1950). 18 by previous authors. He adopts the genus Geanthus, as defined by Valeton, without consideration of the fact that the name is invalid. There is no question that a fresh study of all species is necessary, based on good material (including ; inflorescences and flowers either living or in alcohol) , before any satisfactory new account of the family as a whole can be written. Systematy of the family: a proposed veuisias The present study being confined to species of the Malay Penin- sula, I cannot attempt a complete revision of the genera of the family ; but I think that my observations justify a partial revision, and also provide suggestions for further investigation of non-Malayan species. Schumann’s division of the family into the two sub- families Zingiberoideae and Costoideae is certainly valid, and I would retain it as the main division. The sub- family Costoideae includes (in Malaya) only the genus Costus, and need not concern us further at present. Schumann’s sub-division of the sub-family Zingiberoi- deae on the other hand seems to me unsatisfactory. I would base the main division, as he does, on the petaloid development of staminodes but Zingiber itself belongs with Hedychium and the rest which have petaloid staminodes, not with Amomum and Alpinia. It is evident from Schumann’s note after the generic diagnosis of Zingiber that he recognized this, and he does not at all explain why he placed Zingiber with Amomum, nor how he would include Zingiber under “staminodia lateralia parva minutissima vel 0” if he regards (rightly) the lateral lobes of the lip of Zingiber as staminodes. The separation of Globba, together with Mantisia, Hemiorchis and Gagnepainia, appears satisfactory. Thus we have the three tribes Hedychieae (including Zingiber), Globbeae and Alpinieae (Schumann’s Zingibereae, without Zingiber). The following then is the scheme proposed: 3 Leaves distichous, with sheath open on the side opposite the lamina; lateral staminodes usually present though in many cases small; stylodes (nectar glands) various, always more or less columnar, rarely absent Zingiberoideae (Subfam. 1). Lateral staminodes petaloid, free from the labellum; or in Zingiber more or less deeply adnate to the labellum (Zingiber may also be recognized by the long narrow curved anther-crest, with inflexed edges, embracing the style). Ovary unilocular with parietal placentae Globbeae. Ovary trilocular with axile placentae, or uni- locular with basal or free columnar placenta Hedychieae. Gardens Bulletin, S. 19 Lateral staminodes never petaloid, sometimes lacking; usually present as small teeth or short linear appen- dages at the base of the lip, in Geocharis joined to the filament Alpinieae. Leaves spirally arranged, with sheaths tubular, closed on the _ side opposite the lamina; staminodes absent (as individual _ structures); stylodes absent, nectar glands embedded below base of flower-tube Costoideae (Subfam. 2). The name Hedychieae is used instead of Zingibereae. because Schumann’s Zingibereae was very different. For convenience of use as a key covering Malayan genera only, we may add to the above scheme a note referring to the distinctive features of Globba itself as contrasted with the Hedychieae, the other genera of Globbeae being lacking in Malaya. The sub-division of the tribes I would base almost entirely on characters of the inflorescence and bracts, as. indicated below, as this appears to give a much more natural arrangement than Schumann’s, which is based mainly on unstable flower-characters. Relationship to other Families. As noted under the discussion of floral morphology, there is no doubt that the Zingiberaceae have a common origin with those families known as Liliiflorae. There is also little doubt that Zing!- beraceae are monophyletic; the remarkable uniformity of flower-structure in the family, and the absence of anything resembling it in other families, is strong evidence that all Zingiberaceae arose from a common ancestor. The other families placed with Zingiberaceae in the Order Scitamineae are Musaceae, Lowiaceae, Marantaceae, Cannaceae. Of these, Musaceae and Lowiaceae each have five stamens (exceptionaily six in Musaceae) and are to that extent more primitive than Zingiberaceae, but they are also very specialized and bear little resemblance to Zingibera- ceae. The nearest resemblance is with Heliconia, as regards vegetative appearance and morphology of the inflorescence: but it is improbable that Zingiberaceae arose from Heliconia. It seems more likely that these other families had separate origins in the Liliiflorous stock, which is certainly an ancient one. As remarked by Engler, the probable origin of Zingiberaceae is from tall rhizomatous plants of the aspect of Dracaena, with a branched terminal inflorescence having the ultimate branch-systems cymose. Dracaena has a superior ovary; but the transition from superior to inferior is one that has occurred on many different lines of evolution, and the Zingiberaceae-ancestor must have experienced that transition, though Dracaena did not. Vol. XIII. (1950). 20 The Zingiberaceae-ancestor must have been a plant of tropical evergreen forest; and judging by the existing distribution of the family the Pere of origin was within the Indo-Malayan region. Zingiberaceae as members of the flora of - Mabon Zingiberaceae are a characteristic feature of the ground flora of the primitive forest of Malaya. They are infre- quent in secondary forest, and very few native species will stand the full exposure of the sun. In the forest, one meets them everywhere, usually as scattered plants, rarely as thickets. Some are found only in wet places, others on hillsides. They are most abundant in lowland and mid- mountain forest; few are seen on high mountain ridges. One species (Hedychium longicornutum) is epiphytic. The total number of species at present known is here - reckoned to be 150. Putting the total number of species of flowering plants at 7,000, this is about two per cent. This may be compared with the Orchidaceae, our largest family, which includes more than 780 known species, or say eleven per cent of the flora. Some species of Zingiberaceae are found throughout the country; such as Globba pendula, Costus speciosus, Camp- tandra parvula, Alpinia javanica, Achasma macrocheilos, Amomum x«anthophlebium, Hornstedtia scyphifera. Other species appear to be extremely local, notably several species of Scaphochlamys (which are almost confined to lowland forest) and of Geostachys (which are nearly all mountain plants). As regards the occurrence of our species outside Malaya, little can be said with certainty, owing to the imperfect descriptions of so many species, and to the fact that the Zingiberaceae of Borneo and Sumatra, the countries most likely to have species in common with Malaya, have been comparatively little investigated. There is little doubt that many of our common species occur also in Sumatra and Borneo, as is the general rule for common lowland Malayan species. As regards northward distribution, we can say with a high degree of probability that few of our species spread far; included in these few are some (such as Costus specio- sus and Catimbium muticum) which will tolerate moderate or full exposure, and others (such as Curcuma parviflora) which are at their southern limit in northern Malaya. KEY TO THE MALAYAN DIVISIONS OF ZINGIBERACEAE. Leaves distichous, with sheaths open on the side opposite the lamina. Lateral staminodes petaloid, free from the labellum; or in Zingiber more or Jess deeply adnate to the Gardens Bulletin, S. ee ee 21 labellum (Zingiber also has a long narrow anther- crest with inflexed edges, embracing the style). Lip and filament joined together for some distance above the insertion of petals and staminodes; filament very long as compared with lip Globba (p. 2/ ). Lip and filament not so joined; filament nearly always much shorter than lip une ; Hedychieae (p.2* ). Lateral staminodes never petaloid, sometimes lacking, usually present as small teeth or short linear appen- dages at the base of the lip Alpinieae (p.f' =). Leaves spirally arranged, with tubular sheaths Bin? Costus (p.2¥). GLOBBA LINNAEUS Rhizome slender, creeping, bearing leaf-shoots close together or well-spaced; roots often rather fleshy. Leaf- shoots slender, usually 30-90 cm. tall to the top of the high- est leaf-sheath, bearing about 3-8 leaves in the upper !12— 2/3. Leaf-blades usually sessile or nearly so, slightly asymmetric, elliptic, usually more or less caudate-acuminate, thin, glabrous or variously pubescent; ligule broad, not lobed, usually 1-5 mm. high, ciliate or glabrous. Jnflores- cence terminal, erect or decurved ; peduncle slender, short or long, usually bearing a few sterile bracts; rachis slender, short or long, bearing few to many slender branches in the axils of small, often early deciduous, primary bracts; branches bearing few to many flowers arranged in a 25a" Stems c. 60 cm. tall to top of highest leaf-shoot; leaves 3-5. Leaf-blade to 19 by 6-5 em. or to 24 by 10 cm., elliptic, apex shortly abruptly acuminate, base cuneate and decurrent, beneath sometimes purplish and almost always softly hairy, upper surface with short hairs on midrib only or glabrous; ligule and sheath densely hairy, hairs rather fine or soft, to nearly 2 mm. long, (in some _ specimens hairs short). Inflorescence 15-30 cm. long above the uppermost leaf-sheath; peduncle bearing several narrow very hairy not-sheathing sterile bracts (largest 2 cm. long) the upper ones gradually smaller and closer, grading into the primary bracts of the inflorescence, the lowest ones of which often have axillary bulbils only; rachis proper short, 2-8 cm. long, rarely to 10 cm. long. Primary bracts orange, 4-5 mm, long, ovate, very hairy with a fringe of hairs; secondary bracts to 3 mm. long, orange, hairy; all bracts persistent. Branches of inflorescence close to- gether, 3-4 mm. long to the first secondary bract. Pedicels of flowers slender, minutely hairy, c. 4-7 mm. long. Ovary and calyx minutely hairy, together 6 mm. long; calyx teeth subequal, all with a spreading sub-apical hollow spur c. 1 mm. long, in two of them this spur acutely pointed, in the third blunt. Corolla-tube c. 1:5 cm. long beyond apex of calyx, minutely hairy; lobes spreading, concave, ovate, about 5 mm. long, orange. Staminodes little longer than corolla-segments, 2 mm. wide, apex pointed, orange. Lip paler golden orange with a rufous-brown spot near the apex, nearly 1 cm. long, the apex rather deeply bilobed, the lobes diverging, their tips just below the level of junction of staminodes and petals. Filament extending c. 1-8 em. beyond the lip; anther 2-5 mm. long with two narrow acute slightly divergent spurs spreading on either side, their bases confluent or occupying the whole length of the anther, colour as lip. Fruit sub-globose, smooth, or slightly rugose, c. 8 mm. long. > The plant described by Miquel as G. aurantiaca was | from S. Sumatra. His description is not very full, and does | not mention the anthers, but his plant must have been closely similar to those from Malaya identified by Ridley with G. aurantiaca. This species and G. variabilis are undoubtedly very closely related, and the only clear distinction I can see is in the long pedicels of the flowers of G. awrantiaca. Plants of G. aurantiaca are usually larger and much more hairy than Gardens Bulletin, S. { oT in G. variabilis, but the length and density of hairs is very variable. The leaves are also usually broader, but they are distinctly variable in width. The rugose ovary of G. varia- bilis is also a distinction from G. aurantiaca but not always very clearly visible on dried specimens. The sterile bracts on the peduncles of both species are very variable, but always broader in G. variabilis and never so hairy as in typical G. aurantiaca. The species is found in lowland and mountain forest (to 4,000 feet altitude) from Penang southwards to Malacca; there are many collections. Few specimens have been found in Johore. Corner has collected the species twice near the S. Sedili and G. Panti, one collection having normal hairy leaves and one with leaves almost glabrous beneath. The only other from Johore is a small-leaved specimen with seven leaves, nearly glabrous, from Ulu Kahang (Holttum, S.F.N. 10927). On Bukit Kutu (Selangor) Ridley found a curious form with leaves which when dry are strongly ribbed above by the rather thick prominent veins, which are also connected by raised trans- verse veins. From Bukit Tangga (Negri Sembilan) and Selangor have been obtained specimens with rather stiff hairs all over the upper surface of the leaves, rising between the veins on rather thick papillae. 10. Globba variabilis Ridl., Trans. Linn. Soc. 3: 378. 1893. J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 98. 1899. Flora 4: 239. G. malac- ‘censis Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 93. 1899. Flora 4: 237. G. perakensis Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 98. 1899. Flora 4: 239. Stems c. 30-45 cm. long to apex of highest leaf-sheath,. usually bearing 3-5 leaves, the bladeless basal sheaths green or flushed with purple, usually short-hairy. Leaf-blade (largest) about 10 by 3 to 24 by 8-5 cm., apex shortly acumi- nate, base cuneate-decurrent; lower surface often (always?) purple, minutely hairy throughout or almost glabrous; upper surface dark green, sometimes with short hairs on the midrib; petiole sometimes distinct or sometimes hardly so owing to the decurrent lamina, always short, short-hairy on lower surface; ligule 3-4 mm. long, edge usually ciliate, otherwise glabrous or very short-hairy; sheath often purple, short-hairy at least towards the base of the leaf. Inflorescence c. 12-22 cm. long beyond apex of highest leaf-sheath, the axis short-hairy, green or flushed with purple, bearing several more or less hairy green sterile bracts of size decreasing upwards, the longest usually 3 cm. or more long with mucronate-caudate apex. Rachis of inflorescence proper usually not over 2 cm. long, with a few crowded branches. Primary bracts of inflorescence orange to red, to about 8-9 mm. long, fringed with short hairs, + persistent. Branches of inflorescence deep salmon, - minutely hairy, to about 5 mm. long to the first secondary bract, each branch usually bearing a succession of 2-6 flowers close together, with persistent secondary bracts, the longest Vol. XIII. (1950). 38 branch rarely exceeding 1-5 cm. long-in all. Secondary bracts c. 3-6 mm. long, coloured as primary. Flowers sessile (no pedicel). Calyx with ovary c. 5-6 mm. long, bright orange, teeth about as in C. auwrantiaca. Corolla-tube 1-6—-1-8 em. long beyond mouth of calyx; dorsal lobe 6-7 mm. long, laterals a little shorter, all pale orange-yellow. Staminodes about same length as dorsal corolla-lobe, pale orange-yellow. Labellum c. 8 mm. long, its apex about level with attachment of corolla- lobes, 2-lobed, the lobes diverging; coloured as staminodes, with a deeper central spot. Filament to 2 cm. long beyond attach- ment to lip; anther shaped as in G. aurantiaca, 7 mm. across from tip of one appendage to the other. Frwit c. 8 mm. long, more or less rugose. ; This species was originally described by Ridley from Pahang. It occurs in lowland forest and at moderate elevations, most commonly in Pahang and Johore, and on the western side of Malaya as far north as Perak, but not to Penang. G. malaccensis Ridl. and G. perakensis Ridl. seem to me quite identical; the former has 4 anther-spurs, not two as stated by Ridley. ; G. variabilis is nearly allied to G. awrantiaca but differs in being short-hairv on under sides of leaves and on sheaths, in having broader and less hairy sterile bracts on the peduncle, in sessile flowers and distinctly rugose ovary. The character most easy to observe is the sessile flowers as against the pedicelled flowers of G. aurantiaca. G. atrosanguinea T. and B. from Borneo is nearly allied but seems to be distinct in having much larger primary bracts; G. deliana Valet. from Sumatra is probably identical with G. variabilis. TRIBE HEDYCHIEAE. According to the view here adopted that the primitive Zingiberaceous inflorescence is (a) terminal on the leaf- shoot, (b) consists of cincinni in the axils of primary bracts and (c) has a tubular secondary bract or bracteole at the base of each new branch of a cincinnus, Hedychium is the most primitive genus in this division of the family, being the only one which has all these characters.* It is therefore appropriate to call the tribe Hedychieae; but it is not the same as the Hedychieae of Schumann. Schumann excluded Zingiber, which he placed along with Amomum and Alpinia, whereas its relationship to Scaphochlamys is far nearer. On the other hand, Schumann included Conamomum, which is really a part of Amomum and has no near relationship at all to the Hedychium tribe; and also Odontychium, which is here united to Alpinia, though there is no doubt that it * Apparently in H. coronarium the bracteoles are not tubular; but in all Malayan species examined they are tubular, and in H. coccineum. ; Gardens Bulletin, S. 39 shows some resemblances to Hedychium and points to the relationship between Hedychium and Alpinia, the primitive members of their respective tribes. Principal characteristics. The main characteristic of the tribe is the development of the staminodes into petaloid structures, as compared with their rudimentary condition in the Alpinieae. The only genus in which the presence of petaloid staminodes is not at once obvious is Zingiber. Here the staminodes and the labellum are joined together more or less completely into a single 3—lobed structure, the composite nature of which is in nearly all cases clear. This fusion of the staminodes and lip, together with the reduction of the flowers to one in each bract, and the remarkable development of the anther-crest indicate the highly specia- lized condition ef this genus, which is far from typical of the family as a whole. The other principal common character is perhaps the ellipsoid seed with a deeply lacerate aril, as opposed to the angled seeds with little-lobed aril of the ‘Alpinia tribe. The various developments of structure as regards rhizome, leaf-shoot, inflorescence etc. within the tribe are discussed in some detail below. Here we may note as perhaps the most characteristic development the reduction of the tall leaf-shoot to a short shoot of few rather erect leaves, and the lengthening of petioles, so that the leaves are usually much taller than the stem proper of the leaf-shoot. The exceptions to this are the primitive genus Hedychium, and curiously enough also Zingiber which is rather highly specialized in other aspects of development. The only genus of the Alpinia tribe which shows a comparable reduction of leaf-shoot and lengthening of petioles is Elettariopsis. Basis of sub-division of the tribe. Following earlier authors, Schumann attempted to use anther-characters for the main division of the tribe. As Ridley noted, the result is not at all satisfactory; but Ridley did not produce any satisfactory alternative. It is only necessary to see the confusion in Schumann’s genera Kaempferia and Gastro- chilus to realize how impracticable is his scheme; closely related species are placed in different genera, where they are alongside others to which they show little resemblance. It is true that this is partly due to Schumann’s having copied the mistakes of others; but even with full data on all Species the result would not be much improved. It appears to me very clear that here, as in the Alpinia tribe, the main classification must be based on the structure of the inflorescence, which provides -really distinctive characters; and the result is undoubtedly a much more Vol. XIII. (1950). 40 natural grouping than Schumann’s. The various types of inflorescence-structure are described below. As in most families of plants, there are exceptional members in some groups, such as Zingiber Clarkei, but in the main, inflores- cence-characters alone give a satisfactory division. Anther-characters are probably next in importance. The anther-crest of Zingiber distinguishes it at once; but apart from this case no anther-crest character can be used to separate genera. The basal spurs are probably more important, but in any case are only of use sub-generically. The character of a unilocular ovary is impossible to use for main divisions of the tribe, as it is very inconstant. In Boesenbergia and Scaphochlamys some species have unilocular and some trilocular ovaries; and in S. Kunstleri one plant may have unilocular and another trilocular ovaries. Schumann’s genus Haplochoreméa, as based on this character, is certainly an artificial one, though H. decus- sylvae may perhaps remain distinct on account of its peculiar inflorescence. Rhizome. As in all Zingiberaceae, the rhizome is always a sympodium. Each new branch forms first a greater or longer section of root-bearing rhizome, and then at its apex an erect leaf-bearing or flowering shoot. The rhizome is in all cases subterranean except in some species of Scaphochlamys, where it rises obliquely or even almost vertically, being supported by means of strut-roots (as in some species of Hornstedtia, but on a smaller scale). Such rhizomes are perhaps most common in wet forest where there is a considerable layer of decaying leaves, continually renewed (there is no season of leaf-fall). Short fleshy rhizomes are commoner in this tribe than in the Alpinieae. They occur especially in Curcuma, Kaempferia and Zingiber; nearly all are aromatic and provide flavourings for human food, or native medicines. From the plant’s stand-point, these rhizomes are reserves of food; they have the power of resting and serve to tide the plant over the dry season. Species which produce them can rest leafless for a few months, and so have been able to enter climatic zones denied to the species which are ever- green and need the shade of evergreen forest. Grown in Malaya, Curcumas are evergreen; in the uniform climate of southern Malaya some of them rarely flower. The same remark applies to some of the cultivated Zingibers. Roots. The roots of most species of Curcuma are fleshy and bear ellipsoid fleshy tubers of varying size. These again are presumably stores of food. They are found also in Kaempferia and rarely in Zingiber. Such root- Gardens Bulletin, S. i ee Al tubers are hardly found in the Alpinia tribe. The roots of the epiphytic species of Hedychium are very fleshy throughout, serving probably as water-reservoirs. Leaf-shoots. Relatively tall erect leaf-shoots with many overlapping sheaths, and short-stalked leaves at a broad angle to the sheaths, are found in Hedychium, Zingiber and Haniffia. These resemble the leaf-shoots of Alpinia, Amomum ete. In the other genera, except to a. limited extent in Camptandra and Boesenbergia, the leaf-shoots have a rather short stem, bearing a smail group: of more erect leaves, often on fairly long petioles, the length of a leaf-sheath being much less than the length of petiole and blade. This gives the plants a very different aspect from those of the Alpinieae. The ligule in some such cases is reduced, but never absent. Whether it develops raised auricles or not is often a useful diagnostic character. As noted above, each new leaf-shoot (which may or may not have a terminal inflorescence) arises at the apex of a rhizome-element, the origin of which is a bud from a leaf-axil, usually at the base of a previous leaf-shoot. The rhizome-portion of each new shoot bears scale-leaves in two ranks; at the transition from rhizome to erect leaf-shoot the: scale-leaves lengthen, forming bladeless sheaths which protect the base of the leaf-shoot; within these arise the foliage leaves, on their longer sheathing bases. Usually each new element of the sympodium arises in the axil of one of the rhizome scale-leaves, near the transi- tion-point to the erect leaf-shoot. In the case however of those species of Scaphochlamys which bear obliquely ascending rhizomes, the basal scale-bearing part of a new shoot is sometimes very short, and the next bud may arise in the axil of a foliage-leaf. The appearance in such a case is that of axillary branching, and so in a sense it is; but it is. not essentially different from those cases in which the new shoot arises in the axil of a scale-leaf of the rhizome. In all cases the new shoot is (potentially at least) a new element of the sympodium. All shoots have limited apical growth, and most of them end in an inflorescence; all are of equal status except in those species where some shoots are solely vegetative and some solely flower-bearing. Valeton and Ridley are therefore wrong when they speak of the inflores- . cences of some species of Scaphochlamys as “lateral,” as distinct from the terminal inflorescence of (for example) Boesenbergia pandurata. Every inflorescence of Scapho-. chlamys is terminal on an element of the sympodium, and all such elements are approximately equal. In some species of Scaphochlamys (and in Haplocho- rema decus-sylvae) each element of the sympodium has only Vol. XIII. (1950). 42° one foliage-leaf. In such cases this leaf is preceded by the usual bladeless sheaths, and the sheath of the foliage-leaf imbricates with the innermost of such sheaths to form a protection for the developing inflorescence. Where the successive shoots are close together, the impression of axillary inflorescences may result. Position of Inflorescence. There is no genus (except Haniffia, of which only two species are known) in which the inflorescence is always on a separate shoot from the foliage leaves. In Curcuma some species have the inflorescence terminal on the leaf-shoot and some have it on a separate shoot. In Zingiber the latter condition predominates but there are occasional exceptions. In Kaempferia a few species have separate inflorescences; these usually develop before the appearance of the leaf-shoots. In Hedychium, Scaphochlamys, Camptandra, Boesenbergia and Roscoea the inflorescence is always terminal on a leaf-shoot. Structure of Inflorescence. As noted above, only in Hedychium do we find the primitive form of inflorescence, with a cincinnus in the axil of each primary bract and the secondary or flowering bracts of tubular shape. This structure is essentially the same as in Alpinia; but in Hedychium the cincinni remain almost sessile, and the primary bracts are always rather large (rarely so in Alpinia), whereas the large sheaths which in Alpinia enclose the inflorescence to a very late stage are lacking. As in the Alpinieae, the other genera show different modifications of the primitive inflorescence-structure. All of them have lost the tubular form of the secondary bracts. In Curcuma the primary bracts are very broad and imbricating, as in Hedychium coronarium, but they are adnate to each other in their basal parts, forming closed pouches, which are not found in any other genus; the apical bracts also are sterile and usually larger and distinctively coloured, forming a coma. The cincinni have short axes, as in Hedychium. The flowers in each are arranged in the normal order of an axillary cincinnus (the first secondary bract being at right angles to the primary bract etc.) ; the secondary bracts are elliptic with inflexed edges, not tubular at the base, and are fairly large. In Scaphochlamys the primary bracts are not so large as in Curcuma, not joined at the base, and sometimes less closely imbricating. There is a range from compact cone-like inflorescences to very lax ones with each bract separately set on a flexuous rachis. Each primary bract is concave at the base and contains a compact cincinnus of several rather small flowers. The secondary or flowering Gardens Bulletin, S. 43 bracts are arranged as in Curcuma, but the first one is usually much larger than the rest and so arranged that it faces (or almost faces) the primary bract; it has strongly inflexed edges, embracing all the flower-buds of the’ cincin- nus, and often has two well-marked keels, like the palea of a grass. The other secondary bracts are either of descending order of size, or more often all very much smaller than the first one. They are never tubular at the base. The axillary groups of flowers are true cincinni, the arrangement essentially the same as in Curcuma, but the. whole group appears to have been rotated through one right angle so that the opening of the first secondary bract faces the primary bract instead of being at right angles to it. This is of course an advantage in that the overlapping edges of the two bracts make a more efficient protection for the group of flowers than if the second one were in the normal] position facing at right angles. It is notable that in several families of Monocotyledons a 2-keeled secondary bract is. formed facing the primary bract at the base of a branch of the inflorescence. Perhaps in Scaphochlamys we have a survival of this bract, which has disappeared in some other genera. Bracts of this shape and in a similar position are also found in Heliconia and Marantaceae. The inner bracts of Scaphochlamys have bases which extend over half-way round the axis; their edges in each case just overlap the bud in the axil of the previous bract, which makes that bud at first sight seem very excentric. In Camptandra we have a single primary bract, the axis stopping short just beyond it, and an axillary cincinnus arranged as in Curcuma, not as in Scaphochlamys. (Camp- tandra also has anther-characters which distinguish it from the other genera). In the remaining Malayan genera the cincinnus in the axil of each primary bract has been reduced to one flower. In Roscoea and Haniffia there are no secondary bracts; but in the other genera secondary bracts are present. In Zingiber the secondary bract (or bracteole) is shaped exactly as the first secondary bract of Scaphochla- mys, and faces the primary bract in the same way. This is in marked contrast to such genera as Hornstedtia and Costus, in which the non-tubular secondary bract is at right angles to the primary, at the side of the single flower as one looks towards the axis of the inflorescence. It seems therefore that the ancestor of Zingiber must have had an inflorescence like that of Scaphochlamys. The exceptional species Z. Clarkei has a cincinnus of flowers in each bract and probably indicates the ancestral type. Vol. XIII. (1950). 44 Kaempferia has the same arrangement as in Zingiber, though usually with much fewer primary bracts and an inflorescence-axis that is hardly elongated; but here the secondary bracts are more or less bilobed or even so deeply divided that the halves become separate. Their position and lobing indicates an origin from a 2-keeled secondary bract in the position of that in Scaphochlamys, the bract having become 2-lobed with a keel in each lobe. There remain Boesenbergia and the dubious genus Haplochorema. Valeton describes the inflorescence of Haplochorema decus-sylvae as exactly like that of a Kaemp- feria with few bracts which are quite enclosed by the sheaths of the foliage leaves, except that the apical flower develops first and the lower ones later, in succession downwards, or centripetally away from the apex, instead of the usual reverse arrangement. Whether any other species have this arrangement is unknown. It is remarkable and interesting because it gives a possible origin for the peculiar arrangement of Boesenbergia. In Boesenbergia the development is from apex to base, or centripetal, as in Haplochorema decus-sylvae, and in most cases the axis of the inflorescence is short, the whole being enclosed within the imbricating foliage leaf-sheaths; but in Boesenbergia there are more bracts, and they are in two ranks instead of in a spiral. There is one secondary bract facing each primary bract, with inflexed edges as in Zingiber, the secondary bract being nearly as long as the primary. The peculiarity does not stop here; the two rows of bracts are not on exactly opposite sides of the axis, like the two ranked foliage leaves of a Zingiberacea, but both are a little towards one side so that the whole is dorsiventral. How this peculiar dorsiventral 2-ranked arrangement originated is not obvious. It may perhaps have evolved as a development from a few-bracted condition like that of H, decus-sylvae by increase in the number of bracts through © intercalary basal growth, the added bracts being 2-ranked like the foliage-leaves below them. A possible alternative is development from a single axillary cincinnus by inter- calary basal growth; this would give the two rows of bracts in a dorsiventral arrangement, but it would not explain the presence of secondary bracts, because the bracts of a cincinnus are themselves secondary and no bracts or bracteoles of a third order are known in this group of genera. At least we may say that Boesenbergia has the most specialized inflorescence in the Hedychium tribe. Ovary. The normal ovary in the family is of course trilocular with more or less axile placentation; this is the case in Hedychium, Curcuma, Camptandra and Zingiber, Gardens Bulletin, S. i 45 In Globba (and the related non-Malayan genera) the oyary is apparently always unilocular with parietal placentation. In Boesenbergia it is sometimes unilocular and sometimes trilocular, and the same is apparently true of Scaphochla- mys, though further information is needed, the placentation being basal or on a placenta attached at the base of the ovary. In some species of Scaphochlamys the number of ovules is very much reduced, even in S. erecta at least sometimes to one, and in S. Klossii to three. The genus Haplochorema of Schumann consists perhaps of species of both Boesenbergia and Kaempferia; but H. decus-sylvae does not appear to be a typical Kaempferia. Whether any true Kaempferia has a unilocular ovary is doubtful. At least one may say that in the Scaphochlamys group there is a tendency to the reduction of ovules and the formation of a unilocular ovary. In the same way some species of Languas in the Alpinieae have incompletely trilocular ovaries, but the tendency is evidently less strong in Alpinieae than in Hedychieae. Fruits. The structure of fruits in this tribe has been much less studied than in the Alpinieae. There appear to be no very large or fleshy fruits comparable with those of some species of Amomum. The largest fruits are in Hedychium; these dehisce from apex to base, the three valves diverging and exposing the highly arilled seeds. Tube of the flower. The tube is slender throughout, except in Curcuma and to a less extent in Scaphochlamys where the upper part widens to a funnel-or cup-shape (the faux). In Curcuma there is a raised hairy ring at the base of the faux; in other genera (so far as known to me) hairs without a special ridge, near the mouth of the tube, or none. Staminodes. The staminodes (representing the two stamens of the outer whorl! on either side of the functional stamen) are usually of size comparable with the corolla- lobes. They vary from a long narrow shape in most species of Hedychium to a nearly circular shape in some species of Kaempferia and in Camptandra. They are usually more or less spreading, the extreme position being taken in Kaemp- feria and Camptandra (where with the two halves of the lip they form an almost quadrate flat flower). In Curecuma they are concave with their inner edges folded under the hood of the dorsal corolla-lobe. . In Zingiber the staminodes are united to the lip to a greater or less extent. They stand erect on either side of the base of the lip, in exactly the same position as the erect side-lobes of the labella of many orchids. Vol. XIII. (1950). 46 Labellum. Accepting the view of Costerus that the labellum in Zingiberaceae normally represents both two stamens of the inner whorl! and also the intervening one of the outer whorl, it appears that in the Hedychieae the single outer stamen is not strongly developed. The labellum in this tribe is nearly always rather deeply 2-lobed, most ~deeply in Hedychium, Camptandra and Kaempferia, least (or hardly at all) in Curcuma and Boesenbergia. There is often however some indication of the presence of the middle stamen in the tooth in the sinus of the lip (e.g. Hedychium longicornutum). Valeton reports a statement by Costerus that in the labellum of Zingiber the median vein represent- ing the vascular bundle of the middle stamen is quite lacking. One can say at least that in the Hedychieae there is a much greater tendency to deep bilobing of the lip than in the Alpinieae; or alternatively that in the Alpinieae the middle stamen is usually more strongly developed. As regards colour of the lip, the greatest uniformity is found in Curcuma and Scaphochlamys, in all species of which the general colour is white with a median yellow band, sometimes bordered with purple or violet with or without a few radiating purple or violet lines. This is exactly the same arrangement as occurs in some species of Alpinia and in Elettariopsis, and must surely represent an ancestral character reaching far back into the history of the family. The same yellow band is usually found in Boesen- bergia, though often there accompanied by a good deal of red colour in other parts of the lip; in Kaempferia it is often found at the base of the lip only. It does not appear in Zingiber, which has either very pale-coloured labella, or a general mottling of pink or deep purple-violet. Stamen. The length of the filament varies much more than in the Alpinieae. In Hedychium and Globba it is very long; in Zingiber, Kaempferia and Camptandra so short that it hardly exists; in Curcuma it is as broad as long. The pollen-sacs of the anther normally dehisce by longitudinal slits, as usual in the family as a whole, but a few species of Boesenbergia (B. Curtisii) have apical pores. instead of slits. This is certainly not a generic character, as species closely allied in all other respects have the two different methods of dehiscence. In Scaphochlamys the basal ends of the pollen-sacs are prolonged as short free tips. In Camptandra (and apparently also in Roscoea) the pollen-sacs are much produced basally into sterile appen- dages which are inclined forwards away from the filament, thus giving a versatile character to the anther. In Curcuma also the anther is versatile, being attached usually about the middle of the pollen-sacs, and at the same Gardens Bulletin, S. 47 time there is usually a sterile out-growth from the back of the base of each pollen-sac. These outgrowths are usually called spurs, and they function in the same way as the basal appendages in Camptandra as a mechanism for cross-polli- nation. A visiting insect pushes against the spurs on entering the flower, and in so doing brings the pollen-sacs into contact with its back. The connective of the anther develops an apical crest of conspicuous size in most species of Scaphochlamys and Kaempferia, but not so large as in many members of the Alpinieae. A small crest is also found in some species of Boesenbergia. In Camptandra, which is in many ways closely related to Kaempferia, there is no crest. The most remarkable development is: in Zingiber, where the crest is usually about as long as the anther and as wide, with inflexed sides which entirely enclose the style except near its apex. The crest is also curved towards the lip, and so arranged that it brings the stigma close to the middle of the lip, well in front of the pollen-sacs. Zingiber is the only case in the whole family in which the anther-crest alone gives a distinctive generic character ; in all other cases there are exceptions, which have caused much confusion in systems of classification based on the anther-crest. KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE HEDYCHIUM TRIBE Staminodes and lip joined to form a single more or less deeply 3-lobed organ; anther prolonged into a long narrow crest with inflexed edges enfolding the style I. Zingiber. Staminodes free from lip; anther-crest, if present, not enfolding the style Bracts adnate laterally for about half their length, forming closed basal pouches, each containing a cincinnus of'a few flowers 2. Curcuma. Bracts not adnate laterally Inflorescence terminal on a leafy shoot Filament at least half as long as lip and usually much longer 3. Hedychium. Filament much shorter than half the length of the lip Several flowers in the axil of each bract One bract only (or rarely 2), apparently terminal 4. Camptandra. - Several to many bracts © 5. Scaphochlamys. Vol. XIII. (1950). 48 One flower in the axil of each bract, with one or two bracteoles Bracts 2-ranked, the apical one develop- ing first; bracteoles about as long as bracts, lip hardly bilobed | 6. Boesenbergia. Bracts not 2-ranked, lowest: developing first; bracteoles usually much shorter than bracts; lip deeply bilobed Bracteoles more or less deeply 2- lobed; rhizome short and fleshy 7. Kaempferia Bracteoles not 2-lobed; rhizome creeping, slender Scaphochlamys biloba. Inflorescence on a separate shoot Inflorescence and leaf-shoot appearing at sepa- rate times; each flower with one 2-lobed bracteole 7. Kaempferia. Inflorescence appearing simultaneously with the leaf shoot; no bracteoles 8. Haniffia. 1. ZINGIBER ADANSON Rhizome at or near surface of ground, bearing leaf- shoots close together. Leafy shoots short to moderately tall, often with many leaves. Leaves thin in texture, never very large (rarely to 50 cm. long), sessile or with quite short petioles, the ligule short to long, deeply bilobed or entire. Inflorescence on a separate shoot without normal leaves (in a few non-Malayan species at the apex of the leaf-shoot) ; scape usually erect, short or long, clothed with 2-ranked sheaths which are sometimes coloured red; spike short or long, slender to thick, cylindric,’ ovoid or tapering to a narrow apex, elongating gradually. Bracts fairly large, usually brightly coloured, red or yellow, usually thinly fleshy, closely imbricating or with apices free, margins. plane or inflexed. One flower in the axil of each bract;. flowers fragile, short-lived. Bracteoles one to each flower facing the bract, thin, narrower than the bract, usually persisting and enclosing the fruit, split to the base, never tubular, Calyx thin, tubular-spathaceous, usually shorter than the bracteole but sometimes longer. Corolla-tube slender, usually about as long as the bract; dorsal lobe usually broader than the others, erect, narrowed to the tip and hardly hooded, edges inflexed, lateral lobes usually Gardens Bulletin, S. 49 below the lip and on either side of it, sometimes joined partly together by their adjacent sides and to the lip, colour usually white or cream. Lyabellum deeply 3-lobed (the side-lobes representing the staminodes) or rarely the side-lobes hardly free from the midlobe, side-lobes erect on either side of the stamen, midlobe shorter than or not greatly longer than the lateral corolla-lobes, its apex usually retuse or cleft; colour cream to white, or more or less deeply suffused with crimson or purple, in a few cases very dark purple. Filament of stamen short and broad; anther rather long, narrow; con- nective prolonged into a slender curved beak-like appendage as long as the pollen-sacs, with inflexed edges, containing the upper part of the style. Stigma protruding just below the apex of the appendage, not thickened, with a circular apical aperture surrounded by stiff hairs. Stylodes usually slender and free, not surrounding the base. of the style. Ovary glabrous or hairy, trilocular with several ovules in each loculus. Frwit with a fleshy wall when fresh, more or less leathery when dry, smooth or hairy, enclosed by the persistent bract and bracteole, dehiscent loculicidally within the persistent bracts. Seeds ellipsoid, black or dark brown, covered by a thin saccate white aril with irregularly lacerate edges. The genus Zingiber is distributed throughout tropical S.E. Asia and Malaysia, and to Queensland and Japan. The only species extensively used as a flavouring for food is the true ginger, Z. officinale, but Z. zerumbet and Z. cassummar are well known village plants much used in native medicine, and probably Z. Ottensti also. As regards native species, it is difficult at present to give a satisfactory account of them, as the data available are insufficient. This is largely because the flowers of Zingiber are so fragile and short-lived that in many cases none have been preserved, or the preser- vation is very unsatisfactory; and field-notes of colour are very incomplete. It is therefore impossible to separate with certainty specimens of closely allied species, and for a proper understanding of the Z. gracile group we must wait for further field study in many parts of Malaya. The main distinguishing features of the genus are the long curved anther-appendage embracing the style, the 3- lobed lip (the side-lobes being the staminodes, which are relatively broad and fused more or less to the mid-lobe or lip proper), and the relatively large bracts, each with a single flower and a non-tubular bracteole, more or less imbricating on a lengthening inflorescence... (There is one aberrant species, Z. Clarkei from Sikkim, which has 2-4 flowers to each bract). The bracts are often, but not always, coloured ; in some species they change colour as they Vol. XIII. (1950). mt grow older. The colour of the lip is an important distin- guishing character; in some species it is cream or white, in others suffused more or less completely with pink, crimson or purple. The bracts nearly always hold much water, which becomes more or less mucilaginous, and the flowers and fruit develop in this medium, the fruit dehiscing while still enclosed by the bracts. The best account of the genus is by Valeton (in Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 118). He states that the shape of the lip of all species in Java is very characteristic; but unfortunately we have not yet full information on this character for all Malayan species. The relative length of bracteole and calyx, and the fruit characters, are also impor- tant but in many cases unknown. Valeton has also some remarks on the homologies of the lip and staminodes; he inclines to the view that the lip proper in Zingiber repre- sents the two inner stamens the outer one being completely abortive. | The group of species which are difficult to discriminate are Z. gracile, Z. Griffithit and Z. puberulum. These have been much confused, and I am by no means satisfied that the present account clears up the confusion. I have reckoned three varieties of Z. gracile besides the typical form, and it is likely that these may later rank as distinct species; in the absence of full details however I think it better not to attempt to separate them at present. There seems no clear line of distinction between Z. Griffithui and Z. gracile, though typical specimens of the former, with their broad finely ribbed leaves and broader inflorescences are very distinct. Z. gracile seems on the whole to be a northern and Z. Griffithu a southern species; it is especially the specimens from Selangor which seem intermediate, which may indicate hybridization in the zone of contact of the two. In the same way, Z. gracile var. petiolata approa- ches Z. puberulum in its large vegetative size, and large tough bracts. The variation in size of the ligule in Z. gracile is also remarkable; in some other species it appears much more constant. 50 ZINGIBER: KEY TO MALAYAN SPP. Bracts with their apical margins incurved; or with their apices curved outwards and free, not closely imbricating ; labellum mottled purplish or pinkish and cream Apices of bracts narrowed to a blunt point and curved outwards | . Inflorescence to about 14 cm. long and 9 cm. wide; . leaves to about 45 by 6 cm. 1. Z. Kunstleri. Gardens Bulletin, S. 51 Inflorescence to about 9 cm. long and 6 cm. wide; leaves to about 30 by 10 cm. * 2. Z. Wrayi. Apices of bracts not curved outwards, rounded with incurved margins Leafy stem slender, 60-100 cm. tall, largest leaves to 20 em. long Leaves under 2 cm. wide 3. Z. officinale. Leaves 4 cm. or more wide Labellum closely blotched with purple throughout (including side-lobes) ; bracts about 3-3-5 cm. long and 1:5 cm. wide A i Z, Curtisit. Labellum with almost entirely crimson mid- lobe and white side-lobes; bracts about 2-7 by 2:4 cm. 5. Z. chrysostachys. Leafy stems thicker, to 150 cm. or more tall; leaves commonly 30 cm. or more long Inflorescence 12-30 cm. tall, cylindric, bracts with their ends free, forming open pouches 6. Z. spectabile. Inflorescence not usually over 12 cm. long, ellipsoid; bracts with apices touching those next above, not gaping to form pouches Labellum pale pink and pale yellow; village plant 7. Z. Ottensti. Labellum dull purple speckled with cream; mountain plant 8. Z. multibracteatum. Inflorescence evenly ovoid to fusiform or cylindric, the bracts closely overlapping, their apices not incurved; labellum cream or white, without mottling Leaves about 20-30 cm. long and 2-3 em. wide Village plant; not wild; inflorescence 3-3-5 ecm. wide, bracts brownish green 9. Z. cassumunar. Forest plant; inflorescence hardly more than 2 cm. wide at flowering, bracts red or red-purple 13. Z. gracile var. elatior. Leaves proportionately wider Bracts of inflorescence green when young, red when old; ligules 1:5-2:5 em. long, very thin 10. Z. zerumbet. Bracts purple, red, orange or yellow when young, 7 yellow ones sometimes changing to red when 0) Vol. XIII. (1950). es 52 Leaves 15 by 3 to 30 by 10 em., the principal veins raised on the surface, giving a ribbed appearance ll. Z. griffithi. Leaves proportionately narrower, upper sur- face smooth Inflorescence ovoid, not pointed at apex 12. Z. puberulum var. ovoideum. Inflorescence pointed at apex Inflorescence more than 2 cm. (to 4 cm.) wide at the base, tapering to a pointed apex; bracts’. with broadly rounded apex 12. Z. puberulum. Inflorescence narrowly fusiform or cylindric, to about 2 cm. wide; bracts narrowed to the apex 13. Z. gracile. Leaves to about 18 by 4 cm., ligule c. 1:5 em. long ‘typical form. Leaves larger, ligule shorter Bracts bright orange turn- ing red when old; inflo- rescence to about 20 cm. long; petioles short var. aurantiaca. Bracts rose-pink; inflores- cence to 45 cm. long; petioles 0-5-1:5 em. long var. petiolata. Zingiber Kunstleri King apud Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 127. 1899. Flora 4: 258. Stems 2 m. tall; colour of base of stems and rhizomes when cut purplish-lilac; bases of stems slightly swollen, pale lilac. Leaves many, close, thin, to 45 by 6 cm., apex very gradually and evenly narrowed to a long point, base also gradually narrowed, cuneate, glabrous; petiole under 5 mm. long; ligule 2-lobed, the lobes broadly rounded, thin, glabrous, about 4 mm. long. Scape about 30 cm. long; sheaths up to 8 em. long, glabrous except near tips. Inflorescence ovoid, to about 14 ecm. long including the bracts and 9 cm. wide, the rachis about 9 cm. long. Bracts pink, about 6 cm. long, the lowest ones 3 cm. wide, rest about 2 cm. wide, almost evenly elliptical, hairy near base and apex, apex narrowed, bluntly pointed, curved outwards or deflexed. Bracteole nearly 5 cm. long. Calyx shorter than bracteole. Corolla-lobes apparently about 3-5 em. long, pale. Labellum not much wider than corolla-lobes, not lobed (?) reddish and brown. Appendage as long as anther. Gardens Bulletin, S. 53 This species was described by Ridley from a drawing and field notes by Kunstler. The drawing has the appear- ance of being made from a dried specimen and it is quite likely that the lip is incorrectly shown. Two further collections agreeing in leaves and inflorescence have been made, and from them the dimensions of leaves and bracts have been taken. The rhizome colour is taken from Corner’s notes. SPECIMENS. Perak. 2,000-2,500 feet Kunstler 2219 (drawing only). Taiping Hills, Ridley 11449. Trengganu. Ulu Kajang, Kemaman, in swamp, 500 feet, S.F.N. 30588 (Corner). In addition, a specimen from near Sungei Teku, Pahang (foot of G. Tahan) may belong to this species, but is small, the leaves to 28 by 4 cm., the scape 24 cm. long, bracts about 4 cm. long; the inflorescence is immature, of total length 6 cm., the bracts pink (leg. Kiah, s.n. 29.7.1936). 2. Zingiber Wrayi Prain ex Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 41: 32. 1904. Flora 4: 259. Leafy stems to 2 m. tall, pinkish at base. Leaves to about 30 by 10 em., almost evenly elliptic, shortly acuminate-caudate, base cuneate, glabrous; petiole hardly over 2 mm. long; ligule deeply 2-lobed, lobes thin, broadly rounded, to 5 mm. long, glabrous or bearing a few hairs. Scapes 7-30 cm. long; sheaths to 6 em. long, hairy near tips. Inflorescence ovoid, to about 9 cm. long (rachis to 6 cm.) and 6 cm. wide. Bracts red, about 4-2 cm. long and 1-8-2 cm. wide (lowest to 2-5 cm. wide), almost evenly elliptic, the apex shortly pointed, fleshy, short- hairy, with slightly inflexed edges. Bracteoles 4 cm. long, acute, narrow, short-appressed-hairy, tinged with pink. Calyx with ovary about 2-8 cm. long, deeply split down one side. Corolla-tube about 3 mm. longer than bracteole; lobes about 2-1 cm. long, acute, edges slightly inflexed towards the tip, pale yellow, the dorsal one more than 1 cm. wide near the base, laterals narrower, side by side beneath the lip (not joined). Lip pale yellow mottled and irregularly veined with dark purple, about as long as corolla-lobes, 3-lobed; midlobe ovate with slightly crisped edges, the apex hardly retuse, equal to about % total length of the lip, side-lobes rounded, erect on either side of anther, hardly 1 cm. from base of lip to apex of side-lobes, 6 cm. from junction with midlobe to apex. Filament very short; pollen-sacs nearly 1-5 cm. long, appendage about 8 mm., dark purple, curved. Stylodes 7 mm. long. Fruit not seen. The species was described by Ridley from a specimen collected in Upper Perak by Wray. The inflorescence is similar to that of Z. Kunstleri but smaller; the leaves are broader. The flower is described as “pale yellow, the lip spotted and marked with purple.” Corner collected ample material in Johore of plants agreeing in leaf and inflores- cence with Wray’s plant, with flowers of similar colouring; I think there can be no doubt that these Johore plants are Z. Wrayi and have drawn the above description from them. Corner reports that the flowers open at 4 p.m. Vol. XIII. (1950). 54 Z. Wray? is most nearly related to Z. inflexrum Bl. (see Ic. Bog. 2: t. 172) but apparently has wider leaves with shorter petioles, much narrower bracts and flowers of different colour. It is also related to Z. gramineum but very different from that species in its wider leaves. | SPECIMENS. Perak. Upper Perak, 300 feet, Wray 3735. Pahang. Bukit Bayoh, P. Tioman, S.F.N. 18569 (Md. Nur). Johore. Bukit Tinjau Laut (near S. Sedili), S.F.N. 37054 (Corner). Trengganu. Ulu Brang, 300 feet, S.F.N. 33712 (Moysey). 3. 4. officinale Rosc., Tr. Linn. Soc. 8: 348. 1807. Valeton, Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 128. 1918. Rhizome entirely pale yellowish within or with a red external layer. Leafy stems to about 50 cm. tall, 5 mm. diameter, glabrous except for short hairs near base of each leaf-blade; leaf-blades commonly about 17 by 1-8 cm., rather dark green, narrowed evenly to slender tip; ligule broad, thin, glabrous, to 5 mm. tall, slightly bilobed. Scape slender, to 12 cm. tall, the upper sheaths with or without short leafy tips; inflorescence c. 4-5 cm. long and 15 mm. diameter; bracts c. 2-5 by 1-8 cm., green with pale submarginal band and narrow translucent margin; margins incurved, lower bracts with slender white tip. Bracteole as long as bract; calyx with ovary 12 mm. long; corolla tube 2:5 em. long; lobes yellowish, dorsal lobe 18 by 8 mm. (flattened), curving over the anther and narrowed to the tip, laterals narrower. Lip (midlobe) nearly circular, c. 12 mm. long and wide, dull purple with cream blotches and base, side-lobes about 6 by 4 mm., free almost to the base, coloured as midlobe; anther cream, 9 mm. long, appendage dark purple, curved, 7 mm. long. Distribution: cultivated in tropical Asia from ancient times (country of origin unknown), and now throughout the tropics. It grows well in the lowlands of Malaya, but rarely flowers. There are at least three local races: Halie bétul or true ginger, Halia bara or Halia padi, and Hala udang. The first has no red colour in the rhizome; the others are red externally and very pungent, used medicinally only. In its narrow leaves Z. officinale resembles Z. cassu- munar, but the latter has much taller leafy stems with lighter green leaves and may be distinguished by its very short hairy lgules. 4. Zingiber Curtisii Holtt., sp. nov. Caules foliati eis Z. chrysostachydis similes; scapus ad 10 cm. longus vel ultra, vaginis purpureis obtectus; inflores- centia ad 14 cm. longa et 3 cm. lata, fere cylindrica, apice obtusa; bracteae pallide luteo-virides, 3-3-5 em. longae, 1-5 cm. latae, fere ellipticae, apice obtusae et leviter inflexae, glabrae (vel subglabrae), tenues; bracteolae quam braeteas leviter breviores; calyx cum ovario c. 2 cm. longus; corollae tubus bracteolam leviter superans, lobi c. 2 cm. longi, albi; labellum Gardens Bulletin, S. 55 lobis corollae haud aequilongum, album vel pallide lutescens, omnino (lobis lateralibus inclusis) dense purpureo-maculatum, forma labello Z. chrysostachydis simile; antherae crista atropurpurea. TYPUS: Bujong Malacca, cult. in hort. bot. Penang., leg. Curtis August 1898, cum incone colorata. This species is not distinguishable vegetatively from Z. chrysostachys. The inflorescence seems to be rather longer and more slender, the bracts only slightly inflexed at the tips and forming a closer spike, a pale green-yellow, longer and narrower, the lip with deep purple markings throughout, and the anther-appendage deep purple. Only the original collection is known. It-is possible that this should rank as a variety of Z. chrysostachys. 5. Zingiber chrysostachys Ridl. J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 129. 1899. Flora 4: 260. Stems about 60-100 cm. tall, slender, the lower sheaths flushed with purple. Leaves dark green, sessile, the largest 12 by 4 to 17 by 5-5 em., ovate-elliptic, shortly acuminate, the base rather broadly cuneate, glabrous except for the hairy base of the lower surface of the midrib; ligule thin, hairy towards the base, broad with a somewhat retuse apex, 4-5 mm. long. Scape 7-15 cm. long; sheaths purple, 2-5-3-5 cm. long, the apex broadly rounded with a thin margin, slightly hairy. Inflorescence to about 10 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, ellipsoid, blunt, the bracts loosely imbricating, convex near the top, with inflexed upper margin. Bracts yellow, about 2:7 em. long and 2-4 cm. wide, obovate, rather sparsely hairy, with thin edges. Bracteoles 2-5 cm. long. Calyx with ovary about 1-4 cm. long. Corolla-tube 6 mm. longer than calyx; lobes white, about 2-5 cm. long, the dorsal one 9 mm. wide. Labellum as long as corolla-lobes, 3-lobed; midlobe almost entirely crimson with irregular white markings, nearly round, slightly retuse; side-lobes white, much smaller, ovate with blunt points, spreading laterally much more than the width of the midlobe when flattened. Appendage of anther pink- spotted. . This species has been collected several times in Perak and Kedah, in the low country and at medium elevations on the hills. In its inflexed bracts and red-marked lip it appears to be related to Z. spectabile and Z. Ottensii but is a very much smaller species than either. No other small local species has bracts of this character. In Z. chrysosta- chys they are yellow, contrasting with the purple sheaths of the scape and the white and crimson flower. The dimensions above are from dried specimens. SPECIMENS. Perak. Maxwell’s Hill Ridley 5199; do., 3,000 feet, Curtis 2716. Upper Perak, 300 feet, Wray 3549 (erroneously cited by Valeton as Z. littorale Val.). The Cottage, Taiping, Hervey s.n. 1889. Grik, S.F.N. 13830 (Burkill and Haniff). Kedah. G. Bongsu Forest Reserve, S.F.N. 35834 (Nauen). Vol. XIII. (1950). 56 6. Zingiber spectabile Griff., Notul. 3: 414. 1853. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 128. 1899. Flora 4: 258. Rhizome just below ground surface, bearing leafy stems close together. Leafy stems about 2 m. tall, distinctly flattened, basal leafless part to nearly 1 m. tall, green; lowest leaves well spaced, uppermost crowded, narrow. Largest leaves 30-50 by 6-10 cm., glabrous or slightly hairy at the base beneath, thin, apex acuminate, base rounded to cuneate (rather narrowly cuneate in upper leaves) ; no petiole; ligule very thin, glabrous, deeply 2-lobed, the lobes broad, pale green, scarious when old, each lobe to 1-5 cm. long and wide. Scape 30-50 cm. long, sheaths broad, to about 5 cm. long, green or slightly reddish. Inflorescence 12-30 cm. tall, 6-7 (-10) cm. wide, cylindric, not tapering to the apex. Bracts at first yellow, sometimes suffused with pink at the edges, when old entirely red, about 4-5 cm. long and wide, obovate, thinly fleshy, curved outwards, with the broadly rounded distal edge stiffly incurved, the tips forming open pouches, the bases closely overlapping so that they hold much water. Bracteole about 4 cm. long, split to the base but quite folded round the tube of the flower, very shortly and unequally 2-lobed. Ovary minutely hairy, 5 mm. long at flowering. Calyx with ovary about 2-7-3 cm. long, glabrous, thin, the apex broad and slightly 3-lobed, split deeply down the other side, pink or cream. Corolla-tube 3 cm. long; lobes 2:7 cm. long, pale yellow, acute, the edges inflexed towards the tip, the dorsal one 1-7 cm. wide near the base, the laterals 6 mm. wide, near their bases adnate to the lip and joined to each other by their adjacent edges. Labellum in all 2-5 em. long and as wide when flattened, midlobe 1-6 cm. long and 1-4 cm. wide, ovate, the apex cleft to a depth of 2-5 mm.; side-lobes (staminodes) erect on either side of the stamen, broadly rounded and slightly bilobed, about 1 cm. wide, all lobes dull dark purple with many small pale yellow spots, the throat yellow with the fine purple flecks. F%lament none; anther 1-5 cm. long to apex of pollen-sacs, yellow, prolongation of connective curved, 1-5 cm. long, dark purple. Stylodes slender, 1:2 cm. long, acute, free to base, not surrounding the style. Stigma not dilated, aperture small, round, fringed with hairs, white. Fruit about 2-5 cm. long, ellipsoid, covered with the bracteole; seeds up to'6 in each loculus, black when ripe, ellipsoid, 6 mm. long, covered 2/3 from base by a white aril with fimbriate or lobed edge. This handsome species is found throughout Malaya from Negri Sembilan northwards. It has the largest inflo- rescence of any Malayan species. Z. macradenium K, Schum. from Sumatra (see Val., Ic. Bog. 2: t. 173) is almost if not quite identical; it differs in longer bracteoles and corolla-tube (both 5-5 em.), shorter, broader inflorescence with somewhat larger bracts and usually smaller leaves, but agrees exactly in shape and colour of flowers. Both Corner and Burkill report that the flowers open about 10 a.m. 7. Zingiber Ottensii Valeton, Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 137, t. 19. 1918. Ridl., Flora 4: 259. Rhizome dark purple within. Stems close together, about 1-5 m. tall, bearing many leaves. Leaves commonly to 35 by 6 cm., sometimes to 40 by 8 cm., slightly hairy on the back Gardens Bulletin, S. 57 towards the base, elliptical or widest above the middle, the apex acuminate, the base cuneate to rounded; petiole under 5 mm. long, hairy; ligule broad, thin, undivided, to about 1.2 cm. long, hairy towards the base. Scape 25-40 cm. tall; sheaths broad, 5-7 cm. long, slightly hairy near base and apex. Inflorescence about 10 cm. long and 4:5 ecm. wide, evenly ellipsoid with broad apex, the bracts closely imbricating, not gaping. Bracts almost 4 cm. long and nearly as wide, widening slightly from a broad base to a very broad almost truncate apex, convex on the outside with the middle part of the apical edge incurved; the edges very thin for a width of 2-3 mm. and slightly hairy; colour of bracts at first dull reddish, when old bright red. Bracteoles c. 3-2 cm. long, 1-6 cm. wide when flattened (Valeton—those seen are narrower). Calyx with ovary about 2-3 cm. long, glabrous. Corolla-tube 3-5 cm. long, lobes very pale yellowish; dorsal lobe erect, narrowed to the tip, c. 2-2 cm. long and 1-1 cm. wide near the base, 7-nerved; lateral lobes about 2 cm. long and 6 mm. wide, 3-nerved. joined together in basal part. Labellum faint yellow mottled with pink. in all about 2-5 cm. long, 3-lobed almost to the base, the midlobe about 2 cm. long and 1-5 cm. wide, the apex rounded and slightly bilobed; side-lobes (staminodes) erect on either side of dorsal corolla-lobe, rounded, about 1-5 by 0-9 cm. Anther 1-2 cm. long, appendage about 1 cm. Stylodes 8 mm. long, narrowed to a slender tip. Native names: Lémpoyang Hitam; Bonglai Hitam. Distribution: Malaya, Java, Sumatra. This species was described by Valeton, who noted the remarkable dark purplish colour of the rhizome (whence the names Lémpoyang or Bonglai Hitam, in contrast to the yellow rhizome of Z. zerumbet and Z. cassumunar). Ridley at first confused it with Z. zerumbet which it resembles in general appearance, but Z. zerumbet has a more pointed inflorescence with the apex of the bracts not convex-incurv- ed, and a clear pale vellow flower without the pink markings of Z. Ottensti. The colour of the lip of Z. Ottensii is variously described as pale yellow mottled with pink, or pink mottled with yellow. Z. Ottensii is a village plant, the rhizome being used medicinally; whether truly wild in Malaya is uncertain. The rhizome has a very pungent smell. SPECIMENS. Kedah. Yan, Ridley s.n. June 1893. Penang. Government Hill, cult. at Residency, October 1901. Cult. in Waterfall Gardens, Curtis 1200. Tulloh Bahang, Curtis s.n. Ap. 1900. Trengganu. K. Trengganu, S.F.N. 17671 (Holt- tum). Selangor. K. Selangor, Ridley 7799. 8. Zingiber multibracteatum Holtt., sp. nov. Fig. 2 A. Caules foliati ad 3 m. alti, conferti, virides; lamina folii atroviridis, tenuiter carnosa, subtus capillis sericeis (saltem in juventute) vestita, ad 40 cm. longa et 10 em. lata, fere elliptica, apice breviter caudata, basi cuneata; petiolus nullus; ligula c. 4 mm. alta, dense hirsuta; vagina prope laminam et basis costae dense hirsutae; scapus validus, ad 60 cm. longus, vaginis 5-8 cm. longis, non imbricatis, apicem et basin versus hirsutis Vol. XIII. (1950). 58 donatus; inflorescentia ovoidea, compacta, ad 12 cm. longa et 6 cm. diametro, bracteis multis figurata; bracteae confertae, imbricatae, leviter convexae, marginibus non inflexis, 3-5-4 cm. longae, 2-3 cm. latae (superiores basalibus angustiores), obovatae, apice late rotundatae, margine tenuissima scariosa ec. 15 mm. lata, in sicco tenues, basin versus solum sericeae, fusco-purpureae; bracteolae 3-3-5 cm. longae, 1-3 cm. latae, glabrae, tenues; calyx cum ovario 3 cm. longus; ovarium hirsutum; corollae tubus fere 5 cm. longus, lobi 3 cm. longi, pellucidi, pallidissime rubicundi, lobus dorsalis apice colore nitentior, lobi laterales basin versus adnati; labellum atropur- pureum maculis parvis albis, praesertim prope margines, ornatum, quam lobos corollae leviter brevius; lobi laterales late rotundati, e basi labello 1-5 cm. longi, sinus inter lobos laterales et lobum intermedium brevis; lobus intermedius rotundatus, marginibus inflexis, apice retusus; anthera (thecae) fere 1-5 em. longa, crista aequilonga; stylodia tenuia, 6 mm. longa. TYPUS: Pahang, Fraser’s Hill, 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 33174, leg. Corner, 12.8.1937. This species has been collected three times at Fraser’s Hill, where Corner says it is common, and at Cameron Highlands. It is characterized by the very broad ovoid inflorescences of many dull purple closely imbricating con- vex firm rounded bracts with thin edges, and the large ‘flowers with purple white-spotted lip. Vegetatively it is very near Z. puberulum, but in inflorescence and colour of labellum is clearly allied to Z. spectabile and Z. Ottensii. Ridley’s specimen no. 9820 from Bujong Malacca, named by him Z. Griffithii var. major is very near but has a more tapering inflorescence and the colour of the flowers is not recorded. Z. multibracteatum is apparently near Z. odori- ferum Bl. of Java, but has shorter broader inflorescences, shorter bracts and longer bracteoles (see Ic. Bog. 2: t. 175). OTHER SPECIMENS. Fraser’s Hill. S.F.N. 8666 (Burkill and Holttum). Without number, Mrs. Ferguson-Davie. Sungei Yet, 3,700 feet, S.F.N. 11095 (Md. Nur). Cameron Highlands. Boh Plantations, 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 32869 (Md. Nur). var. viride Holtt., var. nov. | Bracteae virides, ad 5 cm. latae; bracteolae ad 2-4 cm. latae. Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata, Aug. 1946 (Holttum). This appears to agree in all essential characters with the Fraser’s Hill type except those mentioned. 9. Zingiber cassumunar Roxb., Asiat. Res. 347, t. 5. 1810. Fl. Ind. 1: 49. Bot. Mag. t. 1426. K. Schum., Pflan- zeny. Zingib. 179. Valet. Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 138, t. 15, f: 18, 4.20, £14) Lee 4: 259. Rhizome pale carrot-colour internally, strongly aromatic. Stems usually 1-2-1-5 m. tall, sometimes to 2 m. Leaves close together, sessile, largest 20-35 cm. long, 2—4 cm. wide, glabrous except the lower surface of the midrib towards the base, evenly narrowed to the tip, more broadly to the base; ligule hairy, Gardens Bulletin, S. a9 2-lobed, about 2 mm. long; sheath glabrous or hairy on edges near the ligule. Scape 18-25 cm. long. Inflorescence 10-16 em. long, 3-3-5 em. wide, fusiform or cylindric-ovate, acute. Lowest bracts almost round, middle ones acute, 3-3-5 cm. long, brownish green with pale edges, more or less hairy on the exposed parts, the edge thin. Corolla pale yellow. Labellum pale yellow, in all 2-3 cm. long, 1-8-2-5 em. wide, the midlobe almost round, retuse at the apex when newly expanded, deeply split when old; side-lobes (staminodes) much smaller, when flattened not extending more widely than the midlobe, ovate. Native names: Bonglai, Bolai. This species is said to be native in India; it occurs widely in Malaysia as a village plant which is used medici- nally, but is probably not native. In Malaya it is well known to the Malays, always by the name Bonglai, or some variant of it, to distinguish it from Lémpoyang (Z. zerumbet). Among herbarium specimens, none has an inflorescence, from which one may conclude that the species does not flower often in Malaya. The description given above is taken from Valeton. Plants can be distinguished from Z. zerumbet by their much narrower leaves and very short ligules. The only Malayan specimens quoted by Ridley were collected by Curtis in Penang; they appear to me to be Z. zerumbet, not this species. 10. Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Sm., Exot. Bot. 2: 103, t. 112. 1804. Bot. Mag. t. 2000. Valet. Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. AX Vil: 129, pl. 16, £. 1-3; ‘pl. 15, f. 3. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 127, p.p. Amomum zerumbet L., Spec. Pl. ed. 1, 1. 1753. Zingiber spurium Koenig; Retz. ‘Obs. 3: 60. 1783. Zingiber aromaticum quoad Ridl., Flora 4: 259, p.p. Fig. 3. Rhizome pale yellowish internally; root-tubers present. Stems 1 to nearly 2 m. tall (including leaves). Leaves thin, + hairy beneath and sometimes purplish beneath on young shoots (always?), 25-35 em. long and 5-8 cm. wide, midrib strongly raised on lower surface, the apex rather short, acuminate, gradually narrowed towards the base; petiole 0-6 mm. long, finely hairy; ligule very thin, translucent, entire, broad 1-5-2-5 em. long, finely hairy towards the base. Scape 15-45 cm. tall; sheaths to 5 cm. long, broad, green, the backs short-hairy, the apex rounded with a thin edge and short tip, not overlapping. Inflorescence 6-12 cm. long and 4—5 cm. wide, ovoid to ellipsoid, tapering to the apex but not acute, green when young, red when old (red first on edges of bracts). Bracts about 3-3-5 cm. long and to 2-5 em. wide, slightly convex near upper edge, the apex broadly rounded with a thin pale slightly hairy margin about 2 mm. wide, the tip with a very short appressed point, the outer surface -sometimes sparsely hairy. Bracteole 2-5 cm. long, c. 1-3 cm. wide, thin but persistent to fruiting. Corolla tube about as long as bract; lobes white or very pale yellowish, the dorsal lobe to 25 em. long and nearly 2 cm. wide, the laterals narrower. Labellum: midlobe to about 2-0 by 2-0 em., nearly round with the apex cleft about 5 mm., the edges somewhat crisped, Vol. XIIT. (1950). 60 eoloured as petals or a deeper yellow towards the base; side- lobes (staminodes) much smaller, ovate, entire, about 1-3 cm. long from base of lip to tip of lobe, separate almost to base from midlobe. Stamen as long as the lip, the appendage shorter than the anther. Fruit white, thin-walled, glabrous, dehiscent, about 1-5 cm. long. Seeds ellipsoid, black, 6 mm. long, covered with white lacerate aril. This species was originally described from Ceylon. It is widely cultivated in S.E. Asia and somewhat variable in size. In his account of 1899, Ridley confused it with Z. Ottensu and perhaps also with Z. aromaticum; but there is no clear evidence beyond Ridley’s statement “lip pale yellow with central orange bar” that Z. aromaticum in Valeton’s sense occurs in Malaya. Under Z. zerumbet I include plants with flowers described as white and also as pale lemon yellow. The species is perhaps not native in Malaya, but is found round villages and in secondary growth. There are few herbarium specimens. Z. zerumbet is usually known - isda to Malays. It is used medicinally, not as ood. 11. Zingiber Griffithii Bak., F.B. I. 6: 246. 1892. Ridl., J.5.B.R.A.S. 32: 131.1899. Flora 4: 260. Z. citrinum Ridl., J.S.B.R:AS:. 32: 129. 1899. ° Flora 22a Leafy shoots 25-70 cm. (more?) to top of sheath of upper- most leaf, glabrous. Leaves about 15 by 5 to 30 by 10 cm., evenly elliptic or widest above the middle, apex rather shortly pointed, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, principal veins distinctly raised above when dry, giving a finely ribbed appearance, very finely appressed-hairy below, both on surface and on midrib; petiole very short, more or less hairy; ligule thin, glabrous or hairy, broad, 2-lobed. Scape 5-15 em. long, the sheaths to 3-5 em. long, finely hairy. Inflorescence up to about 20 cm. long, 242-4 em. wide, fusiform when young, when old nearly evenly cylindric except for the slightly tapered blunt apex. Bracts pink to red, or yellow turning red when old, thinly fleshy (not tough) when living, thin when dry and often with many small dark spots (spots not visible when living), 3-5 em. long or rather more, 2—4 cm. wide, the apex very broadly pointed with a very short hairy tip, glabrous or with very fine silky hairs towards the base. Bracteole apparently lacking. Calyx with ovary 2 cm., ovary densely hairy. Corolla tube slender, about 3 cm. long; lobes 1:8 cm. long, white to cream, dorsal lobe 10 mm. wide, laterals joined together for nearly half their length below the lip. Labellum same colour as petals or yellower, the side-lobes ovate with rounded tips, midlobe more triangular, the apex acute to subacute, sometimes cleft. Anther c. 1-1 cm., appendage 9 mm. long. Fruit 22 mm. long, flattened. This species is fairly common in lowland forest in the southern half of Malaya and occurs as far north as the Dindings. It is well characterized by its broad leaves with fine raised veins (when dry) and very fine silky hairs beneath. The bracts are thin, much less tough than in Z. Gardens Bulletin, S. 61 puberulum and thinner also than in Z. gracile, the inflores- cence being more nearly cylindric than in either of these species and broader than in Z. gracile. The bracts appear sometimes to be entirely red from the beginning, sometimes red at the base of the inflorescence, the apical ones being yellow, sometimes all are said to be bright yellow; but of the vellow-bracted form (which he called Z. citrinum), Ridley stated that the old bracts were pink. There is a fair amount of variation in the size of the leaves, Ridley’s Z. citrinum having a few large leaves on a short stem; but it seems very doubtful whether this character is always asso- ciated with yellow bracts. Burkill’s 5988 from Klang has leaves only 4 cm. wide but otherwise is like this species. There is similar specimen of Ridley’s from Petaling (s.n. 1899). 12. Zingiber puberulum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 131. 1899. Flora 4: 261. Z. Griffithu var. major Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 182. 1899. Flora 4: 261. Fig. 2, B-J. Stems 1-3 m. tall, slightly flattened; leaves many. Leaves 25-40 cm. long, 5-8 cm. wide (perhaps sometimes larger), evenly elliptic or widest above the middle, apex acuminate, base cuneate, edges hairy, upper surface hairy near base only, rather gray-green, lower surface sometimes hairy throughout densely so on midrib towards the base, the hairs soft and yellowish-brown, 1 mm. or more long; no petiole; ligule not bilobed, 3-6 mm. long, densely yellow-hairy; sheaths more or less densely hairy (usually covered with a yellowish fur). Scape 12-30 cm. or more long, hairy; sheaths 4-7 cm. long, usually densely hairy. Inflorescence to 20 cm. or more long, 3-4 cm. wide at base, tapering upwards except when old, bracts closely imbricating. Lowest bracts 4-6 cm. long and 2-3 cm. wide; upper ones rather smaller; narrowly obovate, apex broadly rounded with a scarious edge about 1-5 cm. wide, more or less hairy, the edge always yellow-hairy when young, colour bright pink; texture firm (subcoriaceous when dry). Bracteole 1-2-1-5 em. long, very thin. Calyx with ovary, 2-5 em. long: ovary hairy. Corolla tube 4-5 cm. or more long; lobes white to cream (sometimes pinkish?), 2-5-3-3 cm. long, the two lateral ones adnate to each other and to the lip near their bases. Labellum nearly as long as corolla-lobes, cream to yellowish, the midlobe about 1-8 by 1-4 cm., triangular with rounded tip, not cleft; the side-lobes reaching nearly half the total length of the lip, with short bluntly triangular free ends, when flattened spreading much wider than the midlobe (total width ec. 2-5 em.). Anther yellowish, with a crimson line down each side. Stylodes 6 mm. long, yellow, blunt. Fruit 2-2-5 cm. long, white, dehiscing while enveloped in mucilage: seeds 7 mm. long, black, with white aril % their length. This is a common species in the forests of southern Malaya, and very variable, especially in hairiness and size of bracts. The stems are always fairly tall and the leaves large for a Zingiber; they are almost always hairy on the ligule and sheaths at least. The inflorescence is always Vol. XIII. (1950). 62 slender, tapering much to the apex except when quite old; the bracts are closely imbricating, with a rounded apex and thin edge which is usually conspicuously hairy. The colour of the bracts is typically pink; but in the var. chryseuwm (see below) yellowish. The type of the species was found by Ridley in Singapore, and was taken from a plant with smaller leaves than usual (25 cm. long). This species is rather similar in habit and variability to Z. odoriferuwm in Java (see Valeton, Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XX VII: 143) ; but Z. odoriferum has a dark purple lip with yellow spots and a short bracteole. SPECIMENS. Singapore. Bukit Timah, Ridley s.n. June 1894; J.G. s.n. 1889. Serangoon Road, Ridley 4613, and s.n. 1892. Bajau, Ridley, s.n. 1892. Chau Chu Kang, Ridley s.n.; J.S.G. s.n. Ap. 1890. Johore. G. Pulai, Ridley s.n. December 1909. Serom, Ridley s.n. 1900. Tanjong Kopang, Ridley s.n. 1894. Pengkalan Raja, Pontian, S.F.N. 36608 (Corner and Henderson). G. Panti, S.F.N. 30969 (Corner), frequent by streams. 14th mile Mawai-Jemaluang Road, S.F.N. 31477 (Corner). Between G. Blumut. and G. Berchuak, 2,300 feet, S.F.N. 10842 (Holttum). Pahang. Base of G. Senyum, S.F.N. 22380 (Henderson). Bukit Chintamani, Raub, S.F.N. 25003 (Henderson). Trengganu. Ulu Ayam swamp, Kemaman, S.F.N. 30266 (Corner). Ulu Bendong, Kajang, 500 feet, S.F.N. 30112 (Corner). Perak. Larut, 300 feet, King’s Collector 2163 (doubtful). Selangor. Ulu Gombak 1,000 feet, d. Nur s.n. 24.10.1937. Penang. Govt. Hill 1,800 feet, Curtis 3037. var. chryseum (Ridl.) Holtt., stat. nov. Zingiber chryseum Ridl.;.J.S.B.R-A-S. 50: 149; 1908. Flora 4-260: Differs from the typical form of the species in having pale yellowish bracts and in the whole plant being almost glabrous, The type of this also was collected in Singapore, and was a large plant. In size and shape of leaves and inflores- cence it does not differ in any way from normal Z. puberulum, and the flowers are described in almost the same terms by Ridley. Whether the yellow bracts and general glabrous character of the plant are always associat- ed is not known. Corner collected a yellow-bracted plant on G. Panti; this has the vegetative parts almost glabrous, and the sheaths and bracts of the inflorescence slightly hairy —less so than in normal Z. puberulum. He reported that the leaves were up to 60 by 10 cm., the scape with inflores- cence to 80 cm. tall, the bracts “pale dingy buff, greenish towards tip and edge.” SPECIMENS. Singapore. Stagmount, Ridley 13330 (ype Johore. Ulu Segun, G. Panti, 200-600 feet, S.F.N. 30658 (Corner); common by the stream and on the bank among quartzite boulders. Gardens Bulletin, S. 63 var. ovoideum Holtt., var. nov. Scapus 5-10 cm. longus; inflorescentia ovoidea, c. 8 cm. longa, apice non acuta. This variety has been collected chiefly in Pahang. It is rarely if ever so hairy as the typical form, but otherwise is indistinguishable vegetatively. The short ovoid inflores- cence with rounded apex seems to be constant. It is possible that the Perak specimen is not the same as the others; it has more bracts, of smaller size. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Tembeling, S.F.N. 21781, 21857 (Henderson). River Tahan, Ridley s.n. August 1891. Gua Tipus, Chigar Perah, S.F.N. 22554 (Henderson). Kelantan. Gua Panjang at Gua Ninik, S.F.N. 19566 (Henderson). Perak. Road to Bruas near Lumut, Dindings, Ridley s.n. 1897. 13. Zingiber gracile Jack, Mal. Misc. 1: 1. 1828. Bak., Pool, 6. 246. .2892. Rid) od §35.R.AiSi 322 130. 1899. Flora 4: 260. Leafy stems 1 to 2-5 m. tall, basal sheaths reddish. Leaves usually widest below the middle and tapering very gradually to the apex, base cuneate, upper surface smooth, slightly and finely hairy on the midrib towards the base only or sometimes on lower surface also; petiole to about 3 mm. long except in var. petiolata; ligule 0-3-1-5 cm. long, glabrous or slightly hairy, + 2-lobed. Scape slender; sheaths 3-5-5 cm. long, crimson to purple, short-hairy towards base. Inflorescence narrowly fusiform to cylindric, about 1-5-2 em. diameter at flowering, wider when fruiting, the apex tapering. Bracts bright pink to crimson, or orange when young, closely imbricating, thin, finely hairy towards base only; edge barely 1 mm. wide, thin and scarious; 3:5-4-5 em. long (to 7 cm. in var. petiolata), the lower ones 2 cm. wide, upper narrower, narrowly ovate, the apex narrowed and bluntly pointed. Bracteole shorter than calyx. Calyx with ovary about 3 cm. long; ovary glabrous. Corolla-tube about as long as bract; lobes cream, about 1-5-2 em. long. Labellum cream % length of corolla-lobes, the midlobe broadly oblong with somewhat retuse apex, the side- lobes much smaller, rounded. Anther-appendage much curved and bent obliquely to one side (always?). Fruits glabrous, - thin-walled, with longitudinal ribs, about 2 cm. long and 1-2 em. wide; seeds about 8 mm. long and 4 mm. wide, ellipsoid. Typical form: stems to 1 m. tall; leaves to about 18 by 4 em. (exceptionally to 25 cm.), lower surface slightly hairy; ligule about 1-5 cm. long, very thin; scape to 20 cm., in- florescence to 20 em. long; bracts and sheaths of scape bright pink to crimson; bracteoles 1-8 em. long, thin. This is the form that corresponds to Jack’s original description. SPECIMENS. Penang. Stone Quarry, Waterfall, Curtis s.n. May 1890. Without locality, Ridley s.n. Ap. 1896. Telok Bahang, Fox 12708. Perak. Bruas, Ridley 7235. Selangor. _Kanching F.R., Foxworthy and Burkill s.n. November 1921. Kuala Lumpur, Curtis s.n. February 1890. Ginting Bidai, Ridley 7798. Pahang. Beserah, S.F.N. 16141 (Burkill and Haniff). var. aurantiacum Holtt., var. nov. Bracteae primo aurantiacae, demum rubescentes; inflores- centia ad 20 cm. longa; petioli breves. Vol. XIII. (1950). 64 Stems to 2 m. tall; leaves to 35 by 6 cm.; ligule to about 6 mm.; scape to 35 em., inflorescence to 20 cm. long; sheaths of scape purple; bracts bright orange turning red when old [fruits described from S.F.N. 8808 and 8863]. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Fraser’s Hill, S.F.N. 8806, 8808, 8633 (Burkill and Holttum) ; S.F.N. 33191 (Corner). G. Tahan, 3300, feet, Wray and Robinson 5,365; 3,500 feet, S.F.N. 8016 (Haniff and Nur). Negri Sembilan. G. Tampin, S.F.N. 3162 (Burkill). Selangor. Ginting Simpah 2,000 feet, S.F.N. 34284 (Md. Nur). Bukit Etam, Kelsall 1978. This variety seems to be common at moderate elevations on the southern part of the Main Range. There are several fruiting specimens. var. elatior Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 130. 1899. Flora 4: 260. Stems about 1-5 m. tall. Leaves dark green, sessile, 20-30 cm. long, 2-3 cm. wide, finely hairy towards base beneath; ligule 2-10 mm. long. Bracts red-purple. Bracteoles 2-5 cm. long, rather stiff. Lip with scattered short red and black lines. The plants included here may well represent a distinct Species, as suggested by Ridley. Whether the lip always has the small red and black lines (reported only by Burkill for S.F.N. 3312) is unknown. The very narrow leaves suggest Z. cassumunar. Specimens are: Penang. Richmond Pool, 2,500 feet, Ridley 9840. Moniot’s Road, 2,200 feet, S.F.N. 3312 (Burkill). Tiger Hill, S.F.N. 1529 (Burkill). Government Hill 2,500 feet, Fox s.n. August 1899. Perak. Batang Padang district, 300-500 feet, King’s Coll. 7954. Maxwell’s Hill, 3,600 feet, S.F.N. 12712 ‘(Burkill and Haniff); Ridley s.n. June 1893. Selangor. Semangkok Pass, Ridley s.n. August 1904. Ginting Simpah, Hume 8717 (Herb. F.M.S. Mus.). Johore. G. Pulai, Ridley s.n. December 1905. vac. petiolatum Holtt., var. nov. Bracteae roseae; inflorescentia ad 45 cm. longa; petioli 0-5-1-5 em. longi. Stems to 2-5 m. tall, basal sheaths flushed with red-brown, swollen base pale yellowish; leaves dark green, to c. 40 by 8 cm., nearly glabrous; petiole 5-15 mm. long; ligule 3-5 mm. Scape to 75 cm. tall, sheaths red-brown; inflorescence to 45 cm. long, bracts rose-pink, to 7 ecm. long; bracteoles to 3 cm. long. The type of this variety is Corner’s collection from Kedah (S.F.N. 31570). This has longer inflorescences with longer bracts than the others, but apart from this there seems little difference. The bracts are very firm when dry. Ridley’s Tahan River specimen has small inflorescenses. SPECIMENS. Kedah. Pass to Baling from Kroh, 1,000 feet, S.F.N. 81570 (Corner). Pahang. Tembeling, S.F.N. 21794 (Henderson); Ridley s.n. August, 1891 and 30.9.18938. Tahan River, Ridley s.n. 1891. Doubtful specomens. There are some specimens which seem intermediate between Z. gracile and Z. Griffithii in Gardens Bulletin, S. 65 both leaf and bract characters; the leaves are proportion- ately narrower than in Z. Griffithii and less smooth than in Z. gracile; the bracts are broader at the apex than in Z. gracile but the inflorescence is more slender than normal for that species. The above characters are variously accentuated in different specimens. Specimens are: Selangor. Jalan Pokok Terap, K. Lumpur, Ridley s.n. May 1890. Sungei Lalang F.R., Symington 22750. 10th mile from K.L., Ridley s.n. 21.6.1889. Petaling, Ridley s.n. 1889. Telok Reserve, Klang, S.F.N. 5988 (Burkill). Malacca. Bukit Besar (Mt. Ophir), Ridley s.n. 1899. Mt. Ophir, Hullett s.n. April 1888. Pahang. Ulu Sungei Tekal Besar, Temerloh, Henderson 10749. 2. CURCUMA LINNAEUS Rhizome a fleshy complex, the base of each aerial stem consisting of an erect ovoid or ellipsoid structure (primary tuber) ringed with the bases of old scale leaves, bearing when mature several to many horizontal or curved rhizomes, which are again branched. foots fleshy, many of them bearing ellipsoid tubers. Leaf-shoots bearing a group of leaves surrounded by bladeless sheaths, the lear-sheaths forming a pseudo-stem; total height of leafy shoots 1-2 metres. Leaf-blades usually more or less erect, often with a purple-flushed strip on either side of the midrib; size and proportional! width varying from the outermost to the inner- most (uppermost) leaf. Petioles of outermost leaves short or none, of inner leaves fairly long, channelled. Ligule forming a narrow upgrowth across the base of the petiole, its ends joined to the thin edges of the sheath, the ends in most species simply decurrent, in two species raised as prominent auricles. Inflorescence either terminal on the leaf-shoot, the scape enclosed by the leaf-sheaths; ov on a separate shoot from the base of the leaf-shoot, the scape covered by rather large bladeless sheaths. Bracts large, very broad, each joined to those adjacent to it for about half of its length, the basal parts thus forming closed pockets, the free ends more or less spreading, the whole forming a cylindric spike; uppermost bracts usually larger than the rest and differently coloured, a few of them sterile (the group is called a coma). Flowers in cincinni of 2 to 7, each cincinnus in the axil of a bract. Bracteoles thin, elliptic with the sides inflexed, each one at right angles to the last, quite enclosing the buds but not tubular at the base: Calyx short, unequally toothed and split nearly half way down one side. Corolla-tube + staminal tube tubular at the base, the upper half cup-shaped, the corolla-lobes inserted on the edges of the cup, and the lip, staminodes and stamen just above them. Corolla-lobes thin, translucent white or pink Vol. XIII. (1950). 66 to purplish, the dorsal one hooded and ending in a hollow hairy point. Staminodes elliptic-oblong, their inner edges folded under the hood of the dorsal petal. Labellum obovate, consisting of a thickened yellow middle band which points straight forwards or is somewhat reflexed, its tip slightly cleft, and thinner pale (white to pale yellow) side-lobes upcurved and overlapping the staminodes. Filament of stamen short and broad, constricted at the top, anther versatile, the filament joined to its back, the pollen-sacs parallel, with usualiy a curved spur at the base of each; connective sometimes produced at the apex into a small crest. Stylodes cylindrical, 4-8 mm. long. Ovary trilo- cular; fruit ellipsoid, thin-walled, dehiscing and liberating the seeds in the mucilage of the bract-pouch; seeds ellipsoid, with a lacerate aril of few segments which are free to the base. KEY TO CURCUMA SPECIES FOUND IN MALAYA. Anther without spurs at the base; ligule-lobes auriculate Coma-bracts pink; flowers orange 1. C. aurantiaca. Coma-bracts white; lip purple-mauve 2. C. parviflora. Anther with spurs at the base; ligule not auriculate Inflorescence terminal on the leaf-shoot Coma-bracts pale greenish to white; flowers not longer than bracts Flowers white; leaves commonly 30 by 7-8 cm. | C. domestica. Flowers cream; leaves commonly much larger 4. C. viridifiora. Coma-bracts purple; flowers conspicuously longer than bracts 5. C...colorvaine Inflorescence separate from leaf-shoot Leaves quite green 6. C. mangga. Leaves with a feather-shaped purplish cloud on either side of midrib, throughout or towards apex only Purplish cloud in distal half of leaf only; rhizome bluish within 7. C. aeruginosa. Purplish cloud extending to base or nearly so; rhizome internally yellow or orange Petals white; rhizome internally light yellow C. zeodaria. Petals pink; rhizome internally deep orange C. xanthorhiza. The genus Curcuma, as regards species wild and culti- vated in Java, has been very thoroughly studied by Valeton, who has published an extensive report upon it. This report is the basis of the present abridged account, and the reader Gardens Bulletin, S. 67 is referred for further details to Valeton’s excellent paper. The natural distribution of the species is impossible to assess accurately, as many are more or less cultivated village-plants, used in native medicine and in some cases as food. Such species establish themselves in waste ground, and in Java especially in the teak-forests, where they are evidently more abundant than in any places in Malaya. In Malaya several are well-known village-plants, and these are briefly described below. The only two which may be wild are found in the extreme north. These are C. aurantiaca and C. parviflora, which belong to Valeton’s subgenus Para- curcuma, having the anthers without spurs and the ligules strongly auricled. The characteristic features of the genus, as pointed out by Valeton, are the adnate broad bracts, with a cincinnus of several flowers in the pouch of each, the bracteoles, and the versatile anthers. In the subgenus Eu-Curcuma, comprising all the cultivated species, the divergent basal spurs of the anther are characteristic, as well as the trum- pet-shape of the fiowers, the segments of which all overlap closely. The genus is confined to the Indo-Malaysian region 1. Cureuma aurantiaca van Zijp., Rec. Trav. Bot. Néerl. 12: 345.1915. Valet., Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 76, pl. 2 f. 9-13, pl. 3 f. 14-19, 27-29. Rhizome not elongated, consisting of a group of short tubers. Leaves about 5; blade to about 23 by 10 cm., base rounded, apex shortly acuminate; entirely green; petiole ‘about 6-8 cm. long; ligule of two raised and rounded lobes about 5 mm. high; sheath to about 12 em. long. Inflorescence from the middle of the tuft of leaves; scape about 12 cm. long, slender, spike about 12 cm. long and to 4-5 em. wide. Sterile upper bracts pink, rest usually green. Bracts about 3 cm. long, the. pouches about the same length as the free distal part, apex very broadly rounded and slightly tipped. Flower orange-yellow; corolla-lobes short-hairy outside. Staminodes less folded than in C. zeodaria. Anther attached to the fila- ment about % above the base, the base broad, not bilobed; apex prolonged into a short rounded crest hooded over the stigma. This is the commonest species of Curcuma in Java, and has been fully described and illustrated by Valeton. It has not hitherto been reported outside of Java, but a specimen collected by Henderson in Perlis (at Besih Hangat, in banana plantation, S.F.N. 22869) and plants from the same locality subsequently cultivated in Singapore (flowers in alcohol) agree closely with Valeton’s description. This is evidently another case of a species which needs a seasonal climate and is unable to spread into the south of Malaya. Vol. XIII. (1950). 68 2. Cureuma parviflora Wall., Pl. Asiat. Rar. 1: 47, t. 57. 1830. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zingib. 102. 1904. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 7. Leaves about 4; blade to 20 by 7 cm. (usually shorter?), widest above the middle, apex shortly acuminate, base rounded; petiole c. 10 em. long; ligule of two rounded erect auricles; sheath to about 15 em. long. Inflorescence apical on the leaf- shoot; peduncle hidden by the leaf-sheaths; Spike c. 8 cm. long and 2 cm. diameter. Bracts joined for about half their length; sterile upper bracts white with free ends c. 2 cm. long and 1-8 cm. wide, somewhat spreading; fertile bracts shorter and narrower, their free ends hardly spreading, nearly erect, rounded. Corolla white; lobes about 7 mm. long. Staminodes white, similar in size to the corolla-lobes. Lip violet-purple, more or less marked with white. Anther shaped as in C. aurantiaca. This species was originally found at Prome in Burma and later in Siam. A plant brought by Henderson from Perlis and cultivated in Singapore proved on flowering to be C. parviflora, Perlis representing probably the southern limit of distribution. The leaves of the cultivated plants are longer than normal and proportionately narrow (25 by 7 cm.) ; the size given by Schumann is 14 by 5-7 cm. 5. Curcuma domestica Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVIII: 31.1918. Ridl. Flora 4: 264. Curcuma longa Koenig. in Retz. Obs. 3: 71. 1783, non Linn. Gagnep. in Fl. Gen. Indoch. 6: 18. K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zingib. 108. Fig. 4. Primary tuber ellipsoid, c. 5 by 2-5 em., emitting very many rhizomes 5-8 em. long, 1-5 cm. thick, straight or a little curved, bearing secondary branches at right angles in two rows, also tertiary branches, the whole forming a dense clump; colour inside and outside orange, the young tips white (when dried dull yellowish outside) : root-tubers to 4 by 2 cm. Height of leafy stem over all hardly over 1 metre. Leaf-blade rarely: over 50 cm. long, usually to 30 by 7-8 cm., wholly green. Petiole thin, rather abruptly broadened to the sheath. Ligule-lobes small (1 mm.); sheath near ligules with ciliate edges. In- florescence apical on the leaf-shoot, 10-15 cm. long, 5-7 cm. wide. Coma-bracts white or white streaked with green, grad- ing to light green bracts lower down; bracts adnate for less than half their length, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, length 5 to 6 em. Bracteoles to 3-5 cm. long. Flowers 5-5-5 em. long; petals white, staminodes and lip creamy-white with yellow median band on the lip. Filament united to anther about the middle of the pollen-sacs; spurs very large, broad, diverging, a little curved with the thin apex always recurved outwards. This species is very widely cultivated in Indo-Malaysia, and known to Malays as Kunyit. The rhizomes are used to colour rice and as a spice, and sometimes for dying cloth, though the colour is fugitive. It seems that in Indo-china a variety with pink tips to the coma-bracts occurs. The native country of the species is not certainly known. Gardens Bulletin, S. 69 Valeton has shown that the Curcuma longa of Linnaeus, based solely on Hermann, is not this species; and it is not even certain that C. longa of Koenig is the true Kunyit, though this is probable. As however the name C. longa belongs to another species, a new name was needed for this one, and Valeton proposed C. domestica. 4. Curcuma viridiflora Roxb., Fl. Ind. 1: 34. 1820. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. Ser. 2, XXVII: 37. Rhizome as in C. colorata. Leaves entirely green, or very faintly purplish in groove of midrib; ligule V-shaped, very short; blade to 60 by 17 cm. Inflorescence from top of leaf- shoot, to 17 cm. long with coma 10 cm. wide; coma white and pale green, tips a little purple-spotted; floral bracts adnate about half their length, blade 3 cm. wide; bracteole over 3 cm. long; flowers a little shorter than bracts, cream, with yellow median band on the lip and very faintly pink petals; spurs of anthers nearly as long as anther, slightly diverging at tips. Originally described from a plant found at Benkoeien In Sumatra. A rhizome obtained in Singapore, and classed by a local Malay expert as Temu Lawas, on being planted produced a plant very nearly corresponding to Valeton’s description of C. viridifiora; it is actually a little inter- mediate between C. domestica and C. viridiflora. 5. Curcuma colorata Val., Bull. Btzg, 2nd Ser. XXVII: 40, $e 2 6, :1.2k. bOLR. Rhizome externally light dull orange, inside orange; smell pleasant, taste mild, rather carrot-like; young buds nearly white; old main tuber 8 cm. tall, 3-5 cm. wide near base; branches mainly from near base, under 2 em. thick, all curved upwards and bearing secondary and tertiary branches also curved upwards, especially on the lower side; scale-leaves soon disappearing and their bases not distinct; roots not fieshy (nor tuber-bearing ?). Leaf-shoot to more than 100 cm. tall, with about 7 leaves. Lowest leaf-blade 21 by 9-5 cm., petiole 2 cm., sheath 19 cm. Highest leaf-blade 54 by 13-5 cm., petiole 22 cm., sheath 35 cm. Base of blade unequal; tip shortly caudate (to 2 cm.); midrib purple in groove only on upper surface, a slight flush of purple on each side of lower surface of midrib, purple fading from old leaves. Ligule very short, of two small low auricles within the hollow of the base of the petiole. Inflorescence terminal on leaf-shoot; scape enclosed by Jeaf-sheaths; spike to 16 cm. tall, the coma to 10 cm. diameter, rest 7 cm. diameter. Coma-bracts purple; bracts next below white or light green with purple stripes, rest light green with purple tips; bracts adnate 1/2-2/3 of their length, lower bracts in all 4-5 em. long, coma-bracts to 7 cm. lowers 5-6 cm. long, protruding a good deal above the bracts; corolla-lobes very pale pink, staminodes and lip pale orange with deeper orange median band in the lip. This species is reported by Valeton to grow spontane- ously in teak forests in all parts of Java; it has no well-established native name and is not regularly used like the other species. It has not been reported in Malaya, but Vol. XIII. (1950). 70 a plant has flowered in Singapore Botanic Gardens; the plant was sent from Serdang Agricultural Experiment Station as C. purpurascens. The origin of the plants at Serdang is unknown; they may have come from Java. On the other hand, this species may occur in Malay villages. When, the rhizome was shown to Che Ahmad bin Hassan, of the Singapore Gardens staff, he called it Temu Lawas, but that name properly belongs to C. xanthorhiza. 6. Curcuma mangga Val. et v. Zijp, Buil. Btzg., 2nd Ser. XXVIT: 50, t. 6; £.:1. 1918... Ridiyaiona 2a Rhizome outside pale dull yellowish, young parts white; inside pale lemon or sulphur yellow, smelling of carrots, taste like a carrotty mango; primary tuber ovoid, c. 6 by 4 cm.; branches in all directions, many, close, more or less cylindric, c. 1-5 em. thick, again branched especially on lower sides, and then branched a third time; ends of branches white, rather acute; scale-leaves rather persistent. Leaf-shoot c. 110 cm. tall, with 5-7 leaves and sheaths below them; sheaths some- times slightly purple. Smallest leaf-blade 16-32 by 7-12 em., petiole 0-5-2 em., sheath 23-30 cm. Largest leaf-blade 56-60 by 13-15, cm., petiole 12-18 cm., sheath 40-45 em. Leaf-blade entirely green, base not sharply distinct from winged petiole, apex rather abruptly caudate, cauda 2-5 em. long. Ligule nar- row, shortly hairy all along edge; edges of upper part of sheath, which is continuous with ligule, also hairy. Inflorescence separate from leaf-shoot; peduncle c. 15 cm. tall; spike to 15 em. tali; coma-bracts (c. 9) white in basal half, distal half purple, about 5-5 em. long; intermediate bracts with white and purple stripes; rest green; bracts below coma c. 4 cm. long, adnate for half their length. Flowers pure white with yellow _ midlobe on lip; stamen-filament c. 3 by 3 mm.; anther affixed near its base, pollen-sacs 4-5 mm. long, spurs narrow and parallel, slightly curved. This species is cultivated in Java and Malaya, and known as Temu Pauh, because of its mango-like odour when the rhizome is cut. In Singapore at least it rarely flowers; the above description of flowers is taken from Valeton. Valeton states that C. mangga does not occur in the teak forests of Java as do other cultivated Curcuma species. It is used both medicinally and to a less extent in food. In Java there is a variety (var. rubrinervia) which has some purple on the leaves, but this has not been reported in Malaya. Valeton also records another variety (var. sylves- tris), but this is perhaps a distinct species, nearer to C. zeodaria than to C. mangga. 7. Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., Asiat. Res. XI: 335. 1810. Fl. Ind. 1: 77. 1820. Roscoe, Monandr. Pl. t. 106. K. Schum., Pfizr. Zingib. 112. Ridley, Flora 4: 254, Valet., Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser: XX VII: 65, 1779) 2 ste fiB, Primary tuber large, conical; rhizomes to c. 16 em. long and 3 cm. thick, not so crowded as in some species, colour Gardens Bulletin, S. ad outside grey and shining, tips pink, inside bluish or blue-green with a white cortex; root-tubers rather large, many, on short roots. Leaf-shoots more than 100 cm. tall. Leaf-blades with a wide brownish suffusion on each side of the midrib (on both upper and lower surfaces) on the distal half only, groove of midrib green throughout; blades 45 by 16 to 80 by 20 cm.; petioles 0-17 cm. long; sheaths to 50 cm.; outer leaves wider than middle ones. Inflorescence separate from the leaf-shoot; scape 20-50 cm. tall, enclosed by 2 or 3 long sheaths; spike 14-18 cm. tall, 6-8 cm. wide. Coma-bracts purple, to 7 cm. long, with a very short but distinct tip, lower ones streaked with green; flowering bracts light green, upper ones at least purplish at the tip, adnate for less than half their length, c. 5 em. long; bracteoles c.17 mm. long. Corolla-lobes and tube deep crimson-pink; staminodes and lip pale yellow, median band on lip deep yellow; anther-spurs of medium length. The type of this species came from Burma. The species is widely cultivated in Malaysia, and always known as Temu Hitam, owing to the bluish internal colour of the rhizome, as distinct from the yellow or orange colour of most species. The rhizome is only used medicinally. 8. Cureuma zeOdaria (Bergius) Rosc., Monandr. Pl. t. 109. 1828. Ridl., Flora 4: 254. K. Schum., Pfizr. Zingib. 110. Valet., Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XXVII: a. its 1, t.7. Amomum zeodaria Bergius, Mat. Med. ay. 1788. Pig. 5. Rhizome inside pale sulphur .yellow to bright yellow, turning brownish when old, taste very strong and bitter, odour when crushed rather acrid. Main tuber broadly ovoid, to c. 8 by 5 cm.; branches to 2-5 cm. thick, rather short, some turning upwards and forming new leaf-shoots, secondary branches many, short and thick, all curved upwards; roots many, thick and fleshy, descending and bearing tubers. Leaf- shoots to c. 100 em. tall, with c. 5 leaves. Lowest leaf-blade to 35 by 13-5 em., petiole 3 cm., sheath to 40 cm. long. Upper leaves longer with petiole to 12 cm. or more; young leaves with purple flush to 15 mm. wide on each side of upper surface of midrib, and a narrower purple band on the lower surface; purple fading in old leaves. Inflorescence separate from leaf- shoot; scape 22 cm. tall, with 3 sheathing leaves which cover it, ‘their short tips rounded; spike 16 cm. tall; lowest bracts entirely green, middle ones tipped with a spot of purple, upper- most 5 entirely purple with below them 4 streaked white and pale green at the base, purple at tips; lowest bracts 5 cm. long, 4-6 cm. wide, joined to others for half their length, tip very broadly triangular, blunt. Flowers c. 5 to each bract; bracteoles to 138 mm. long. Calyx 8 mm. long, slightly pink, teeth short and broad. Corolla-tube to constriction 17 mm. long, throat 10°:mm. long; lobes 16 by 11 mm., white, faintly pinkish at tips. Staminodes 12 by 10 mm., very palé yellow, with concave median fold as seen from the back. Lip very pale yellow with bright yellow median band which has short red margins towards its base, width in natural position 15 mm., apex slightly cleft. Stamen: filament 4-5 mm. long, and wide; anther in all 6 mm. long, with divergent curved basal spurs 3 mm. long. Vol. XIII. (1950). r7 12 This species is considered to be native in north-eastern India. It is apparently wild in Java, but may have been introduced there by man. It is widely used as a medicine in India and Malaysia, and well known in Malaya as Temu Kuning. The leaves and young buds are used in India and Java as flavouring but this use is probably not common in Malaya. 9. Curcuma xanthorhiza Roxb., Fl. Ind. 1: 25.1820. Ridl., Flora 4: 254. Valet., Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 61; 2234S Tal. Primary tuber large, often 10 cm. long; rhizomes few and rather short, thick, with few branches, externally pale orange, internally intense orange or orange-red, young parts paler; root-tubers large, 5-30 cm. long. Leaf-shoots often 200 cm. tall, bearing up to 8 leaves. Leaf-blades c, 40 by 15 to 90 by 21 cm., with a dark purple feather-shaped stripe 10 mm. wide on each side of the green midrib, not reaching the base; in outermost leaves midrib only purplish, no purple colour beyond it. Petiole 0-30 cm. long, its apex passing gradually into the blade; ligule small; sheaths to 75 cm. long, green. Inflorescence separate from the leaf-shoot; scape 15-20 cm. long; spike 16-20 cm. long, 8-10 ecm. wide. Coma-bracts purple, to 9 cm. long, the uppermost much narrower than the others; flowering bracts light green, 5-6 cm. long; bracteoles to 25 mm. long. Flowers about as long as bracts. Corolla- lobes light red; staminodes whitish; lip yellowish with deeper median band; anther short and broad, the spurs about as long as the pollen- -sacs and not much spreading laterally. This species was described by Roxburgh from a plant said to have been introduced to Calcutta from Amboyna. C. «anthorhiza is well known to Malays as Temu Lawas. it is the largest species of Curcuma found in Malaya. The smell of the rhizome is pungent and the taste bitter (Burkill). It is used extensively in native medicine in Malaya, and sometimes as food, after rasping and soaking in water to remove the bitterness. 3. HEDYCHIUM KOENIG Terrestrial or epiphytic plants. Stems 50 cm. to 2 m. tall (in Malaya), arising from a fleshy rhizome; roots in epiphytic species also fleshy. Leaves usually glabrous, short-stalked ; ligule smail or large. Inflorescence terminal on leafy stems; bracts broad and densely imbricating (quite covering the rachis) or narrower, enfolding their flowers, (the rachis then usually visible between them), flowers usually 2 or 3 to each bract; bracteoles tubular (at least in most Malayan species). Calyx tubular, slender, shortly and unequally toothed at the apex, often hairy. Corolla-tube slender, usually much longer than the calyx; lobes rather Gardens Bulletin, S. 73 long and narrow, reflexed in the flower. Staminodes peta- loid, usually about as long as the corolla-lobes but wider, white or coloured. Labellum broader than the staminodes, sometimes much broader, with narrow basal part and ellip- tic or obovate blade, more or less deeply bilobed. Filament long and slender; anther 25-10 mm. long, the bases of the pollen-sacs free for a short distance, sometimes slightly diverging. Ovary trilocular, ovules axile, in 2 rows in each loculus, numerous. Capsule trilocular, loculicidal, splitting to the apex. Seeds with aril divided deeply into many long irregular lobes. Schumann included 38 species in Hedychium, as known in 1904, and a few more have since been described. The centre of distribution is the eastern Himalayas; a few species have been described from southern India on the one hand and Malaysia on the other. In Malaya we have six native species (the seventh perhaps escaped from cultiva- tion) ; two of them are very nearly allied and perhaps should be united, and two others are known from single collections only. Only one can be called common and widespread in Malaya, the epiphytic species H. longicornutum. H. corona- rium, stated to be native in Burma, has large white fragrant flowers with a very broad lip and broad staminodes; it is often cultivated in Malaya. The characteristic features of the genus are the termi- nal inflorescence with 2-3 flowers to each bract, the long staminodes and stamen and deeply bilobed lip. As noted elsewhere, Hedychium has much in common with Alpinia; if we could reduce the staminodes and shorten the stamen we should have something very near some members of the Alpinia group. The genus Hedychium has received seme attention horticulturally, and contains some very beautiful species. Apart from H. coronarium most of these are not very well suited to the lowland climate of Malaya. Several garden hybrids have also been produced; their production appears to be easy, and attempts might well be made to breed garden forms suited to the Malayan lowlands. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF HEDYCHIUM Bracts broad and overlapping, quite hiding the rachis, the lowest bracts c. 4 cm. wide Lip c. 3-5 em. wide, staminodes 1:2 cm. wide 1. H. chrysoleucum. Lip and staminodes much narrower 2. H. malayanum. Vol. XIII. (1950). 74 Bracts much narrower, all or nearly all folded to enclose their flowers, leaving the rachis visible (except in H longicornutum where they are very densely crowded) Anther about 3 mm. long; bracts not densely crowded Bracts glabrous 3. H. colnum. Bracts hairy Calyx tube 2:5 cm. long, hairy towards base only 4. H. macrorhizum. Calyx tube 4 cm. long, fay throughout Leaves to 45 by 12 cm.; ligule hairy 5. H. hirsutissimum. Leaves to 28 by 7-5 cm.; ligule glabrous 6. H. paludosum. Anther 7-10 mm. long; bracts densely crowded; epiphyte 7. H. longicornutum. 1. Hedychium chrysoleucum Hook., Bot. Mag. t. 4516. 1850. HAH. coronarium var. chrysoleucum Bak., F.B. I. 6: 226. 1892. Plant about 100 cm. tall. Leaves to about 40 by 8 ecm., with narrow tip c. 3 em. long and narrowly cuneate base, hardly stalked, hairy on midrib beneath and.sparsely so on sheath; ligule to 4 em. long, hairy. Inflorescence erect; peduncle short; rachis and bracts together to 12 cm. long; lower bracts imbricating, about 5 cm. long, very broad, bluntly pointed; hairy towards apex and on the upper edge; upper bracts folded round their flowers. Ovary hairy. Calyx tube narrow, c. 3-7 cm. long, glabrous except for a few hairs at the top. Corolla-tube projecting 4 cm. beyond the end of the calyx tube; lobes nearly 4 cm. long, narrow, pale yellow. Staminodes and lip white, flushed orange-yellow or salmon towards base; staminodes as long as petals, 1:2 cm. wide. Labellum as long as staminodes, 3-5 cm. wide, bilobed, lobes rounded, the cleft between them 8 mm. deep. Filament about as long as lip, orange or salmon; anther 1 cm. long, the -free basal lobes of the pollen-sacs 3 mm, long. This species was originally described from plants taken to Europe and there cultivated. Its distribution is un- certain. Plants have been found on Penang Hill and in Kelantan; it is possible that they are escapes from cultiva- tion. H. chrysoleucum is certainly very closely allied to H. coronarwum, and has been ranked as a variety of that species; but H. coronarium has a lip 5 cm. wide, staminodes 2:2 ecm. wide and a shorter filament. The bracts are identical in both, though Schumann says not. SPECIMENS. Penang Hill, 2,500 feet, S.F.N. 2571 (Burkill). Kelantan. Kampong Parit, S.F.N. 10232 (Haniff and Nur). Gardens Bulletin, S. 75 2. Hedychium malayanum Ridl., Flora M. Penin. 4: 241. 1924. Height of stems not recorded. Leaves to 35 cm, long, longest leaves 8-11 cm. wide, glabrous, widest 1/4-1/3 from the apex, apex in lowest leaves broadly pointed, in upper leaves shortly tipped, basal 2/3 gradually narrowed, base very narrowly cuneate; petiole to about 4 cm. long; ligule broad, to 4 em. long, hairy; sheath and midrib of leaf sparsely hairy. Peduncle short, stout, curved, short-hairy. Inflorescence from base of lowest bract to tip of apical one c. 14 cm. long. Bracts very broad, overlapping, glabrous, lowest about 6 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, apex broadly rounded with a very small thickened tip; each bract enclosing 3 or more flowers; bracteole broad, hairy, 3 cm. long, tubular at base only. Flowers white. Calyx tube slender, 6-5 cm. long, widening a little in the distal half, glabrous except for a few hairs on the short teeth, cleft to a depth of 3 mm. Corolla-tube slender, 4 cm. longer than the calyx; lobes’ 4-4-5 em. long, narrow. Staminodes 5-5-5 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, widest near blunt apex. Labellum 3-8-4:8 em. long, basal 1-1-5 cm. narrow, blade of lip obovate, c. 1-6 wide, cleft to a depth of 1-5 em., inner edges of lobes nearly straight and close together, outer edges curved, tips shortly pointed. Filament 5 em. long beyond tube of flower; anther 9 mm. long, the free; basal ends of the pollen-sacs 3 mm. long; not diverging. Stigma densely hairy, hairs nearly 1 mm. long. The species has been found several times both at Fraser’s Hill and at Cameron Highlands, and is to be expected at other places on the Main Range. There is much variation in the size of the parts of the flower, though the proportion of the parts is naturally constant. The size of labella of different flowers on the same inflorescence may vary. The relative depth of the cleft of the lip varies a little. Ridley states that the calyx is half an inch long, but the calyces he saw were broken. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Fraser’s Hill, Mrs. Ferguson- Davie, October 1921 (type); Upper Tras Valley, S.F.N. 7875 (Burkill and Holttum). Cameron Highlands, 4,800 feet, Henderson s.n. 3.4.1930; Batten-Pooll s.n., November 1939; Boh Plantations, 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 32581 (Md. Nur). Telom, Ridley s.n. November 1908. . 3. Hedychium collinum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 103. 1899. Flora 4: 241. Plant to c. 100 cm. tall. Leaves to 30 by 6-5 cm., narrowly elliptical, acuminate, glabrous; stalk to about 1 cm. long; ligule to 2 cm. long, glabrous. Inflorescence usually bent at an angle to the leaf-stem; rachis to 12 cm. long, glabrous; peduncle 2-3 cm., curved. Bracts to 3-3 cm. long, broadly pointed, glabrous, embracing the flowers, each with 2 or 3 flowers; bracteoles tubular rather sparsely hairy, the hairs straight, to about 2 mm. long. Calyx hairy throughout, more densely towards base, 3-5-4 cm. long, teeth blunt, cleft 3—4mm. Corolla-tube protruding 2 cm. beyond calyx, slender; segments c. 3-5 em. long, 2 mm. wide near apex, white or very pale greenish. Staminodes as long, and 3 mm. wide, colour as petals. Lip white, deeply cleft, the halves with one straight and one rounded edge, bluntly pointed, each c. 8-10 mm. wide. Vol. XIII. (1950). 76 Stamen: filament red, slender, c. 5-5 cm. long. Anther 3 mm. long, the short basal lobes slightly diverging. Stigma with hairs on edges. Ridley states that the inflorescence is nodding; but it is more probably erect from a partially decumbent stem, as in some other species. SPECIMENS. Kedah. Kedah Peak, 4,000 feet, Ridley s.n. June 1893 (type); Robinson and Kloss, 6027 (F.M.S. Mus.). Pahang. G. Tahan, Ridley 15945; Wray and Robinson 5513; 4,500 feet, S.F.N. 20781 (Holttum). 4. Hedychium macrorhizum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 102. 1899; ° Wiora’4?' 242. Epiphyte: roots stout. Stems ec. 30 cm. long below inflorescence (Ridley). Leaves 20 by 6 to 23 by 5 cm, narrowly elliptic-oblong, apex apparently short-pointed, gla- brous, stalk under 1 cm. long, ligule c. 3 mm. long, short-hairy. Inflorescence bent at an angle to the leaf-stem; scape short; rachis slender, 20 cm. long, sparsely hairy. Bracts 1-5-8 cm. apart, to 2-5 cm. long and 7 cm. wide, hairy at base, apex broadly rounded, hardly pointed, each with 3 flowers; bracteoles much shorter, similarly hairy. Flowers white. Calyx tube slender, to 2-5 cm. long, hairy in basal part, teeth rather broad, blunt, cleft only 1-5 ecm. Corolla-tube about 1-5 cm. longer than calyx: corolla-lobes c. 2-2 em. long, under 2 mm. wide. Staminodes little shorter and wider than corolla-lobes. Lip deeply bifid, c. 2 cm. long, lobes narrowed to tips, each 3 mm. wide at base. Stamen filament 3-5 cm. long. Anther 3 mm. long. SPECIMENS. 15th mile Pahang Track, Selangor, Ridl., July 1897, 8477 (Type). Ridley states that the inflorescence is deflexed; but it seems more likely that the inflorescence is erect; the stem being horizontal or obliquely ascending (as it often is in the common epiphytic species H. longicornutum), the inflores- cence bends at an angle to the stem to assume an upright position. 5. Hedychium hirsutissimum Holtt., sp. nov. Lamina fol ad 45 em. longa et 12 cm. lata, elliptica, apice breviter acuta, basi late cuneata (?); ligula dense hirsuta; vagina sparse hirsuta. Pedunculus curvatus, appresso- hirsutus, 2 cm. longus; rachis inflorescentiae c. 10 cm. longa, hirsuta; bracteae primariae 5-10 mm. dissitae, ad 2-5 cm. longae et 8 mm. latae, obtusae, dorso hirsutissimae, flores 3 foventes. Bracteolae ad 2 cm. longae, hirsutissimae; calyx 4 cm. longus, capillis 155 mm. longis brunneis satis rigidis vestitus, ad 3 mm. fissus, lobi parvi, conferti; corollae tubus quam calycem 10 mm. longior, lobi c. 2-5 cm. longi, 2-5 mm. lati, acuti; staminodia 2 cm. longa, obtusa; labellum angustum, staminodiis aequilongum, bilobatum; filamentum lobos corollae haud superans (?); anthera 3 mm. longa, thecis basi liberis, obtusis, haud divergentibus. TYPUS: Perak, Taiping Hill, 4,300 feet, leg. Berwick, no. 215, 12.12.1939. Gardens Bulletin, S. 77 This species is nearly allied to H. paludosum, but has longer leaves and a hairy ligule. Unfortunately only a single leaf and inflorescence are available, so that the habit of the plant is unknown. It may possibly be an epiphyte. The very large leaf and very hairy inflorescence are striking characters. When better material is available it is prob- able that more distinctions from H. paludoswm will be found. It is remarkable that this species was found on Taiping Hills, an area which has been visited by many botanists in the last 60 years and of which the flora is better known than that of most parts of Malaya. 6. Hedychium paludosum Hend., Journ. M.B.R.A.S. 5: 278. 1927. Terrestrial, in sphagnum bogs. Height of stems ec. 120- 150 cm. Leaves: blade glabrous, to 28 by 7-5 cm., narrowly elliptic, apical 2-3 cm. very narrow, petiole under 1 cm. long, ligule 2-3 cm. long, glabrous. Inflorescence erect, to about 18 cm. long; peduncle 2-10 cm., rachis more or less clothed with appressed straight hairs 2-3 mm. long. Bracts to 2-5 cm. long, hairy on back, broadly pointed, enclosing 2 or 3 flowers, upper bracts somewhat smaller than lower. Bracteoles hairy, tubular. Calyx tube 4 em. long, densely hairy, slender, cleft about 3 cm. on one side only. Corolla-tube slender, protruding about 2-5 cm. beyond calyx; lobes 3 cm. long, widest near acute apex, 2 mm. wide, white. Stamnodes as long as petals, thinner and a little wider, more narrowly pointed. Lip white, as long as staminodes, deeply cleft, the halves pointed, each about 7 mm. wide. Stamen: filament red, slender, 6 cm. long: anther hardly 3 mm. long, the pollen-sacs diverging a little at the base, bluntly rounded, the free parts little over 4% mm. long. Stigma small cup-shaped, edges short-hairy. Fruits said to be deep orange: not seen. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Cameron Highlands, 4,800 feet, S.F.N. 17844 leg. Henderson (Type); Batten-Pooil s.n. November 1939; F.D. 20834 (Symington); 4,800 feet, S.F.N. 23280 (Henderson). This species occurs at Cameron Highlands in Sphagnum bogs in open places, associated with Dilochia Cantley, Nepenthes sanguinea and other interesting plants. Where it occurs, it is abundant, and flowers freely. It is very nearly related to H. collinum Ridl. but seems to be larger and has the bracts and rachis of the inflorescence hairy. It may perhaps be specially adapted to the sphagnum-bog habitat while H. collinum grows under different conditions. 7. Hedychium longicornutum Bak., F.B. I. 6: 228. 1892. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 100. 1899. Flora 4: 242. H. crassifollum Bak., F.B. I. 6: 228. 1892. Fig. 6, 7. Epiphyte with fleshy roots. Stems to about 60 cm. long. Leaves: texture very firm, to about 32 em. long; width of leaves 30 cm. long varies from 5 to 8 cm., narrowed gradually to base, usually widest 1/3 from apex, apex shortly narrow- acuminate, edges hairy on the lower surface, especially towards Vol. XIII. (1950). 78 apex, and midrib below sparsely hairy; ligule 2-6 cm. long, longest on upper leaves. Inflorescence erect (peduncle usually curved), peduncle and rachis together to c. 10 cm., bracts and flowers densely packed: size of inflorescence varies much with size of shoot bearing it; base of inflorescence covered with imbricating hairy sheaths. Bracts rather densely brown-hairy, 2-5-3 cm. long, 5 mm. or more wide. Bracteoles c. 1:7 cm. long, finely hairy, tubular. Calyx tubular, slender, with ovary 4 em. long, hairy, pale salmon, with 38 short points close together, cleft on opposite side 5 mm. Corolla-tube little longer than calyx, lobes in bud bright red, when expanded duller, the edges much inrolled, 4-6 em. long, ec. 5 mm. wide when flattened. Staminodes curled backwards, slightly fleshy with shining surface, light orange-scarlet, yellow towards base, about 3-2 em. long and 5 mm. wide. Lip 2-4 cm. long, divided almost to the base, the two halves curled backwards, long- pointed, each about 2-5 mm. wide near the base, colour as staminodes. Stamen: filament 5—7 cm. long beyond corolla- tube, apex cream, base pale salmon, anther slightly curved, 1-1-2 cm. long, yellow to orange, free basal lobes 2 mm. long, not diverging. Stylodes 2 mm. long, fleshy, blunt, not sur- rounding the style, pale yellow. Ovary 5 mm. long, densely hairy. Fruit strongly angled, slightly hairy, 2-2-5 em. long, orange; seeds 10-12 in each loculus, ellipsoid, 4-5 mm. long, with red aril divided into many narrow flat ribbons longer than the seed, their ends intertwined; dehisced fruit bright orange within. There are many collections of this species, from al) parts of Malaya except Singapore. The plants grow in low country or at moderate altitudes, as epiphytes in forest, in shady places, often not far above the ground. The width of leaves varies much on different shoots of the same plant, but is fairly uniform on each shoot; the lowest leaves are always shortest. Narrow leaves are about equally narroy’- ed to base and apex, wider leaves widest near apex, on the same plant. . The species H. crassifolium Bak. is described as differ- ing from H. longicornutum as follows: leaves narrower (thev are very variable), flowers bright yellow (the colour varies), bracts glabrous, corolla-lobes and lip a little longer. The differences are thus hardly definable, and the two species are most probably identical. They were described simultaneously, and were first united by Ridley, who chose the name H. longicornutum. 4. CAMPTANDRA RIDLEY Leafy stems usually close together, slender, each bear- ing 2-6 leaves on the upper half, the lower part covered by bladeless sheaths. Leaf blade elliptic, asymmetric, acute, petiole short to fairly long. Inflorescence terminal on the leafv stem, consisting of a single cincinnus in the axil of a large concave bract, the axis of the inflorescence continued Gardens Bulletin, S. 49 for a short distance only beyond the bract; rarely the axis is continued further and bears a second bract. Bracteoles thin, broad, with inflexed sides, each in turn completely enclosing the remaining parts of the cincinnus, the sides quite free, not tubular. Ovary 3-locular, with many ovules. Calyx short, narrowly funnel-shaped, the lobes short and broad. Corolla-tube slender, somewhat longer than the bract; lobes broad, subequal, the apical one concave with a short point at the tip. Staminodes nearly circular, spread- ing, white or lilac-mauve. Lip broad, spreading, 2-lobed, the lobes round, coloured like the staminodes, with or with- out yellow or crimson marks near the base; base slightly grooved, leading to the tube of the flower. Filament very short and broad; anther with parallel poillen-sacs which are separately prolonged at the base into parallel blunt sterile appendages set at an obtuse angle to the fertile part and nearly as long; apex of connective not prolonged into a crest. Stigma spherical, much wider than the style, with a narrow elliptic mouth. Stylodes absent. Fruit ellipsoid, thin-walled, containing many seeds, covered with translu- cent arils. Camptandra is a small genus, only known to occur in Malaya and Borneo; it may be expected also in Sumatra. It is closely allied to Stahlianthus of Indo-China, and the two might perhaps be united; but the published details concerning the inflorescence of Stahlianthus are not ade- quate to decide the question. The inflorescence of Camptandra has always been called terminal, and so in a sense it is; but the flowers are all part of a cincinnus in the axil of a bract, and so are on a lateral branch-system. The terminal part of the inflorescence is a short slender tip extending just above the insertion of the bract, and has not been mentioned by any author; it sometimes extends and bears another bract containing a cincinnus of fiowers. The structure of the inflorescence is like that of Scaphochlamys malaccana if cut off just above the first bract. The habit of the plant, with slender stem bearing a few leaves in its apical part, is very unlike any Scaphochlamys, though quite like Boesenbergia pulcherrima. The structure of the flowers is very like Kaempferia, except for the basal sterile extensions of the pollen-sacs and the lack of anther-crest. The complete absence of stylodes occurs also in Kaempferia cuneata Gagnep. (from descrip- tion, not seen). The base of the anther is very much like that found in Roscoea. The genus is in fact one of the Kaempferia group but distinct in its habit, its peculiar inflorescence combined with the anther-structure. The seeds also are very numerous, and Ridley reports that fruits Vol. XIIT. (1950). 80 are freely produced. In contrast to Scaphochlamys, the species are not highly localized; C. parvula is one of the most widespread forest plants in Malaya, and often abundant. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF CAMPTANDRA Leaves about 6-8 by 2:5-3-5 cm., base narrowly rounded to cuneate 1. C. parwula. Leaves larger, base cordate or subcordate Stems 30-50 cm. long to top of bract, with 4-6 leaves 2. C. latifolia Stems 10-20 cm. long to top of bract, with 2 (rarely 3) leaves d. C. ovata. 1. Camptandra parvula (King ex Bak.) Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. o2: 104. 1899. Flora 4: 243. Kaempferia parvula King ex Bak... (FB. To 6: 2235 see Stems growing in a tuft, close together, slender, about 10-20 em. long from base to top of inflorescence, bearing 3-5 leaves. Leaves usually 6-8 cm. (exceptionally to 10 em.) long and 2-5-3-5 em. wide, asymmetric with a curved midrib, elliptic, apex shortly acuminate, base rather narrowly rounded to cuneate; petiole usually 5-10 mm. long, exceptionally to 2 cm.; sheath to about 2 cm. long; ligule-lobes narrowly triangular, about 5 mm. long; lower surface of leaf and petiole, also ligule and sheath short-hairy; young leaves pinkish, sheaths and petioles sometimes red. Peduncle shorter than the upper- most leaf-sheath. Bract 1, or rarely 2, fleshy, when flattened ovate, the sides infolded towards the base, spreading near the acute apex; length about 3-3-8 cm., width 2-4-3 cm. when fattened, slightly hairy near apex only; base adnate to the axis for a height of about 5 mm., the slender axis-tip extending about 4 mm. beyond this. About 4 flowers in each bract. First bracteole about 8 mm. long, nearly 1 cm. wide at base; second about 6 mm. long. Ovary at flowering about 4 mm. long. Calyx (without ovary) 6 mm. long; narrowly funnel- shaped, lobes unequal, short, truncate, fringed with a few hairs. Corolla-tube 1-3 em. long, widening slightly towards the open- ing; lobes white, about 8 mm. long and 7 mm. wide, the dorsal one concave with a short tip, all oblong with broad apex. Staminodes about 1-2 cm. long and 1-0 cm. wide, spreading, nearly circular, white. Labellum about 1-4 cm. long and 1-5 cm. wide, 2-lobed about half-way to the base, the lobes rounded and overlapping, grooved towards the base, white with an orange-yellow spot in the middle at the base, with a pink to crimson band and short rays on either side of it. Anther 4 mm. long from attachment to apex of pollen-sacs; basal appendages 3 mm. long. The species is found in lowland forest and to medium elevations on the mountains in almost all parts of Malaya (not Singapore Island), being often quite abundant. It appears sometimes to occur as high as 3,000 feet; above this the other species are found. Of his collection at Ulu Gardens Bulletin, S.. 81 Bendong, Kemaman (700 feet alt.) Corner notes “common in the forest, on stream sides and on rocks in streams and waterfalls.” Corner’s S.F.N. 30874 from Ulu Segun (G. Panti) had the stem and peticles red, the leaves only slightly hairy beneath, and pink markings on the lip. It is more slender in habit than some other collections. Whether it is a distinct variety is unknown, as such colour-notes are lacking in the case of other specimens. Of this collection Corner states “growing on the big rocks in the river and riverside, in flood zone, common.” 2. Camptandra latifolia Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 105. 1899. Flora 4: 248. Fig. 8. Stems 30-50 em. tall, bearing 4-6 leaves. Leaf-blade 10 by 4 to 20 by 8 cm. (exceptionally to 10 cm. wide), slightly asymmetric, ovate to elliptic with rather abruptly caudate apex (the cauda to 2-5 cm. long, narrow), base slightly cordate, main veins numerous, close, usually glabrous except for the base of the midrib beneath and the upper part of the petiole; petiole and sheaths usually purplish; petiole 2-3 cm. long; ligule lobes short, broad and rounded, 2-3 mm. long. Pedunele shorter than uppermost sheath. Bract solitary, about 3-3-5 em. long, to about 5 cm. wide (when flattened), green. Calyx about 8 mm. long. Corolla-tube 2-5-3-5 em. long; lobes 1-5-2:0 cm. long, white. Staminodes to about 2-5 cm. long, white or violet. Lip 2-5-3 cm. long, wider than long, white or violet, the ridges at the base yellow. This is the largest species of the genus. It has been found only on the Main Range in Perak and just over the border on the Pahang side at 3,000-5,000 feet elevation. It is very common at Cameron Highlands where it seems always to have white flowers. It has not been found on Taiping Hills nor G. Tahan. SPECIMENS. Perak. Butjong Malacca, Ridley 9523, Curtis 3315 (flowers violet). Kinta, 3,500—4,000 feet, King’s Collector 7219 (flowers violet). G. Batu Puteh, 4,500 feet, Wray 207. Pahang. Cameron Highlands: G. Berumban, Ridley s.n. November 1908; near Tanah Rata, 4,800 feet, S.F.N. 17727, flowers white (Henderson); 5,000 feet, S.F.N. 20983 (Syming- ton); 5,000 feet, Henderson 11180 (F.M.S. Mus.); path to Telom, 5,000 feet, Holttum s.n. 10.4.1930; Batten-Pooll s.n. November 1939—January 1940; Rhododendron Hill, 5,000 feet, Henderson 11061 (F.M.S. Mus.). 3. Camptandra ovata Ridl., Mat. Fl. M.P. 2: 12. 1907. Flora 4: 244. Camptandra tahanensis Ridl., Journ. F.M.S. Mus. 6: 184. 1915. Stems usually 10-20 cm. long from base to the apex of the floral bract, with 2 or rarely 3 leaves; bladeless sheaths dull red. Leaf-blade variable, to about 12 cm. long and 4-5 to about 10 cm. wide, shaped as in C. latifolia but the apex less narrowly caudate and usually with fewer main veins, the lower surface quite glabrous; petiole 1-5-4 cm. long; ligule short and rounded as in C. latifolia; sheath glabrous, flushed with Vol. XIII. (1950). 82 dull red. Peduncle as long as or a little longer than the uppermost leaf-sheath (to 1-5 cm. longer). Bract 2-3 cm. long, wider than long. Flowers usually white (sometimes pale violet?) ; corolla-lobes about 1-1 em. long and rest of flower in proportion. This species has been found on G. Tahan, and on the Main Range at and near Fraser’s Hill. Ridley described a specimen from G. Tahan as a new species, but I see no clear distinction between his type of C. tahanensis and that of C. ovata. He said the corolla-tube in C. tahanensis was much longer than the bract, but this is not shown by the specimen; and in any case the length of the corolla-tube is probably variable. C. ovata differs constantly from C. lati- folia in having much shorter stems with two (or rarely 3) leaves, leaves usually rather smaller and glabrous beneath, bract rather smaller and flowers smaller; also in the peduncle being usually a little longer than the uppermost leaf-sheath. There are in the Singapore Herbarium two specimens from Fraser’s Hill which are rather different and may perhaps represent an undescribed species, but the flowers are not well preserved. Their stems are stouter than usual in C. ovata, the leaves to 11 by 6:2 cm., more narrowly caudate than usual, the petioles are only 5-8 mm. long and the sheaths very broad, the bracts to 3:5 em. long, and the peduncle much shorter than the uppermost leaf- sheath. There are however other specimens intermediate in some of these characters. SPECIMENS. Selangor. Semangkok Pass, 4,000 feet, Burn-Murdoch s.n. February 1904 (Type). Ulu Semangkok, Ridley s.n. August 1904. G. Semangkok, Ridley 15573. G. Mengkuang Lebah, Robinson s.n. 22.1.1913. Pahang. Fraser’s Hill, S.F.N. 10542 (Md. Nur). Fraser’s Hill, Corner s.n. 17.8.1937. G. Tahan: Ridley 15944 (type of C. tahanensis) ; 5,000 feet, S.F.N. 20942 (Holttum); 5,500-7,000 feet, S.F.N. 7951 (Haniff and Nur). DOUBTFUL SPECIMENS. Fraser’s Hill: S.F.N. 8639 (Burkill and Holttum); Henderson 11235 (Herb. F.M.S. Mus.). 5. SCAPHOCHLAMYS BAKER Rhizome creeping, or ascending obliquely and supported on stilt-roots, or almost erect, of long or short elements, each bearing bladeless sheaths and one or more leaves and ending in an inflorescence, the next rhizome-element arising as an axillary bud. Roots relatively slender, not bearing tubers. JLeaf-blade almost always a little asymmetric, usually elliptic, sometimes purple beneath but more usually green, often slightly hairy beneath, especially on the midrib but never densely so; petiole long or short; ligule consisting of two lobes, usually triangular, small to large, with a very narrow connecting ridge across the base of the petiole; sheath short or long, usually Gardens Bulletin, S. 83 with broad thin edges connected with the ligule. Scape very short or up to nearly 20 cm. long. Inflorescence compact and ovoid or ellipsoid, or lax, with the bracts spirally arranged, sometimes spreading and showing the rachis, the lowest ones maturing and flowering first. Bracts usually 2-5 em. long, firm to thin, hairy or nearly glabrous, green or flushed with purple, not joined together laterally. Flowers 1-7 in the axil of each bract, each with a bracteole. Outer bracteole facing the bract and nearly always consider- ably shorter, not tubular at the base, but its edges infolded to enclose all the flower-buds and their bracteoles, usually with two conspicuous slightly keeled nerves, sometimes 3-lobed at the apex; either one or two flowers in the axil of this bracteole. Inner bracteoles usually much shorter, sometimes nearly as long as the first, 2-ranked, each with a flower in its axil, the flowers (where many) in 2 alternate rows both towards one side of the axis. Ovary often unilo- cular with a small basal group of ovules (sometimes reduced to one) or trilocular; where unilocular, the rudiments of septa often present as longitudinal ridges inside the ovary. Calyx usually shorter than the first bracteole, the teeth near together and short, split about 14, or more down the other side. Corolla-tube about as long as bract, or longer, the basal part slender, the apical nart widening to a narrow funne!; lobes relatively narrow, the dorsal one somewhat wider than the others, all spreading obliquely, nearly always white. Staminodes oblong, usually about as long and wide as the dorsal corolla-lobe but with rounded not acute apex, spreading obliquely. Labellum never saccate, the sides little inflexed, usually obovate and more or less deeply bilobed with rounded overlapping lobes, white with a median yellow band, the band often bordered with a purple or violet line and sometimes with crimson marks near the base, slightly grooved in the middle towards the base, this groove + hairy. Filament broad, not longer than the anther and usually a little shorter. Anther bent forward so as to be parallel and near to the base of the lip, the pollen-sacs with free acute basal tips (not diverging), the connective pro- longed at the apex into a (usually 3-lobed) reflexed crest which is usually but not always wider than the rest of the anther and conspicuous in the throat of the flower. Stigma shorter than the anther-crest, small, wider than the style, with transverse elliptic mouth. Stylodes two, free to the base, very slender and tapering to the apex. Frwit ellipsoid, thin-walled, enclosed by the persistent bracts, at least some- times unilocular. Seeds 1-3, ellipsoid, black, with a white aril lacerate to the base. Type species: Scaphochlamys malaccana Bak., F.B. I. 6: 252. 1892. Vol. XIII. (1950). 84 The main distinguishing feature of this genus is the inflorescence. The bracts are spirally arranged (sometimes on a steep spiral), not laterally joined, each with a cincinnus of several flowers in its axil. This cincinnus is entirely enclosed by a more or less two-keeled bract which almost symmetrically faces the primary bract, its edges free to the base. The cincinnus is of normal structure, but the axes are hardly elongated, so that the whole is very condensed and its structure not very easy to distinguish. The secon- dary bracts of the cincinnus are usually all much smaller than the first 2-keeled one, but in a few cases nearly as long. They are quite open to the base, never tubular. The whole inflorescence develops in the normal way from base to apex, not the reverse as in Boesenbergia. This inflorescence is distinguished from Curcuma by the primary bracts being entirely free from each other (not joined to form pouches as in Curcuma) and by the presence of the 2-keeled bract facing the primary bract. Apart from this there are differences in flower-structure discussed by Valeton. The board faux with a hairy ring is not present in Scaphochlamys and the parts of the flower always spread widely. The two genera agree in having the bases of the pollen-sacs free, but in Scaphochlamys the basal sterile spurs of most Curcumas are absent. Relationships with Kaempferia are discussed under that genus. The two genera are very closely allied, and a good case for their union can be argued, but I consider it preferable at present to maintain them separate. The distinction that in Scaphochlamys there are several flowers to a primary bract and in Kaempferia only one breaks down at Scaphochlamys biloba which has only one flower. Sca- phochlamys biloba also shows an interesting relationship with Zingiber; the structure and relative positions of bract and bracteole (i.e. the 2-keeled bract which alone remains of the secondary bracts) are exactly as in an inflorescence of Zingiber, and indicate the relationship of Zingiber to this group of genera, not to Amomum with which it was placed by Schumann. Another character in common between S. biloba (and other species of Scaphochlamys and Boesen- bergia) and Zingiber is the presence (in dried specimens) of very dark violet linear spots in the tissue of the thin translucent edges of the bracts and sometimes in calyx and corolla also. Vegetatively, Scaphochlamys is fairly uniform. The rhizome is never so fleshy as in Kaempferia or some species of Boesenbergia, nor (so far as known) does it have root- tubers as in many species of Kaempferia, Boesenbergia and Curcuma. The branches of the sympodium are either Gardens Bulletin, S. 85 short or fairly long; their length, their position (whether creeping or obliquely ascending) and the number of leaves on each are characteristic. The inflorescence is always terminal, and there is no distinction between vegetative and fertile shoots (some shoots may fail to produce an inflores- cence, as in such a genus as Alpinia, but they are otherwise .dentical with those which do). It is quite incorrect to speak of the inflorescence as lateral, as Ridley has done. When there is only one foliage leaf on each branch, there are also bladeless sheaths, and the young inflorescence is protected by the longest sheath, imbricating with the sheath of the foliage leaf. Owing to lack of information about inflorescence- characters, it is impossible to say how widely the genus Scaphochlamys, as here limited, is distributed. It is cer- tainly distributed throughout Western Malaysia and pro- bably into Burma. In Malaya it is one of the most polymorphic groups of the family Zingiberaceae, and has more local species than any other. I have been obliged to describe eight new species, and certainly still more exist. It seems likely that every district of Malaya has its peculiar group of species. More field study is needed to test their uniformity of character and to find the limits of their distribution. One would suspect hybridization, except that the plants in one neighbourhood appear to be very uniform. The genus Scaphochlamys was established by Baker, who described only the one species S. malaccana. He did not see the staminodes, and placed the genus near Elettaria. He did not regard the structure of the inflorescence as important, and placed in Kaempferia the only other Malayan species which he described (S. concinna), just as he placed one Malayan Boesenbergia in Gastrochilus and another in Kaempferia. Ridley transferred S. malaccana to Gastrochilus (as Gastrochilus scaphochlamys), and included in Gastrochilus also most of the other Malayan species of Scaphochlamys, (though he got them thoroughly mixed up among species of Boesenbergia), but for no apparant reason excluded three of them as Hitcheniopsis. Ridley had no understanding of the vegetative structure of the plants nor of the inflores- cence. His work is too full of errors and confusions to warrant discussion. Schumann’s conception of the genera Gastrochilus and Kaempferia was also confused, as shown by Valeton, partly owing to inaccurate information in Ridley’s published descriptions. Schumann has species of both Boesenbergia and Scaphochlamys in his genus Kaempferia and also in his genus Gastrochilus, and some Scaphochlamys also in Curcuma. Vol. XIII. (1950). 86 - Valeton was the first person to show clearly the difference between the group of Gastrochilus pulcherrimus Wall. (now Boesenbergia pulcherrima) and that of Scapho- chlamys malaccana, as regards the inflorescence. He still however included all in the genus Gastrochilus Wall. (= Boesenbergia O. Ktze). As far as flower-structure is con- cerned, Scaphochlamys is somewhat intermediate between Boesenbergia and Kaempferia, perhaps inclining more to the latter, though its species never (so far as known) show the very broad staminodes resembling the halves of the lip, giving an almost flat quadrate flower, as seen in typical Kaempferia. But in inflorescence-characters Boesenbergia and Scaphochlamys are so distinct that, if they were merged, the only rational procedure would be to include Kaempferia also. Accepting inflorescence-structure as the basic criterion for generic distinction, Boesenbergia and Scaphochlamys are as distinct as any genera in the family Zingiberaceae. Loesener, in the second edition of the Pflanzenfamilien, is little in advance of Schumann. He quotes Valeton’s proposal to sub-divide the genus Gastrochilus (in the broad sense) on inflorescence-characters, but, having inadequate information is unable to apply the scheme to a number of species, and so retains Schumann’s unsatisfactory divisions. He adopts the name Boesenbergia instead of Gastrochilus, but includes in it uncritically a great variety of species. The structure of the partial inflorescences of Scapho- chlamys (i.e. the groups of flowers which are enclosed by each bract) was not quite accurately described by Valeton. For his Gastrochilus laxiflorum (very closely allied to S. malaccana) he stated that “each flower is semi-involute by a small bract (12 mm. long) and accompanied by two very small bracteoles.”” I have dissected many inflorescences of different species of Scaphochlamys and have never seen these two bracteoles; I suspect the statement is due to an error of observation. Valeton also (following Ridley) speaks of the inflorescence as lateral, from the rhizome; but it is always terminal on a branch of the Sympodium, as above stated. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF SCAPHOCHLAMYS Each new branch of the sympodium bearing one leaf only Bracts about 5 cm. long 1. Scaphochlamys sp. Bracts to about 3-5 cm. long One flower in the axil of each bract; bracteole longer than bract Gardens Bulletin, S. 87 Upper surface of leaf with broad irregular pale longitudinal band in each half 2. 8S. biloba. Upper surface without such band 3. S. longifolia. More than one flower in the axil of each bract; bracteoles shorter than bract Leaves purple beneath Scape about 15 cm. long 4. S. sylvestris. Scape much shorter Corolla-lobes 1:55 cm. long; bracts 2-7-3:5 cm. long 5. S. oculata (see also S. concinna). Corolla-lobes 8 mm. long; bracts 1:3 em. long 6. S. pennipicta. Leaves not purple beneath Inflorescence lax, of 47 well-spaced bracts 7. S. atroviridis. Inflorescence compact, of many bracts which are closely imbricating and hide the rachis entirely Lip with two crimson patches at the base; anther-crest small 8. S. concinna. Lip with violet lines on either side of the yellow band and rather large violet anther-crest 9. S. breviscapa. At least some branches of the sympodium, and usually all, bearing more than one leaf Bracts about 3 cm. long, as wide as long, or wider aa . S. Kunstleri. Bracts much longer than wide Scape 7-18 cm. long, much longer than the com- pact inflorescence 11. S. perakensis. Scape usually less than 7 cm. long, always shorter than the inflorescence Inflorescence 15-23 cm. long; bracts 1-5-2 cm. apart, narrow, closely appressed to rachis S. tenuis. Inflorescence shorter, bracts arranged other- wise Leaf-blade to 12 by 3-5 em., with white bars; inflorescence short, with about 5 spreading bracts 13. S. lanceolata. Vol. XIII. (1950). 88 Leaf-blade of largest leaves much larger, without white bars; inflorescence usually with more than 5 bracts Inflorescence compact, the bracts imbricating so as to hide the rachis completely Bracts glabrous except at tip; rhizome erect, bearing 8-10 or more leaves on a single branch 14. S. erecta. Bracts hairy almost all over, at least when young; shoots not erect, with fewer leaves Edges of bracts conspicu- ously crisped 15....S: Kilossee Edges of bracts not or very slightly crisped Leaves to 50 cm. long 16. S. grandis. Leaves to 20 cm. long 17. S. Burkillu. Inflorescence lax, showing the rachis between the bracts Bracts with crisped edges Bracts almost glabrous, edges spreading near apex; rhizome _ erect, bearing 8-10 or more leaves on a single branch 14. S. erecta. Bracts hairy almost all over at least when young, edges incurved to apex; rhizome creeping or as- cending obliquely, bran- ches with fewer leaves 15. S. Klossi. Edges of bracts not crisped Corolla-lobes 8 mm. long; lip with 2 red spots at base 18. S. rubromaculata Gardens Bulletin, S. 1, 89 Corolla-lobes longer; lip without red spots Ends of bracts broad and flattened, giving ‘a spathulate appear- ance 19. S. malaccana. Ends of bracts with edges inflexed to the apex, apex acute 20. S. sub-biloba. Scaphochiamys sp. Rhizome c. 6 mm. thick when dry; intervals between leaf-shoots 6 cm. or longer. Leaf-shoots 1-leaved, with a few broad thin bladeless sheaths, the longest c. 8 cm. long. Leaf- blade c. 28 by 15 cm., slightly asymmetric, elliptic, apex broad and hardly pointed, base broadly cuneate, lower surface sparsely hairy throughout, rather densely so on the midrib; petiole with sheath c. 25 em. long; sheath apparently very short (not seen). Scape c. 3 em. long, hairy. Inflorescence apparently rather obovoid in outline owing to the spreading of the ends of the bracts, c. 6 cm. long and 5 cm. wide. Bracts about 5 by 1-6 cm., the basal half or more nearly oblong, the apical 1/3 tapering to an acute point which is curved slightly out- wards, almost glabrous except for a few hairs at the apex, thin, with thinner not crisped edges; about 3 flowers in each bract-axil. Bracteoles: 1st about 2-7 cm. long, 3-lobed; 2nd about 2:7 cm. long; 3rd about 2-5 cm. long; “all very thin. Calyx with ovary ec. 1-8 cm. long (?). In its broad long-stalked leaves, short scape, long bracts, and bracteoles all rather long and nearly the same length, this species is near S. oculata (Ridl.), and is pro- bably allied. It has however much larger bracts, leaves with very broad blunt apex and hairy beneath, and the flowers are perhaps larger. I think it must be a quite distinct species, but in the absence of flowers do not name it at present. SPECIMEN. Pahang. Karak Forest Reserve, Bentong, ‘S.F.N. 13882 (Best). 2. Scaphochlamys biloba (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. Gastrochilus bilobus Ridl., Trans. Linn. Soc. 3: iOS. oats. Del. oc? 116.°3892.. Flora 4: G. calophylla, Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 115. 1899. nov. 579. 251. Rhizome long-creeping, slender, 3 mm. thick when dry; leaf-shoots about 5-14 cm. apart. Leaf-shoots each bearing one bladed leaf and several bladeless sheaths; longest sheath to 9 cm. long. Leaf-blade 21 by 6-8 cm. in type (in other specimens to 10-5 cm. wide and sometimes both shorter and wider than in the type), dark green above with a diffuse rather broad pale band on each side of the midrib about half-way towards the edge, purplish beneath and hairy on the midrib, Vol. XIII. (1950). 90 apex bluntly pointed, base rounded to broadly cuneate and somewhat decurrent; petiole purplish (always?), 18 cm. long in type (in other specimens down to 3 cm.), more or less hairy; sheath 2-3 cm. long. Scape of inflorescence 1-5 cm. long, slender, slightly hairy. Inflorescence of many closely imbricating bracts, ovoid-ellipsoid, to about 4 cm. long and 2-2-5 em. wide. Bracts reddish, about 2 cm. long and 5 mm. wide, elliptic, thin, glabrous, each with one flower. Bracteole a little longer than bract, to about 2-3 cm. long, with inflexed edges. Calyx with ovary about 1-8 cm. long. Corolla-tube about 3 cm. long, widening towards the apex; dorsal lobe 2 cm. long, laterals somewhat shorter, white (or pale cream?). Staminodes white, about 1:5 cm. long and 5 mm. wide, oblong, blunt. Labellum 2:5 em. long, about 1-8 em. wide, obovate, bilobea to a depth of about 7 mm., the lobes rounded, white with a central yellow patch and finely mottled with crimson or pink near the base. Filament about 3 mm. long, broad, flushed or spotted with red on the back; anther bent forwards, about 6 mm. long, white or faintly pinkish; crest reflexed and erect in the mouth of the flower, not much wider than anther, almost circular, white. This species was described by Ridley from a dried specimen collected near the Tahan river, and from a culti- vated plant which he brought to Singapore. There is a good coloured drawing of the latter. The wild plant had a long-creeping rhizome, but the drawing (presumably of a plant in a pot) does not show this. The drawing shows short-petioled leaves, whereas the dried specimen has a long petiole. There are dried specimens from S. Keteh with short-petioled leaves exactly as those of the drawing and cthers with long petioles; it seems certain therefore that the length of petiole can vary considerably with change of environment. There are also colour notes on S.F.N. 8048 and 19663 which agree with the coloured drawing mentioned above. The inflorescence of the type is in a poor condition. The information that the bracts each have one flower is obtained from S.F.N. 8048. obtained near the type locality. Ridley says there are two bracteoles, but there is only one to each bract in 8048. With the reduction to a single bracteole, the arrangement of flowers is as in Zingiber, and the appearance of the bracteole, thin with inflexed edges and linear dark purplish spots when dry, is just as in Zingiber. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Kuala Tenok, Ridley s.n., 26.7.1891 (Type). Teku River, G. Tahan, S.F.N. 8048 (Haniff and Nur). Kelantan. Ulu Sungei Ketih (Ketil), S.F.N. 12098 (Md. Nur). Sungei Ketil, S.F.N. 19663 (Henderson). var. lanceolata Ridl. Gastrochilus bilobus var. lanceolata Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 57: 102. 1910. Gastrochilus minor quoad Ridl., Flora 4: 252, not of Baker. ~ Differs from the typical form of the species: 1. rhizome elements shorter (always?), commonly 2-3 em. long; 2. leaf- blade 12 by 2-7 to 16 by 4-5 em., distinctly pointed at apex Gardens Bulletin, S. 91 and decurrent at base, texture rather tough when dry: petiole and sheath together 5-10 cm. long. Perak. Temango, Ridley 14422. This agrees very closely with the Pahang specimen in inflorescences and flowers. I think Ridley was right in ranking it a variety; but quite wrong in identifying it with G. minor Bak., which from descriptions must be quite different. 3. Scaphochlamys longifolia (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Gastrochilus longifolius Ridl., Flora Mal. Pen. 4: 252. 1924. Rhizome slender, creeping. Leaf-shoots with one leaf and a few biadeless sheaths. Leaf-blade to about 23 by 7-5 cm., slightly asymmetric, elliptic, with shortly acuminate apex and cuneate base slightly decurrent, hairy on the midrib beneath; petiole slender, about 15 cm. long, hairy; sheath about 5 cm. long. Scape of inflorescence slender, to 7 cm. long, hairy. Inflorescence ovoid, about 3-5 cm, long and 2 cm. wide. Bracts to about 2-5 cm. long and to about 8 mm. wide near base, tapering to acute apex, thin, ribbed when dry, short hairy throuchout, each with one flower. Bracteoles c. 5 mm. longer than bracts, also hairy, with inflexed edges. Flower white, rather small, lip bilobed with rounded lobes. The type of this species was collected at Ulu Gombak in Selangor by Ridley and is not represented in Singapore. Another collection from Ulu Gombak (Hume 9115, Herb. F.M.S. Mus.) agrees well with the description so far as vegetative parts go and has been stated by Ridley to be probably this species. The dimensions and details of the inflorescence are taken from this specimen, which however does not show details as clearly as one could wish. If my observations are correct, this species agrees with S. biloba in its narrow one-flowered bracts with longer bracteoles but differs in the proportionately narrower leaves which have no white bands on the upper surface and pro- bably in smaller flowers. Pending more information the two should be kept separate. 4. Scaphochlamys sylvestris (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Curcuma sylvestris Ridl. Trans. Linn. Soc. 3: 378. 1893. J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 121. 1899. Hitcheniopsis sylvestris Ridl., Flora M. P. 4: 253. 1924. Rhizome creeping, about 6 mm. thick when dry; intervals between leaf-shoots about 3-5 em. Leaf-shoots short, each usually bearing one leaf and a few bladeless sheaths, the longest sheaths to about 14 cm. long. Leaf-blade purple be- neath, green above, to about 26 by 12 em., narrowly ovate, very shortly acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, hairy on the midrib beneath; petioles to about 45 cm. long, slender; sheath about 3 em. long; ligule-lobes hardly raised above attachment of sheath. Scape slender, about 15 em. long. Inflorescence ovoid or ellipsoid, to about 5 cm. long and 2-5-3 em. wide, of many imbricating bracts, slightly squarrose. Bracts glabrous, to about 2-5 em. long and 1:5 cm. wide, elliptic, the mucronate apex tinged with red, curved outwards, the edges thin but not Vol. XIII. (1950). 92 crisped, folded almost together near the apex; each bract with c. 3 flowers. First bracteole 1-8 cm. long, 1 cm. wide when flattened; second 1-4 cm., 5 mm. wide when flattened. Calyx with ovary 1-1 cm. long. Corolla-tube somewhat shorter than bract; lobes white, about 1:2 cm. long. Staminodes white, about as long as corolla-lobes, oblong with rounded ends. Labellum a little longer than corolla-lobes, oblong-oboVate with bilobed apex, white with yellow median patch with violet streaks on either side of it. Filament short; anther 3 mm. long; pollen-sacs with short acute free basal ends; crest broad, recurved, violet. This species has been only found in Pahang, near the Tahan River and its tributary the Teku, and on G. Tapis. It is distinct in its long-stalked short inflorescence with broadly elliptic shortly. reflexed acute bracts, and small flowers with violet markings on lip and violet anther-crest. The G. Tapis specimen is similar vegetatively and in inflorescence to the others, but the only colour notes are “flowers pale yellow.” It might be a colour variety. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Tahan River woods, Ridley 2400 (type). Teku River, 1,500 feet, S.F.N. 8104 (Haniff and Nur); S.F.N. 31707 (Kiah). G. Tapis ridge, near Kuantan, 2,700 feet, S.F.N. 28813 (Symington and Kiah). Scaphochlamys oculata (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Gastrochilus oculata Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 117. 1899. Flora: 42 251: Rhizome slender, long-creeping, up to about 10 cm. between leaf-shoots. Leaf-shoots each with one leaf and a few blade- less sheaths; longest sheath about 10 cm. long, glabrous or slightly hairy. Leaf-blade to 23 by 12 cm. or to 25 by 8 cm., practically glabrous, flushed with purple on the lower surface, usually widest near the base, base rounded to cordate and somewhat decurrent on the petiole, apex broadly pointed, not or slightly acuminate; petiole to about 28 cm. long, glabrous; sheath about 5 cm. long. Scape of inflorescence 2—5 cm. long, slender, short-hairy towards apex. Inflorescence ovoid, com- pact, to about 5 cm. long and 2-5 cm. wide, with about 15 closely imbricating bracts. Bracts about 2-7-3-5 em. long, to about 1-5 cm. wide, ovate, blunt, almost glabrous, with narrow thin smooth edges, the apex slightly spreading but not recurved; each bract containing about 3 flowers. Bracteoles: first to 2-5 em. long and 1-2 cm. wide, 3-lobed; 2nd to 2-2 cm.; 3rd to 18cm. Calyx with ovary ¢. 1-5 em. long. Corolla-tube about 3 cm. long; lobes 1-5 em. long, dorsal one 6 mm. wide at base, white. Staminodes white, as long as corolla-lobes, 5 mm. wide, with rounded ends. Labellum about 2-2 cm. long, bilobed nearly half-way to the base, 1-5 cm. or rather more wide, white with yellow centre and two crimson patches at the base. Filament 3 mm. long, broad; anther hardly 5 mm. long, bent forwards, pollen-sacs free at base; crest short, hardly refiexed, not wider than rest of anther. This species is based on a specimen of Ridley’s collected on the Pahang Track, Selangor, in 1897. A collection made in 1937 (S.F.N. 34353), also in Selangor, agrees well with the type, and includes alcohol material from which the above Gardens Bulletin, S. 93 measurements of the parts of the flower are taken. It is possible that the red spots on the lip may sometimes be absent. S. oculata agrees with S. biloba in creeping habit with usually long-stalked single leaves, small short-stalked inflo- rescence, small anther-crest and flower-colouring. It differs however in the broader base to the leaf, and much wider bracts each containing 3 flowers. All specimens are from Selangor except one from north-western Johore. It is possible that S. concinna (Bak.) and the present species should be united (see remarks under S. concinna), in which case concinna is the older name and should be used. SPECIMENS. Selangor. Pahang Track, 1,500 feet, Ridley 8484 (type). Bukit Batu Berinding, Kanching, 800 feet, S.F.N. 34353 (Md. Nur). Pahang Track, Machado s.n. Semenyih, Hume 7900 (Herb. F.M.S. Mus.). Johore. G. Janeng, Lake and Kelsall s.n. 20.10.1892. 6. Secaphochlamys pennipicta Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma tenuis, repens; caules erecti unifoliati, 3-10 cm. dissiti, vaginis paucis maximis 6 cm. longis obtecti; folii lamina ad 18 cm. longa et 7 cm. lata, vel ad 15 cm. longa et 7-5 cm. lata, leviter asymmetrica, elliptica, apice latissima brevissime acuta, basi cuneata-decurrens, supra atroviridis striis albis penniforme ornata, subtus rubro-purpurea, glabra; petiolus cum vagina 7-10 cm. longus; vagina verisimiliter brevis; scapus 4-6 cm. longus, tenuis; inflorescentia ovoidea, compacta, ec. 1-8 em. longa et 1-2 cm. lata; bracteae primariae tenues, apice excepta glabrae, c. 1-3:cm. longae, fere ad 1 cm. latae, ovatae, brevissime apiculatae, apicem versus leviter recurvatae, flores duos (vel unum ?) complectentes; bractea secundaria prima 12 mm. longa, tenuissima; calyx cum ovario c. 10 mm. longus; tubus corollae quam calycem 3 mm. longior, lobi 8 mm. longi, albi, lobus dorsalis latus; staminodia quam lobum dor- salem corollae breviora et angustiora, alba; labellum album (fascia lutea medio ornatum ?), 10 mm. longum vel paulum longius; flamentum brevissimum; anthera 3 mm. longa, crista parva, reflexa, quam antheram haud vel paulum _ latior. meas Pahang, Fraser’s Hill, 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 11181, leg. Md. Nur. In habit and in colour of leaves (with their feather-like white markings), this species resembles S. biloba, but it has much smaller bracts and flowers, the outer bracts at least have two flowers each in their axils, and the bracteole is not longer than the bract. The only known collection is the type. 7. Seaphochlamys atroviridis Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma repens; caules erectt 1-5 cm. vel minus taaltz, unifoliati, vaginis pluribus maxima 4-5 cm. longa breviter pilosis plus minusve purpureo-sufflectis obtecti; lamina foli tenuis, supra atroviridis, infra pallidior et sparse pilosa, c. 14-20 cm. longa et 6-9 cm. lata, apice rotundata, basi late cuneata et leviter decurrens; petiolus cum vagina 6-10 cm. ” longus, vagina plerumque 1-5 cm. longa; scapus 3-5 em. longus, Vol. XIII. (1950). 94 glaber vel subglaber; rachis 2-5 cm. longa, plus minusve flexuosa, bracteas 4-7 ferens; bracteae primariae virides vel basin versus rubro-sufflectae, patentes, angulo axillare c. 45°, basi concavae, alabastra florum 2-5 complectentes, apicem versus fere planae, marginibus firmis late undulatis non crispatis, c. 3-3-5 cm. longae, ad 1-5 cm. latae, explicatae ellipticae, apice rotundatae vel obtusae apiculo minuto hirsuto instructae, cetera fere glabrae; flores odorati, labello excepto albi: bractea secundaria prima c. 1 cm. longa, ceterae ad 5 mm. longae, late obliquae, apiculatae; calyx cum ovario 1-3 cm. longus; ovarium glabrum; corollae tubus ad 2-5 cm. longus, lobi 14-15 mm. longi, subaequales, basi 4 mm. lati; staminodia lobis corollae aequilonga, fere oblonga, e basi fere ad apicem rotundatum leviter dilatata, 5 mm. lata; labellum ec. 18 mm. longum, 15 mm. latum, dimidio bilobum, lobis rotundatis imbricatis, medio fascia pallide lutea utroque latere striis lilacinis instructa ornatum, basi macula pallida lilacina utrinqgue prope filamentum instructum; filamentum 3 mm. longum; thecae 3 mm. longae; crista connectivi reflexa rotundata, leviter trilobata, lobo intermedio maximo, explanata c. 4 mm. longa et lata; fructus ellipsoideus, 12 mm. longus, 7 mm. latus. TYPUS: Trengganu, Kemaman, Bukit Kajang, 500 feet, S.F.N. 30240, leg. Corner 4.11.1935. This species is closely allied to S. malaccana but distinct in its broad blunt short-stalked leaves, very dark green, cne on each branch of the sympodium, and in shorter inflo- rescences. A specimen from Bukit Kedondong, Malacca, collected by Derry in 1890 and cultivated in Singapore, is almost exactly similar to the Kemaman plants; a coloured drawing of it was made from a potted plant. The above description is prepared from the type collec- tion (dried plants and flowers in alcohol) and Corner’s fiel notes. 7 8. Scaphochlamys concinna (Bak.) Holtt., comb. nov. Kaempferia concinna Bak., F.B. I. 6: 221. 1890. Boe- senbergia concinna Schltr. Fed. Rep. 12: 316. 1913. Gastrochilus concinnus Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 116. 1899. Flora 4: 251, Rhizome slender, creeping, the leafy shoots at least some- times close together. Leaf-shoots 1-leaved, with a few bladeless sheaths, the longest 8 cm. long. Leaf-blade to 15 by 5 em., widest near more or less cordate base, apex short-acuminate short-hairy on the midrib beneath; petiole slender, about 20 cm. long; sheath short. Scape 2-5-4 cm. long, slender, glabrescent. Inflorescence ellipsoid, compact, about 4 cm. long and hardly 2 wide (sometimes wider ?). Bracts red, 2-5-3 cm. long, to about 1 cm. wide at the base, narrowed gradually to acute apex, thin, with very thin edges, almost or quite glabrous, enclosing 2 flowers. First bracteole 2-2 em. long, thin, about 7 mm. wide; second 1-5 cm. long. Calyx with ovary c. 1-2 cm. long. ‘Flower white, with dark red stripes inside” (probably on lip). Anther- crest small, entire (Baker). The only known collection of this species is the type, from Ulu Bubong, Perak (King’s Collector 10135) It is Gardens Bulletin, S. 95 very nearly related to S. oculata (Ridl.) but has unusually narrow leaves (apparently not purple beneath, but this is not certain) and narrower more acute bracts. I have not seen a flower, but the red markings agree with S. oculata and the short anther-crest. If further collections from Perak show the flower identical with Selangor specimens of S. oculata, and also leaves purple beneath with variation in width, I think the two species should be united, under the older name concinna. 9. Scaphochlamys breviscapa Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma in sicco c. 4 mm. diametro, repens; caules erecti unifoliati, fere 2-3 cm. dissiti, vaginis obtecti, vagina maxima 14 cm. longa; lamina folii ad 26 cm. longa et 12-5 cm. lata, ovato-acuta, brevissime acuminata, basi rotundata et leviter decurrens, nunquam cordata, supra viridis, subtus pallidior nunquam purpurea, costa subtus plus minusve hirsuta; petiolus ad 35 cm. longus; vagina 2-3 cm. longa; lobi ligulae late triangulares, 4 mm. alti, adpresso-hirsuti; scapus 1-3-5 cm. longus, in juventute vaginis obtectus; inflorescentia compacta, ad 6 em. longa et 2:5 cm. lata, ea S. sylvestris similis sed apices bractearum minus patentes; bracteae primariae brevis- sime hirsutae praesertim prope basin et margines, plus minusve rubro-tinctae, 2-5-3 cm. longae, ad 1-5 cm. latae, dense imbricatae, apicem versus leviter patentes marginibus inflexis, explicatae apice obtusissimae, marginibus tenuibus leviter erispatis; bractea secundaria prima c. 2-1 cm. longa, 8 mm. lata, ceterae fere aequilonga; flores 3 (vel 4 ?) pro bractea; ovarium breviter pilosum; calyx cum ovario 1-6 cm. longus, profunde fissus, apicibus propinquis haud distinctis; corollae tubus quam bracteam fere 8 mm. longior, lobi albi, 12 mm. " longi, lobus dorsalis basi 5-6 mm. latus, lobi laterales angustiores; staminodia lobis corollae fere aequilonga, oblonga, apice rotundata, 5 mm. lata; labellum quam lobos corollae 6 mm. longius, obovatum, 1/3 basin versus bilobum, lobi rotundati imbricati, fascia pallide lutea utroque latere stria lilacina instructa, et striis lilacinis paucis patentibus, ornatum; filamentum 3 mm. longum; anthera 5 mm. longa, thecae basi acutae liberae, crista connectivi reflexa 4 mm. lata. TYPUS: Trengganu, Kemaman, Ulu Bendong, 700 feet, S.F.N. 30021, leg. Corner 29.11.1935. “Very common on all hillsides but mostly sterile’. This species is known only from the type collection and is probably quite local in distribution, like its near ally S. sylvestris. It differs from S. sylvestris in the leaves being green beneath, with less broadly rounded and never sub- cordate base, in its short scape, somewhat narrower inflorescence, hairy bracts with less spreading and less acute tips and slightly crisped edges. The flowers appear to be practically identical; but I have seen only dried flowers of S. sylvestris. S. breviscapa is also nearly allied to S. oculata, but differs in the lilac (pale violet) lines on the lip (which has two red patches at the base in S. oculata) and the wider anther-crest which is also lilac. Vol. XIII. (1950). 96 10. Scaphochlamys Kunstleri (Bak.) Holtt., comb. nov. Curcuma Kunstleri Bak., F.B. I. 6: 214. 1890. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 120. 1899. Hitcheniopsis Kunstleri Ridl., Flora 4: 252. 1924. Gastrochilus ? Kunstleri Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XX VII: 104, pl. 14. 1918. Fig. 9, 10. Rhizome fleshy, underground; intervals between leaf-shoots to about 8 cm. Leaf-shoots with 2 large leaves and a few bladeless sheaths outside them; sheaths more or less flushed with purple, longest to 20 cm. long. Leaf-blade thin, more or less flushed with purple beneath (sometimes green), to about 45 by 18 cm., widest rather above the middle, apex rounded with an abrupt triangular tip 1 cm. long, base cuneate- decurrent, lower surface more or less hairy, the hairs fine, appressed and rather sparse; petiole and sheath together about 20 cm. long, petiole shorter than sheath. Scape c. 6-10 cm. long, glabrous. Inflorescence 6-10 cm. long, about 4 cm. wide, cylindric, the bracts with their broad upper edge spreading slightly, thus forming open pouches with the aspect of Curcuma. Bracts almost white or faintly greenish, edged with red or almost entirely flushed with crimson, about 2-8—3-3 cm. long, in the larger inflorescences wider than long, in the smaller almost or quite as wide as long, attached by a very broad base, sides imbricating closely near the base but not adnate, the apex very broadly rounded, the median line slightly outcurved so that each bract forms an open pouch. Flowers 3 to 6 in the axil of each bract. Bracteoles: first to 2-2 cm. long, rest gradually shorter. Ovary sometimes unilocular, with a basal group of c. 8 ovules, sometimes trilocular (fide Valeton). Calyx with ovary 1:5 cm. long. Corolla-tube a little longer than bract; lobes translucent white or pale buff, about 1-5-1-8 cm. long, the dorsal one 7 mm. wide at the base, narrowed to apex. Staminodes very pale orange buff, shorter and narrower than upper petal, puberulous, with translucent veins. Labellum about 2-2-3 cm. long, bilobed to about 1/3 of its length, very pale orange buff with a clear lemon yellow median band and sometimes pink streaks near the base on each side, the base rather deeply channelled, glabrous, the blade with translucent veins. Filament white, 3-4 mm. long; anther pale yellow or slightly suffused with pink, 6 mm. long, puberulous, crest very short, fleshy, emarginate, hardly reflexed. a This spécies appears to be common in some parts of Perak and has been many times collected. It was fully described for the first time by Valeton, from plants culti- vated at Buitenzorg. His floral dimensions are larger than those given above, which are taken from Corner’s specimen S.F.N. 31674; Valeton gives dorsal sepal 2 cm. long, lip 2:5 cm. There is variation in the amount of purple on the under-side of leaves, on sheaths and bracts, and in the pink veins of the lip (which are sometimes absent). Ridley gives a colour-variety rubra, as noted below. Valeton notes that some flowers examined by him had a trilocular ovary, some unilocular; all those examined by me (on one plant only) were unilocular. Gardens Bulletin, S. . yi SPECIMENS. Perak. Waterloo, 1,500 feet, common, Curtis 2719. Kinta, Curtis s.n. December 1895. Temango, Ridley 14425. Lenggong (cult. H.B. Singapore) Henderson s.n. June 1936. Upper Perak, 300 feet, Wray 3388, 3662, 3702. Lubok Merbau, S.F.N. 13592 (Burkill and Haniff). Sungei Siput, S.F.N. 6323 (Burkill). Larut, within 100 feet, King’s Collector 2542. Gunong Tungul, Ridley 2778. Base of Gua Badak, Lenggong, S.F.N. 23840 (Henderson). var. rubra Ridl., Flora, l.c. Staminodes, lip and anther dark a. red. Kuala Dipang, abundant, Curtis s.n. Oct. 1894. Tapah, Wray 198. Scaphochlamys perakensis Holtt., nom. nov. Curcuma lanceolata Ridl., Mat. Fl. M.P. 2: 22. 1907. (Not Gastrochilus lanceolatus Ridl.). Hitcheniopsis lancco- lata Ridl., Flora M.P. 4: 258. 1924. Rhizome creeping, about 5 mm. thick when dry, bearing scale leaves c. 1-5 cm. apart; interval between leafy shoots up to 12 cm. or more. Leafy shoots with short stem bearing two leaves and sheaths outside them, and terminal infiorescence. Leaf-blade 25-45 cm. long, to 11 cm. wide (longest leaves not always widest), slightly asymmetric, widest above the middle, rather dark green above and paler beneath, apex acute but hardly acuminate, base very gradually narrowed and decur- rent; petiole 10-30 cm. long, rather slender; sheath 10-15 cm. long; ligule-lobes broad, about 5 mm. long; thin. Scape 7-i8 em. long, slender, finely hairy when young, more or less glabrescent when old. Inflorescence ovoid when young, more or less cylindric when old; to 8 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, the bracts closely overlapping in their basal halves, the apices spreading. Bracts shaped exactly as in S. Klossii, green, sometimes with pinkish edges, 2-5-3 cm. long, to 1-4 cm. wide near the base, tapering to acute shortly apiculate apex, with thin much crisped edges 2-3 mm. wide, rather sparsely hairy (especially near edges and apex) when young, more or less glabrescent when old; each bract holding about 3 or 4 flowers. First bracteole 1-3 to 2 cm. long; others about 7 mm. (possibly more). Calyx with ovary 1-2 em. long. Covolia-tube slender, 2 cm. or. more long (apparently shorter than bract); lobes about 8 mm. long, white. Staminodes shorter than corolla- lobes, white, apparently refiexed. Lip a little longer than corolla-lobes, obovate, white. with pink markings on either side of the midline near the base and a median yellow patch near the apex; or sometimes without the pink markings. Filament short; anther 4 mm. long, the pollen-sacs with short free acute tips at the base; crest not much wider than anther, ovate-acute, short. This species was described by Ridley from a collection made by Curtis on G. Bujong Malacca, accompanied by a pencil sketch and colour-notes. Curtis’s specimens had only rather small ovoid inflorescences, the largest 4 cm. long. The bracts had pinkish edges. Other collections made later in the lowlands of Perak have exactly similar leaves and bracts but the inflorescences when fully grown are elongate to 8 cm.; and there is no further report of Vol. XIII. (1950). 98 pink-edged bracts. Ridley noted of his 14031 that the flowers were pure white. ° I think that: all specimens repre- sent one species, which is thus only known from Perak and is perhaps there localized. The dimensions of the flower given above are from a dried specimen (Ridley 14031), and from Curtis’s drawing which shows the relative size of the parts. Ridley’s name lanceolatus is already occupied in Scaphochlamys; a new one is therefore necessary. SPECIMENS. Perak. G. Bujong Malacca, Curtis 2522 (type). Tapah, Ridley 14031. Without locality, Scortechini. S. Gepai, Bidur, S.F.N. 31690 (Corner). 12. Scaphochlamys tenuis Holtt.,sp. nov. Fig. 11, B-F. Rhizoma supra terram, ascendens, radicibus brevibus gral- liformibus sustentus; caules erecti conferti, fere contingentes, bifoliati (raro unifoliati), vaginis obtectis, vagina maxima 9-10 cm. longa; lamina folii 15-19 cm. longa, 5—7 ecm. lata, omnino viridis, glabra vel subglabra, leviter asymmetrica, elliptica, apice acuta, leviter acuminata, basi rotundata vel cuneata, leviter decurrens; petiolus tenuis, 15-20 em. longus; vagina 3 em. longa; lobi ligulae triangulares, paulum elevati; scapus c. 4 em. longus, tenuis, glaber; inflorescentia 15-23 em. longa, tenuis, bracteis 1-5-2 cm. dissitis, ad rachin ap- pressis; rachis glabra leviter flexuosa; bracteae primariae virides, marginibus tenuibus brunneis non crispatis, 2-3 cm. longae, explanatae prope basin ad 1 cm. latae, apicem acutum versus angustatae, basi rachin amplectentes, 3-5 flores foventes; bractea secundaria prima 17 mm. longa, 6 mm. lata; flores leviter odorati, albi; ovariwm glabrum, uniloculare, nonnunquam ovulum unicum donatum; calyx cum ovario 12-13 mm. longus; corollae tubus quam bracteam primariam c. 7 mm. longior, lobi 10 mm. longi; staminodia 3 mm. lata, lobis corollae paulum breviora; /abellum album, fascia pallide lutea (non lilacino-marginata) ornata, 13 mm. longum, haud ad medium bilobatum, lobis rotundatis, imbricatis; filamentum 2 mm. longum; anthera 4 mm. longa; crista connectivi reflexa, 3 mm. lata, brevis, leviter trilobata, leviter lilacino-tincta; stylodia tenuia, acuta, 2-5 mm. longa; fructus ellipsoideus, 13 mm. longus, unilocularis, nonnunquam semen unicum fovens; semen 11 mm, longum, ellipsoideum. TYPUS: Trengganu, Kemaman Sungei Nipa, S.F.N. 30548, leg. Corner, 22.11.1985. “Common on the hillside by the camp, not seen elsewhere”’. The above description was compiled from dried specimens, flower in alcohol, and Corner’s field notes. The species is distinguished from all others by its very slender inflorescence with distant appressed bracts. It is nearly allied to S. malaccana, but has a much longer rachis and bracts that do not spread. The flowers also appear to be smaller than in S. malaccana, and the lip perhaps more deeply bilobed. The bracts of S. tenuis sometimes appear to be regularly two-ranked, but in other specimens are distinctly spiral in arrangement. Young leaves of S. tenwis may be flushed with purple on the lower surface. Gardens Bulletin, S. 99 13. Scaphochlamys lanceolata (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. ~ Gastrochilus lanceolatus Ridl., Mat. Fl. M.P. 2: 16. 1907. Flora 4: 250. Rhizome creeping, of short elements (usually about 1 cm.) between successive leaf-shoots. Leaf-shoots short, of 1-3 leaves. Leaf-blade to 12 by 3-5 em., slightly asymmetric, elliptic, apex blunt, upper surface light green barred with white, slightly hairy beneath; petiole to 2 cm. sheath to 5 cm. long, ligule-lobes triangular. Inflorescence: peduncle little over 1 em. long; rachis very short, bearing about 5 overlapping sub-erect bracts. Bracts about 2-5 cm. long, almost glabrous, shaped as in S. lancifolius, the edges firm and not crisped, the apex apiculate. Calyx with ovary about 1-2 cm. long. Corolla- tube 2-7 cm. long. Rest of flower shaped as in S. malaccana, the petals about 1:3 (possibly 1-5 cm.) long and other parts in proportion; depth of lobing of lip uncertain; no information about colours on lip. This species is only known from the type collection from G. Panti, Johore (Ridley s.n. Dec. 1892). It is nearly related to S. malaccana; whether the dwarf size and sessile inflorescences of the type collection are found commonly, or are only due to conditions of soil and exposure, is unknown. If the dwarf condition is characteristic, it is certainly a good species; if not, it may rank as a variety of S. malaccana. At present it is best kept as a distinct species. 14. Scaphochlamys erecta Holtt., sp. nov. Fig. 12. Rhizoma erectus vel suberectus, in inflorescentia termi- natus, folia disticha plurima c. 15 mm. utroque latere dissita, plerumque 8-10 simul expansa, ferens; ramus novus rhizomatis in axilla folii prope inflorescentiam oriens, primo vaginis obtectus, vagina maxima ad 10 em. longa; lamina folw viridis, infra pallidior, 20-32 (-50) ecm. longa, 3-8-5-5 (-7) cm. lata (folia breviora interdum 5 cm. lata), asymmetrica, anguste elliptica, apicem acutum (non acuminatum) versus sensim angustata, basi sensim angustata decurrens; petiolus 1-3 cm. longus; ligula cum marginibus vaginae tenuissima, ligula ut videtur longa sed plerumque rupta; vagina 6-9 (-15) cm. longa, basi breviter amplexicaulis; scapus plerumque 4—5 cm. (interdum ad 15 em.) longus, subglaber; sachis inflorescentiae 4-5 em. longa, 10-12 (interdum ad 25) bracteas imbricatas ferens; bracteae primariae 3-4 cm. longae, ad 14 mm. latae, ovatae, apice late acutae et breviter apiculatae, dorso fere glabrae, apiculo excepto, marginibus tenuibus, haud scariosis, minute crispatis, 2/3 basin versus inflexis, apicem versus solum patentibus, flores 2—4 foventes; bractea secundaria prima 2 cm. longa, ceterae 9 mm. longae; flores non odorati, albi; ovariwm uniloculare, ovulis 3 basalibus donatum; calyx cum ovario 12 mm. longus, leviter infiatus, apice breviter dentatus, glaber; corollae tubus 2-8 cm. longus, tenuis, apicem versus leviter dilatatus, lobi 1 cm. longi, lobus dorsalis basi 4 mm. latus, apice acutus, lobi laterales leviter angustiores; staminodia 8 mm. longa, oblonga, apice rotundata, 4 mm. lata, patentia; labellum 18 mm. longum, 12 mm. latum, obovatum, tertia parte bilobatum (lobis rotundatis imbricatis), album, medio \ Vol. XIII. (1950). 100 fascia lutea basin versus lilacino-marginata ornatum; filamen- tum 2-5 mm. longum; anthera 3 mm. longa, thecae basi liberae, acutae, crista connectivi reflexa, rotundata, 3 mm. lata, haud 2 mm. longa; stylodia tenuissima, ad basin libera, 4:5 mm. longa; fructus unilocularis; semina 1-3, ellipsoidea. TYPUS: Johore. Sungei Sedili, Mersing Road, S.F.N. 31941, leg. Corner 30.8.1936. Plants of this species grow erect in the thick and constantly renewed layer of decaying leaves on the forest floor; they appear to differ from S. malaccana and S. Klossvi in having longer intervals of vegetative growth between successive inflorescences. The result is that the new element of the sympodium arises in the axil of a foliage leat, not of a scale or sheath at the base of the previous leaf- shoot. The number of flowers in the axil of each bract appears to be less than in S. Klossii, and the hairiness of the bracts much less. The flowers are very similar to those of S. Klossi. The leaves are proportionately narrower than in S. Klossu, with long-decurrent bases as in S. grandis. 15. Scaphochlamys Klossi (Ridl.) MHoltt., comb. nov. Gastrochilus Klossu Ridl., Mat. Fl. M.P. 2: 16. 1907. Flora 4: 248. Boesenbergia Klossiw Loes., Pflanzen- fam. Ed. 2.,15A+ 571, 19380. Fis. 1a: Rhizome creeping or somewhat ascending, elements short; successive shoots rather close together, each with 4-6 or more leaves and a terminal inflorescence. Leaves: blade slightly fleshy, dark green above, pale green and more or less hairy beneath, 20 by 5 to 30 by 10 em., elliptic or widest above the middle, often somewhat asymmetric, narrowed gradually to the decurrent base and more abruptly to the shortly pointed apex; petiole 1-10 em. long, more or less winged and grooved, more or less hairy beneath; ligule lobes broad, triangular, 6-10 mm. long; sheaths with broad thin appressed-hairy edges,. to 15 cm. long. Scape of inflorescence about 2-6 em. long, finely hairy. Inflorescence ovoid to ellipsoid, acute, commonly to about 9 cm. long and 2-5-3 ecm. in greatest thickness, exceptionally to 8 cm. long; bracts closely imbricating, usually quite obscuring the rachis, but more lax in the long inflores- cences. Bracts green, more or less densely hairy all over but especially on the thin edges, (the hairs fine, appressed) narrowly ovate, acute, 2-7-3-5 cm. long, 1-1-4 cm. wide, the marginal 2-4 mm. thin and finely crisped; edges inflexed to the apex. Flowers about 3-8 in the axil of each bract, arranged in a 2-ranked partial inflorescence, the whole enclosed by a second bract 1-8-2-2 em. long with inflexed edges which just meet at the base, and each flower with a much shorter bracteole. Bracteoles usually 6-8 mm. long, oblong-mucronate, with one or two prominent costae and smaller veins, more or less hairy; in some specimens with few-flowered partial inflorescences the bracteoles may be up to 1-2 cm. long. Ovary finely hairy; calyx with ovary 0-8-1-2 cm. long, calyx thin, tubular, irregularly toothed. Corolla-tube slender, about 1-8 em. long; lobes white, about 7 mm. long and 4 mm. wide, the dorsal one with an acute apex. Staminodes about as long as corolla-lobes, 5 mm. wide, the rounded ends slightly reflexed, — Gardens Bulletin, S. 101 white. Lip about 1-2 em. long and wide, almost round, slightly bilobed with rounded reflexed hardly crisped lobes, white with pale lilac lines especially near the top of the throat and a median longitudinal pale lemon yellow band. Filament very broad, about 2 mm. long; anther about 3 mm. long, the pollen-sacs free and pointed at the base, the connective pro- longed at the apex to a reflexed crisped and slightly lobed crest 3 mm. wide and 2 mm. long. Fruit ellipsoid, about 1-2 -em. long, containing 1-3 seeds; seeds ellipsoid with aril laciniate to the base. This is a variable species, found only in the S. Sedili and G. Panti district of S.E. Johore. The typical form (i.e. that of the type specimen) grows rather large, always with several leaves on each new shoot, the sheaths broad and long and very hairy (appressed hairs) and the petiole never very long. The bracts are very hairy and the inflo- rescence fairly large, ovoid and very compact when young. Corner notes on his no. 28965 “common in the swampy forest round the Sedili and tributaries, generally gregarious in damp hollows.” SPECIMENS OF TYPICAL Form. Johore. Near G. Panti, Kloss s.n. 1905 (type). S. Kayu (S. Sediliy S.F.N. 319638 (Ngadiman) Without exact locality, S.F.N. 29983 (Corner). S. Berassau, Mawai-Jemaluang Road, S.F.N. 28965 (Corner). 14th mile Mawai-Jemaluang Road, Corner s.n. 14.5.1935. G. Muntahak, 600 feet, S.F.N. 19952 (Holttum). var. glomerata Holtt., var. nov. Caules paucifoliati, conferti; lamina folii ad 20 « 7 cm.; vagina folii 5-8 em. longa; bracteae subglabrae, flores c. 7 foventes, marginibus bractearum leviter crispatis; folia inter- dum linea argentea prope marginem ornata. Type. G. Panti, West, low elevation, S.F.N. 30952 (with silver band on leaf, type of var.), S.F.N. 30951 (leaves pale green), both coll. Corner, 14.4.1936. This variety appears very distinct in habit, but this might be due in part to somewhat dry conditions of growth. var. minor Holtt., var. nov. Planta omnino parva; lamina folii ad 20 * 5 cm.; petiolus tenuis; inflorescentia laxa, ad 8 cm. longa (scapo incluso); bracteae paucae, 2-3 flores foventes. This variety appears fairly distinct, but the series is evidently variable and this might be only an extreme form. Mr. Corner notes “common, often gregarious, in the swamp or on the hillsides. The flowers exactly as the large-leaved G. Klossii but always smaller inflorescences.” Type. Ulu Segun, G. Panti, low to 800 feet, S.F.N. 30743 (Corner). Also Bukit Tinjau Laut, Ngadiman s.n. 5.8.1937. 16. Scaphochlamys grandis Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma validus, in sicco ad 1 cm. vel ultra diametro, oblique ascendens, radicibus gralliformibus ad 30 ecm. longis sustentus; rami rhizomatis utrinque folia 5 (vel ultra) et inflorescentiam terminalem ferentes; rami novi in axillo folii secundi vel tertii infra inflorescentiam orientes, primo vaginis Vol. XIII. (1950). This very fine species is nearly allied to S. Klossw in the form of its inflorescence and bracts, but is much larger vegetatively and has larger flowers with a much larger anther-crest. It is the largest species of Scaphochlamys so far known, and has only been found at Kemaman. The description is made from dried specimens, flowers in alcohol, and Corner’s field notes. ye 102 hirsutis ad 18 cm. longis obtecti; lamina folii ad 50 cm. longa et 10 cm. lata, supra viridis, subtus pallide viridis et in costam hirsuta, asymmetrica, latitudine maxima supra medium, apicem leviter acuminatum et basin versus sensim angustata, basi decurrens; petiolus brevis vel nullus; ligulae lobi lati, 10 mm. vel ultra alti, triangulares; vagina ad 18 em. longa, marginibus latis tenuibus, breviter hirsuta; scapus ad 7 cm. longus, c. 4 mm. diametro, breviter lanato-hirsutus; inflorescentia 7-12 cm. longa, bracteis arcte imbricatis; bracteae primariae multi, in juventute virides, mox rubicundae, omnino breviter lanato- hirsutae, dimidio apicale patentes, marginibus tenuibus haud crispatis, 3-5-4-5 cm. longae, prope basin 12-16 mm. latae, apicem obtusum versus sensim angustatae, plerumque flores duos (interdum plurimos ?) foventes; bractea secundaria prima 2-2-2 cm. longa, dense hirsuta, secunda 8 mm. longa; ovarium hirsutum; calyx cum ovario 17-20 mm. longus; corollae tubus 4 cm. longus, lobi albi 16 mm. longi, lobus dorsalis haud 4 mm. latus; staminodia alba, lobo dorsale corollae aequilonga, 5 mm. lata; labellum 2-2 cm. longum, fere ad medium bilobum, lobis plerumque irregulariter crenato- incisis, medio fascia lata flava basin versus atrolilacina- marginata cum striis paucis lilacinis patentibus ornatum; filamentum 3 mm. longum; anthera (crista excepta) 5 mm. longa, crista pallide lilacina, valide reflexa (apice fere dorsum antherae attingente), marginibus erectis, 6 mm. lata; stylodia tenuia acuta, 45 mm. longa; fructus ellipsoideus, 16 mm. longus, nitens; semina 2 vel 3, nigra, ellipsoidea. TYPUS: Trengganu, Kemaman, Ulu Bendong, 700 feet, S.F.N. 30030, leg. Corner 30.10.1985. ‘Very abundant in swamps in stream valleys, the whole plant to nearly 100 cm. high”. Scaphochlamys Burkillii Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma in sicco 6 mm. diametro, interdum ascendens et radicibus gralliformibus sustentus; caules foliati conferti, 1-3 — folia ferentes, vaginis purpureis obtecti; lamina folii 15-20 — em. longa, 4—7-5 cm. lata, leviter asymmetrica, basin et apicem versus aequaliter angustata, apice acuta (non acuminata), basi cuneata-decurrens, subtus viridis (in juventute pallide purpurea) et leviter hirsuta; petiolus purpurascens, 2—5 cm. longus, canaliculatus; lobi ligulae breves, lati; vagina 6-10 cm. longa, marginibus latis tenuibus leviter hirsutis; scapus validus, hirsutus, 1 em. longus, vaginis foliorum obtectus; inflorescentia 5-6 cm. longa, 2 cm. diametro, ellipsoidea, vaginis foliorum fere aequilonga; bracteae primariae confertae, imbri- catae, apice leviter hiantes, non recurvatae, 2-5-3-5 cm. longae, ad 15 mm. latae, purpurascens, extus fere omnino hirsutae, capillis appressis tenuibus sparsis, medio crassae, marginibus tenuibus non crispatis, 4—5 flores foventes; bractea secundaria prima ad 2-8 em. longa, firma, valide 2-carinata, triloba, lobo intermedio apiculo hirsuto 2 mm. longo donato; bracteae secundariae ceterae 11-12 mm. longae; calyx cum ovario 16 Gardens Bulletin, S. 103 mm. longus, fissus 5 mm., déentibus brevibus, hirsutis, confertis; corollae tubus quam bracteam 10-15 mm. longior, lobi albi, 16-18 mm. longi, basi 4 mm. lati; staminodia quam lobos corollae breviora, eis aequilata, obtusa, alba; labellum c. 2-0 ecm longum et latum, obovatum, usque dimidium bilobum, album, medio fascia pallide lutea, utroque latere lineis rubro- purpureis marginata, ornatum; filamentum 3 mm. longum; anthera (crista exclusa) 3-5 mm. longa; crista connectivi 4 mm. lata, reflexa, alba vel leviter ’purpurascens, rotundata. TYPUS: Pahang, Barlok, Bukit Kapis, 200 feet, S.F.N. 210, leg. Burn-Murdoch 21.6.1913. Also collected at Beserah, Pahang (S.F.N. 16133, Burkill and Haniff). Plants of this species (probably collected at Kemaman by Corner) are in cultivation at Singapore, and the dimen- sions of the floral parts, and colour of leaves and bracts given above are taken from the living plants. The latter are smaller than the dried ones, with shorter leaf-sheaths and fewer bracts in the inflorescence, but agree otherwise. In its habit and in the appressed hairs on the bracts, S. Burkillui resembles S. Klossvi, but the smooth-edged bracts are very different, and also the colour of the flowers. 18. Scaphochlamys rubromaculata Holtt., sp. nov. Fig. 11, A. Rhizoma oblique ascendens, radicibus’ gralliformibus sustentus; caules erecti breves, conferti (nonnunquam haud 1 em. dissiti), folia 1 vel 2 et vaginas plurimas ferentes, vaginae maximae ad 12 em. longae, glabrae; lamina folti 15-20 cm. longa, 4-5-5 cm. lata, pallide viridis, infra pallidior, fere glabra, apice acuta non acuminata, basi cuneata et leviter decurrens; petiolus cum vagina 6-10 cm. longus; scapus 4-6 cm. longus, sparse hirsutus; rachis 4 cm. longa, glabra vel subglabra, leviter flexuosa, bracteas 6-8 ferens; bracteae primariae virides, patentes, angulo axillare c. 45°, 2-5-3 em. longae, 12 mm. latae, explanatae ellipticae, marginibus basi inflexis, non tenerrimis, haud crispatis, apicem versus patentibus (lamina hine fere plana), apice rotundata brevissime apiculata, flores 4 (vel plurimos) foventes; bractea secundaria prima 8 mm. longa, ceterae breviores; corollae tubus haud 2 cm. longus, lobi 8 mm. longi, angusti, albi; staminodia alba, 6 mm. longa et 2 mm. lata, patentia, leviter reflexa; labellum 11 mm. longum et 8 mm. latum, haud ad medium bilobatum, lobis rotundatis imbricatis, album, medio fascia pallide flava et basi utroque latere macula sanguinea ornatum; filamentwm cum anthera c. 3-5 mm. longum, crista connectivi reflexa, rotundata, 2-5 mm. lata; fructus 12 mm. longus, ellipsoideus, pericarpio tenui; semina 10 mm. longa. TYPUS: Trengganu, Kemaman, Ulu Bendong, 700 feet, S.F.N. 30031, leg. Corner, 29.10.1935. Also same locality and date, S.F.N. 30011. This species is closely allied to S. malaccana, but has shorter inflorescences and much smaller flowers with a red spot on each side of the yellow band at the base of the lip. Vol. XIII. (1950). 104 19. Secaphochlamys malaceana Bak., F.B.I. 6: 252. 1892. Kaempferia malaccana K. Schum., Pfizr. Zingib. 1904. Gastrochilus scaphochlamys Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 112. 1899. Flora 4: 250. Boesenbergia scaphoch- lamys Schltr, Fed. Rep. 12: 317. 1913. Gastrochilus lancifolus Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 112. Flora 4: 250. | Boesenbergia lancifolia Schltr, l.c. 316. Kaempferia lancifolia K. Schum., l.c. 80. Rhizome obliquely ascending and supported on sti!t-roots, of elements c. 2 cm. long between the leafy shoots. Leafy shoots short, usually 2-leaved and with a terminal inflorescence; outer sheaths purplish (always ?). Leaf-blade usually about 20 by 4:5 em. (to 6 em.), slightly asymmetric, elliptic, narrowed to acute (not acuminate) apex and cuneate base, slightly hairy beneath towards the base; petiole to about 10 cm. long, rather slender; ligule small; sheath to about 6 cm. long, narrow. Inflorescence with slender and + hairy scape 5-12 cm. long and 6-8 large bracts about 0-7-2-5 cm. apart, arranged spirally on a more or less flexuous slender rachis 8-10 cm. long which is exposed by the spreading bracts, each bract bearing 3-7 flowers in its axil. Bracts green, 3—5 cm. long, 1-2-1-7 em. wide, elliptic when flattened, with rounded slightly apiculate apex and edges involute towards the base, of firm texture, softly hairy beneath at least near base and apex, glabrescent when old. First bracteole about 1-2 cm. long; rest much shorter. Flowers fragrant. Calyx with ovary c. 1-0 em. long, tubular, slightly swollen, the teeth close together, split 3 mm. down the other side. Corolla-tube white, slender at base, widening towards the apex, c. 2:5 cm. long. Lobes white, about 1-3 cm. long, acute, 4-5 mm. wide at the base, edges inflexed towards apex. Staminodes white, as long as corolla- lobes, oblong with rounded tips, about 4 mm. wide. Lip white with a yellow median band, sometimes with a pale lilac or purple line on either side of it towards the base, obovate, deeply (nearly half-way) bilobed, the lobes rounded and slightly overlapping, to about 1-8 cm. long and 1-4 cm, wide. Stamen: filament barely 3 mm. long, broad; pollen-sacs about 3 mm. long, their basal ends free and acute; connective pro- duced at the apex into a reflexed crest nearly 4 mm. wide and about 2:5 mm. long, rounded ard slightly 3-lobed, the edge somewhat crisped. This species is the type-species of the genus Scaphoch- — lamys. It was described by Baker from specimens, in the ~ Kew herbarium, collected on Mt. Ophir by Cuming, Griffith, Maingay and Hullett, none of which collections are repre- sented in Singapore. We have however a collection by Ridley from the same locality (no. 3141) which agrees with — Baker’s description and from it the above description has been prepared. The bracts appear spathulate because of the inflexed edges in the basal part, but are really elliptic. Gastrochilus lancifolius Ridl. is so nearly related to S. malaccana that I cannot see a clear distinction; the type has narrower acute bracts, but there are intermediates in Gardens Bulletin, S. 105 this character. I prefer at present to regard all as S. malaccana, noting that there is variation, and distinct varieties may later be recognized. SPECIMENS. Malacca. Mt. Ophir, Woods below G. Mering, Ridley 3141. Johore. Bukit Muar, Fielding s.n. October 1892. Kuala Sembrong, Lake and Kelsall s.n. 1892 (type of lanci- folia). Negri Sembilan. G. Angsi: Ridley s.n. February 1904; S.F.N. 9895 (Holttum); 2,600 feet, S.F.N. 11690 (Md. Nur). Senaling-Inas F.R., S.F.N. 9783 (Holttum). 20. Scaphochlamys sub-biloba (Burk. ex Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Gastrochilus sub-bilobus Burk. ex Ridl., Flora M.P. 4: 250. 1924. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 87. 1918. Rhizome creeping; successive elements very short, the leaf-shoots close together, touching. Leaf-shoots each with one or two leaves and several bladeless sheaths, the longest sheath to about 10 cm. long; sheaths apparently tinged with red. Leaf-blade 15-20 cm. long, 4-6 cm. wide (longest leaves not always widest), slightly asymmetric, elliptic, apex acute, rarely slightly acuminate, base cuneate and slightly decurrent,. lower surface glabrous; petiole about 3-6 cm. long; sheath to 6 cm. long, rather narrow, glabrous. Scape about 3-7 em. long, rather slender, short-hairy. Rachis 6-10 cm. long, more or less flexuous, hairy like the scape, bearing up to 12 spreading bracts which are about 6-12 mm. apart. Bracts 2-2-2-8 cm. long, 6-8 mm. wide when flattened, stiffly boat- shaped with the edges inflexed throughout, (not spreading towards the apex as in S. malaccana), elliptic, acute, hairy when young, sometimes glabrescent when old, edges thin but not crisped nor hairy; each bract with a group of several flowers in its axil. First bracteole about 1-3 cm. long; others. shorter. Corolla-tube c. 2-5 em. long; lobes about 1 cm. long, white. Staminodes about same length as dorsal corolla-lobe and about as wide, oblong, white. Lip a little longer, shortly bilobed, white with a median pale yellow band and no other colour. This species is only known from Pulau Tioman. It is very closely related to S. tenuis of Kemaman but has a shorter inflorescence and spreading bracts. It differs from S. malaccana in its bracts being stiff and narrow, with inflexed edges throughout, and in having a less deeply lobed lip. The specimens are not all very satisfactory, and there is not a single well-preserved flower; the floral dimensions are therefore a little doubtful. Perhaps later collections will show that this species should be united to S. tenuis. As with S. tenuis, the bracts are brown when dry, not green like those of S. malaccana. SPECIMENS. Pulau Tioman. Joara Bay, 0-1,000 feet, in deep shade, S.F.N. 1002, 1143 (Burkill). Ayer Surin, 1,000—- 2,000 feet, in rocky jungle, S.F.N. 21701 (Henderson). Near Tanah Runto, 1,200 feet, S.F.N. 18380 (Henderson). Vol. XIIT. (1950). 106 6. BOESENBERGIA O. KUNTZE ° Rhizome usually fleshy, of short elements between leaf- shoots. Leaf-shoots usually consisting of a short erect stem (rarely over 15 cm. tall) bearing 1 to 4 or occasionally more leaves with a few bladeless sheaths outside them at the base, and a terminal inflorescence. Leaves of moderate size, green, sometimes with purple sheaths; petiole (bet- ween blade and sheath) short or fairly long; ligule 2-lobed, the lobes usually about 5-10 mm. long, rounded or triangular. Inflorescence on a short peduncle above the insertion of the highest leaf, enclosed when young, or throughout, by the two uppermost sheaths; axis of inflores- cence short or fairly long, bearing 2-ranked alternate bracts which overlap at the base on one face of the axis and not on the other. Bracts relatively long and narrow (about 2-6 cm. long), boat-shaped, each (except one or two at the apex) enclosing a single bracteole and a single flower; apical bracts maturing first, the others in succession from apex to base, the axis in some cases elongating during the process. Bracteoles nearly as long as bracts, with inflexed sides enfolding the flower, either narrower or wider than the bract. Ovary 3-locular with a few ovules in each loculus (in B. Curtisu six), or incompletely 3-locular with a basal group of ovules, or a group on a raised axile placenta. Calyx short, tubular, rarely almost as long as bracteole. Corolla-tube slender, usually a little longer than the bracts; lobes subequal, spreading obliquely or the lateral ones curved upwards. Staminodes more or less oblong, a little shorter to a little longer than corolla-lobes and of about the same width, their ends usually broadly rounded and slightly reflexed, white, pink or yellow. Labellum longer than corolla-lobes and staminodes, sometimes basin-shaped, some- times not very concave, rarely if ever bilobed, the apical margin more or less crisped, white or variously marked with red and/or yellow. Stamen with relatively narrow filament about as long as anther; anther with parallel pollen-sacs not free at the base, opening by slits or in B. Curtisti by apical pores; connective either produced into a short narrow crest or not at all produced apically. Stylodes slender, of moderate length. Fruit ellipsoid, thin-walled, sometimes unilocular; seeds relatively large, ellipsoid, black, with a white aril as long as, or longer than the seed, laciniate to the base. mes Type species: Gastrochilus pulcherrima Wall. Wallich established a genus Gastrochilus in his Plantae _ Asiaticae Rariores (1828), though he noted at the time the prior existence of another genus (family Orchidaceae) of the same name, published by Don in 1825. Don’s genus Gardens Bulletin, S. ae 107 was ignored by later botanists, his species being usually included in Saccolabium Bl. But when Schlechter and Smith came to study the wealth of species in the Saccola- bium group and defined a number of distinct genera, they found the necessity of reviving Don’s name, as his species belonged to one of the genera in question, not to Saccolabium Bl. In any case, Gastrachilus Wall. is by the present rules invalid, being a later homonym, a fact which had been noted by O. Kuntze, who proposed the name Boesenbergia in its place. In transferring certain orchids to Gastrochilus Don, Schlechter pointed out the necessity of using Boesenbergia for Wallich’s Zingiberaceous genus, and transferred to Boesenbergia all species then included in Gastrochilus Wall. Loesener and other botanists subsequently transferred other species. But until Valeton’s paper of 1918, no botanist had made any satisfactory comparative study of Kaempferia and allied genera, and no two authors had agreed about the limits of Gastrochilus Wall. Indeed, many species were so inade- quately described that, when Valeton had prepared his new diagnosis of Gastrochilus Wall., it was in many cases. uncertain whether a species belonged to it or not, and Loesener could not use Valeton’s definition effectively. The substitution of the name Boesenbergia for the name Gastro- chilus did nothing to clarify the situation, and only involved the publication of a certain number of quite unnecessary new binomials. Wallich’s original species of Gastrochilus were G. pulcherrima and G. longiflora, both illustrated by coloured plates. The former has rather tall leafy stems with a terminal inflorescence of 2-ranked bracts, having the pecu- liar character of maturing from the apex downwards. This structure is well shown by Wallich’s plate and has been clearly described by Valeton. It is very peculiar, and is shared by a number of other species. I take G. pulcherrima as the type of the genus Boesenbergia. Some other species have a much more condensed inflorescence, but of the same structure. Wallich’s second species has been less clearly described. He stated that there were one or two flowers to each bract; but his drawing of part of the inflorescence does not show the arrangement at all clearly. The inflorescences are shown as separate leafless branches, outside the group of leaves, a character not shown by any Malayan species allied to B. pulcherrima. The inflorescences also appear to have spirally arranged bracts. In the Botanical Magazine t- 4010, is an illustration which does not agree very well with Wallich’s. The bracts appear to be arranged in two ranks, Vol. XIIT. (1950). 108 like those of B. pulcherrima, but are on separate shoots, enclosed by green sheaths, not by the sheaths of foliage leaves; the number of flowers to each bract is not stated. In view of this lack of information, the status of Gastro- chilus longiflora must remain uncertain. If Wallich’s information should prove inaccurate, it may yet prove to belong to Boesenbergia as now defined; or it may have to be transferred to another genus. Boesenbergia, as here limited, is a genus of Indo-Malay- sia, probably having its greatest abundance of species in Western Malaysia. As noted above, owing to inadequate descriptions of the inflorescence, the number of species named in herbaria is uncertain. The genus is much less polymorphic in Malaya than Scaphochlamys, and the species are In several cases widely distributed, in contrast to the very local occurrence of most Scaphochlamys. B. pandu- rata is widely cultivated and used as a flavouring for food. KEY TO MALAYAN SPECIES OF BOESENBERGIA Stem slender, 30 cm. or more from base to top of upper- most sheath; leaves about 6, spaced on upper part of stem; petioles 1-1-5 cm. long 1. B. pulcherrima. Stem shorter (usually much shorter) ; petioles longer Inflorescence elongating and much exserted when fully grown, not completely enclosed by the leaf-sheaths Bracts 5-6 cm. long; lip not basin-shaped 2. B. plicata. Bracts 2:5-3-5 cm. long; lip basin-shaped B. Prainiana. Inflorescence hardly elongating, the bracts not or hardly projecting beyond the protecting leaf-sheaths Anther dehiscing by terminal pores 4. B. Curtisir. Anther dehiscing by slits along whole length of pollen-sacs Anther-crest small, more or less rounded, slightly retuse or with a short single tip Petals 2—2:5 cm. long, yellow 5. B. flava. Petals about 1cm.long 6. B. longipes. Anther-crest bilobed, lobes short, acute Petals and staminodes pink; lip not yellow 7. B. pandurata, Petals and staminodes white; lip with © yellow centre 8. B. clivalis. Gardens Bulletin, S. — 109 1. Boesenbergia pulcherrima (Wall.) O. Ktze. Rev. Gen. Pl]. 685. 1891. Gastrochilus pulcherrima Wall., Pl. eee, Pte tee. 1520. . bot. Mag... 3930. Fadl.’ Flora 4: 247. Stem slender, 30 cm. or more from base to top of upper- most leaf-sheath. Leaves about 6, spaced along the stem except near base; blade about 14 by 3-5 em., elliptic, shortly acuminate, base cuneate and decurrent; petiole 1-1-5 cm. long; ligule-lobes about 4 mm. long. Inflorescence terminal, bracts close together, at first almost entirely enclosed by the last leaf-sheaths, somewhat exserted later as rachis elongates. Bracts 3 em. (3-5 em. ?) long. Corolla-tube as long as bracts; lobes subequal, straight, about 1 cm. long, the laterals on either side of the base of the lip, white. Staminodes about 3 mm. longer than dorsal corolla-lobe, about 4 mm. wide, their apices not or little reflexed, white. Lip c. 1-5 cm. long, strongly basin-shaped with edges refiexed and crinkled towards the apex, white flushed with red in the middle at the apex, the red area extending, narrowed, towards the base. Filament about 6 mm. long; anther about 5 mm., with parallel pollen- sacs and a very short crest. Government Hill, Penang, cult. in Waterfall Gardens, flowered September 1898, leg. C. Curtis, with drawing. This specimen was labelled Gastrochilus albo-sanguinea Ridl., but differs entirely from that species in its vegetative habit, with slender stem, smaller short-stalked leaves, and in its much smaller flowers with the lateral petals not up- curved nor the upper one incurved. The drawing and specimen agree very closely with B. pulcherrima as illustrated in Bot. Mag. t. 3930. The specimen shows the bracts little exserted from between the uppermost leaf-sheaths, but it would probably elongate later, as shown in Wallich’s original figure, in the same way as the inflorescence of B. plicata and B. Prainiana. The species is probably at the southern limit of its range on Penang Hill (as some other northern plants) and is evidently not common, as it has never been collected again. 2. Boesenbergia plicata Holtt., comb. nov. Gastrochilus plicatus Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 44: 196. 1905. Flora 4: 2AT. Erect stem very short, bearing 3-5 leaves. Leaf-blade green, plicate, to about 40 by 14 cm., ovate, apex shortly pointed, base broady cuneate to subcordate; petiole above sheath to about 12 cm.; sheath 10-15 em. long, ligule conspi- cuously bilobed, thin, lobes rounded; old sheaths red-brown. Inflorescence from stem apex, emerging from between the leaf-sheaths and elongating to nearly 30 cm. in all; scape slender, about 3-7 cm. Primary bracts alternate 2-ranked, the bracts in each rank about 1 cm. apart, all facing one way, 5-6 cm. long and hardly 1 cm. wide, acute, green, minutely hairy, each with a single bracteole and a single flower. Bracteoles as long as bracts, with the edges much infolded, when flattened 1-7 cm. wide, glabrous, firmly papery Vol. XIII. (1950). 110 when dry. Ovary glabrous, cylindric, 5 mm. long at flowering, incompletely 3-locular, with c. 10 ovules. Calyx (not including ovary) 1 cm. long, very thin, lobes short and broad. Corolla-tube slender, 3-5 cm. long (thus shorter than bract); the flower emerging below the apex of the bract and bracteole. Corolla- lobes cream with red streaks, dorsal 2-3 by 1-0 ecm., lateral 2:1 by 0-8 ecm. Staminodes cream, narrowly obovate, about 1 cm. longer than the dorsal corolla-lobe and 1-3 cm. wide, joined to the stamen and lip in a funnel-shaped faux 7-8 mm. deep beyond the insertion of the corolla-lobes. Labellum about 3-2 em. long and nearly 2 cm. wide, obovate, the basal part with sides upcurved and overlapping the staminodes, the broad apex spreading, with crinkled edges, cream to pale greenish yellow with deep crimson patch at the base, extending forwards more or less continuously to the middle of the lip. Fvlament narrow, 1-2 em. long’; anther cream, 1-1 cm. long, the connective not extending beyond the tips of the pollen-sacs. Stigma small, the aperture broadly elliptic. Stylodes 6 mm. long. Fruit not known. This species is apparently not uncommon in lowland forest in Malaya, at least on the eastern side of the country. There seems to be some variation in the colour of the flower and the distribution of red on the lip. There may also be variation in the length of the connective at the apex of the anther. The species is no doubt closely allied to B. pandu- rata (Roxb.) Schl. (native of Sumatra) but B. pandurata never has an elongate inflorescence and the staminodes are shorter than the corolla-lobes. The Langkawi specimen referred to B. pandurata by Ridley has a long inflorescence ; I think there is no doubt it is B. plicata var. lurida (see helow). SPECIMENS. Trengganu. Ulu Brang, 350 feet, S.F.N. 33864 (Moysey). Kelantan. Kuala Lebir, Gimlette s.n. 1904 (type, with coloured drawing from cult. plant). Bukit Batu Papan, S. Lebir, S.F.N. 29558 (Henderson). S. Ketil at Gua Musang, S.F.N. 22658 (Henderson). Sungei Keteh, S.F.N. 12035 (Md. Nur). Kuala Krai, S.F.N. 10119 (Haniff and Nur). Perak. Temango, Ridley 14424. Pahang. Sungei Sat, Ulu Tembeling, S.F.N. 21988 (Henderson). P. Tioman, G. Rokam, 2,700 feet, S.F.N. 18800 (Md. Nur); Sungei Tawar, Joara Bay, S.F.N. 1009 (Burkill). Johore. Base of G. Panti, Ridley s.n. December 1892. var. lurida (Ridl.) Holtt. stat. nov. Gastrochilus luridus Ridl., Mat. 2: 17. 1907. Flora 4: 248. Boesenbergia lurida Loes., Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, 15A: 570. 1930. Leaves somewhat smaller than in typical form. Bracts flushed with red or purple. Flowers almost completely flushed with red, from a light pink to orange-scarlet, paler towards the base of lip and staminodes. This variety is only known to occur in Langkawi. It was described by Ridley from a drawing made at Penang from a cultivated plant. The colour of the flower there shown is a dull pink whence the name lurida, but the Penang drawings were often inaccurately coloured. The bracts are Gardens Bulletin, S. 111 shown as dull dark purplish. Holttum’s specimen has the field note “flowers bright orange red, petals paler at base’. (petals here indicate lip and staminodes). The shape of the flowers seems identical with typical B. plicata, but the Terutau specimen was said by Ridley to have had a linear crest to the anther, shown in his sketch as half the length of the pollen-sacs. SPECIMENS. Langkawi. S.F.N. 17410 (Holttum). Curtis 2677. Haniff sn. September 1900. Kuala Kuah, S.F.N. 7071 (Haniff and Nur). Hamad s.n. July 1892. Terutaw. Curtis sn. July 1889. 3. Boesenbergia Prainiana (Bak.) Schltr., Fed. Rep. 12: 316. 1913. Kaempferia Prainiana Bak., F.B.1. 6: 220. 1892. Gastrochilus Prainiana Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 115.1899. Flora 4: 248. Gastrochilus albo-sanguincea Mids.) Suscbaeae. (of: 2b. 1899s" Plora’ 4: 247. Boesenbergia albo-sanguinea Schltr. l.c. 315. Stem short (rarely 10 cm. to base of last leaf), bearing 1-3 leaves or rarely more (usually one only) and a few bladeless sheaths; sheaths finely mottled with red. Leaves: blade to about 25 by 12 cm., nearly elliptic, apex shortly pointed, base cuneate to rounded and ‘slightly decurrent, lower surface purplish towards apex and bearing rather sparse very fine hairs; petiole to about 9 cm. long; ligule-lobes about 2 mm. long; sheath 5-10 cm. long or rarely longer. Inflorescence apical, appearing from within the innermost leaf-sheaths, elongating when fully grown to about 18 cm., the scape to about 8 cm. Bracts in 2 alternating rows, folded down the middle, pale green more or less mottled with fine dull red spots like the outer sheaths, 2-5-3-5 cm. long, 1 cm. wide when flattened, thin, acute, those in each row about 2 cm. apart when the inflorescence is mature. Bracteoles 3-5 mm. shorter than bracts, about 5 mm. wide when flattened. Ovary containing few ovules on an erect basal placenta, not completely 3-locular. Ovary c. 3 mm., calyx c. 6 mm. long at flowering. Corolla-tube as long as bract, or nearly as long, slender; lobes about 1:5 em. long, subequal, white, the lateral ones curved upwards towards the dorsal, not beneath the lip. Staminodes white or slightly pink-tinged, about same length as dorsal corolla- lobe, about 5 mm. wide, apex broad and slightly retuse. Lip about 2-5 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide in natural position, basin-shaped with crinkled reflexed rounded apical margin, white, the front edge blood-red with faint whitish stripes, the midline of the throat red-speckled, with a deep red spot near base of stamen. Filament 7 mm. long, anther 6 mm. long, without anther-crest. ' Fruit 2 em. long, narrowly ellipsoid, surrounded by persistent bract and bracteole, glabrous, thin-walled when dry, unilocular, containing 1-3 seeds. Seeds narrowly ellipsoid, 1-3 cm. long and 0-3 cm. thick; aril about % as long as seed, lacerate to the base in many narrow lobes. This species was originally collected in Perak by Kunstler, and no other Malayan collections were recognized as such by Ridley, who however (in my opinion) re-des- cribed it as G. albo-marginata. Ridley also stated that Vol. XII. (1950). 112 B. Prainiana occurs in Sumatra, upon what evidence I do mot know. B. Prainiana has a habit closely similar to B. plicata, but shorter wider bracts more widely spaced, much narrower bracteoles, smaller flowers with relatively shorter staminodes, and deeply basin-shaped lip. It has been collected at several lowland localities on the east side of the Peninsula, twice in Perak and once in Langkawi (probably). Ridley described Gastrochilus albo-marginatus from a plant cultivated at Penang, sent from Maxwell’s Hill, Perak, by T. A. Wooldridge. There is a pencil drawing made from the living plant (dated September 1894), and colour notes by Curtis. Curtis also wrote “plant 12-18 inches high”, which Ridley altered to “‘stem 12-18 inches tall’, which the drawing shows to be a quite inaccurate statement. The dried specimen was cut off above the base, but by comparison with the drawing it is certain that the top of the longest leaf-sheath cannot have been more than 20 cm. above the base of the plant. It is likely that the extra length of stem and sheaths may have been due to conditions of cultivation. There is no other clear distinction from B. Prainiana, the inflorescence and flowers being identical with that species in everv way. There is also a Specimen, accompanied by drawings, of a plant from Langkawi cultivated at Penang. This has leaves of similar shape, but with larger ligule-lobes (trian- gular, 5 mm. long) and shorter sheaths (longest apparently 10 em.). It shows red bracts and a flower of similar appearance, with the corolla-lobes in the same curious arrangement, but the lip less distinctly saccate. The inflo- rescence is at an early stage and the ‘Spacing of the bracts cannot be judged. SPECIMENS. Perak. Gopeng, King’s Collector 726 (Type). Maxwell’s Hill, per Wooldridge, cult. Penang (type of G. albo marginata). Trengganu. Bukit Kajang, Kemaman, 500 feet, S.F.N. 30209 (Corner). Ulu Brang, 350 feet, S.F.N. 33852 (Moysey). Pahang. Baloh, Bukit Kapis, 300 feet, S.F.N. 212 (Burn-Murdoch). Johore. S. Kayu Ara, Mawai-Jema- luang Road, Corner s.n. October 1935 (cult. H.B.S.). S. Buloh Kasap, Mawai-Jemaluang Road, Corner s.n. 5.1.1936. Bukit Tinjau Laut, S.F.N. 37052 (Ngadiman). 4. Boesenbergia Curtisii (Bak.) Schl., Fed. Rep. 12: 516. 1913. Gastrochilus Curtisu Bak., Bot. Mag. t. 7363. 1894. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A‘S. 32: 1899. , Fiore 4: 2a0. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 938 (sub G. javanum). G. acuta Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 59: 202. 1911. Flora 4: 249. G. javanus K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zingib. 95. 1904. Valet. lc. Leafy stems short, each with about 4 leaves, the highest attached at 2-7 cm. above ground level. Leaf blade to 40 by 12 em., slightly asymmetric, elliptic, shortly acuminate, the Gardens Bulletin, S. 115 base cuneate and more or less decurrent, the lower surface- sparsely hairy, entirely green; petiole 5-15 cm. long, winged and grooved; ligule-lobes rather small; sheaths flushed or- mottled with red-purple, very broad, at least in the basal part. Inflorescence when young completely enclosed by the upper two. leaf-sheaths as in B. pandurata, when old swollen and separat- ing the sheaths but not elongating, the axis very short, the. bracts numerous and crowded. Bracts 4-5 em. or rather more long, narrow; bracteoles of nearly equal size. Ovary 3-locular, with about 6 ovules in each loculus. Calyx with ovary narrowly tubular, about 3 cm. long. Corolla-tube slender, 6—7 cm. long; lobes 2-2-2 cm. long, subequal, spreading, narrowed to apex, white. Staminodes white with or without a bright red patch at the base, spreading, about 1-6 by 0-6 em., the. apex either narrowed or broadly rounded. Labellum about as long as corolla-lobes or a little longer, more or less elliptic, not at all concave, the sides spreading, sometimes refiexed towards the apex, apex somewhat reflexed, the whole white- with a yellow patch at the apex and irregular red markings at the sides about the middle and towards the base, or without such marks. Stamen short, filament about 4 mm. long, anther- 4 mm. long, bent forwards, the pollen-sacs opening by terminal pores; crest short, recurved, bilobed, the lobes ending in short teeth. Stigma raised well above the anther. This species has been collected several times on lime-. stone in the Langkawi Islands and Perlis, and once in Pahang. G. javanum (Schum.) Val., found in teak forests. in Java, is evidently the same species. Valeton notes that the differences between G. javanus and G. Curtis are few and not very important; and some of them prove non-exis-- tent upon examination of specimens of B. Curtisii. The calyx of the latter is not over 34, as long as the bract in the specimen collected by me, and the shape of the staminodes is shown by three different drawings (made at Penang) to be variable, sometimes nearly pointed and sometimes with broad apex; the crest of the stamen is shown with sharp teeth as indicated in Valeton’s figure. The only differences remaining are in the colour of the lip, which is stated by Ridley to be variable in Langkawi plants. I think therefore we may safely reduce Schuman’s species to B. Curtisii. The occurrence in Pahang is interesting, and leads me to suspect that the species occurs also in Borneo. G. acuta Ridl. from Perlis is evidently the same species, only differing in the- distribution of red on the lip. SPECIMENS. Perlis. Batu Bunga, cult. H.B.S., Ridley s.n.. 1910 (type of G. acuta Ridl.). Bukit Rajah Wang, Ridl. s.n. 1910. Besih Hangat, S.F.N. 22874 (Henderson). Bukit Lagi, Henderson s.n. November 1929. Langkawi. Cult. Penang, September 1890, Curtis 2678, 2876. Telok Apam, S.F.N. 7494 (Haniff and Nur). Among limestone rocks near sea, S.F.N. 15094 (Holttum). Terutau. Curtis 1675. Pahang. Base of Bukit Sagu, S.F.N. 25086 (Henderson). 5. Boesenbergia flava (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Gastro- chilus flavus Ridl., Flora Mal. Pen. 4: 248. 1924. @G.. Vol. XIII. (1950). 114 minor quoad Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 111 and Mat. 2: 17 (not of Baker). ta | — Leafy stems short, each with-about 4 leaves and red sheaths at the base. Leaf. blade to 20 by 6 cm., somewhat asymmetric, elliptic, shortly. pointed, base cuneate-decurrent, green with a median silvery band. (the midrib and a band on either side of it); petiole 2-4 cm. long; ligule-lobes 1 cm. long, acute, thin, pinkish; sheath flushed or mottled with red almost throughout. Inflorescence entirely hidden by leaves, as in B. pandurata and apparently of similar construction. Bracts about 5 em. long, flushed with pink. ‘Corolla-tube 1-1-5 cm. longer than bract, slender; lobes yellow, 2-2-5 cm. long. Staminodes yellow with a red spot at the base of each, oblong, about as long as the petals. Lip 2-5-3 cm. long, to nearly 2 cm. wide, ohlong-obovate, nearly flat, yellow with a deeper yellow patch near the apex and a band of red blotches on either side of the midline towards the base. Filament nearly 1-5 cm. long, pale yellowish + flushed with pink, narrow; anther about 5 mm. long, the pollen-sacs somewhat diverging towards the apex; connective prolonged into a crest about 1 mm. long, not wider than the anther, slightly reflexed, with a very short tip. This species was originally described by Ridley from a plant cultivated at Penang, brought from Batang Padang district (Perak); a coloured drawing exists in Singapore and also a dried specimen prepared from the plant drawn. Though describing this plant (as is clearly shown by comparison with the drawing), Ridley used the name Gastrochilus minor Bak., and repeated this also in his Materials (vol. 2, p. 17). When preparing his Flora how- ever he realized that Baker’s species was different and published a new name, G. flavus, for the Batang Padang plant. The specimens are such that it is impossible to see the inflorescence-structure clearly without destroying them ; I think however that I am correct in stating that this is similar to the structure of B. pandurata. The flower of B. flava is large, and its yellow colour with red markings distinctive. SPECIMENS. Perak. Batang Padang, cult. Penang, Curtis (type). Bukit Kepayang, Ridley s.n. February 1904. Bujong Malacca, Ridl. sn. September 1898. 6. Boesenbergia longipes (King & Prain) Schltr., Fed. Rep. 12: 316. 1913. Gastrochilus longipes K. & P. ex Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.8. 32: 113. 1899.. Flora 4: 250. Rhizome underground; intervals between leaf-shoots about 4-5 em. or longer; roots bearing tubers. Leaf-shoots bearing 2 or 3 leaves and several sheaths; longest sheath about 12 cm. long, reddish. Leaf-blade to about 30 by 10 cm., widest above the middle, apex broadly pointed, base gradually narrowed, midrib slightly hairy beneath, upper surface dark green; ~ petiole to 18 cm. long; ligule-lobes 1-5-2 em. long; sheath to 12 em. long, more or less flushed with red. Inflorescence enclosed by leaf-sheaths as: in B. pandurata; flowers not Gardens Bulletin, S. 115 fragrant. Bracts 3-4 cm. long. Calyx with ovary about 1-7 em. long. Corolla-tube about 4-5 cm. long; dorsal lobe about 15 cm. long and 7 mm, wide, elliptic, acute, laterals a little narrower, all white. Staminodes about 1 cm. long and 7 mm. wide, white with very pale yellowish tips and a small reddish mark at the base. Lip about 2 cm. long, obovate, the basal part slightly concave,.the apical part with thin crinkled reflexed edges, not lobed, white, with a yellow median band widening towards the apex, and on either side of it in the basal 2/3 an irregular band of crimson. Stamen white; filament about 4 mm., anther 4 mm. long; pollen-sacs dehiscing by slits; anther-crest small, fleshy, not wider than rest of anther, rounded, slightly retuse. This species was based on a single collection made by Wray at Briah, Larut, without colour notes. The specimen in the Singapore herbarium (presumably that seen by Ridley when he described the species) has only a single partly brokén dried flower, lacking the corolla-tube and calyx. I have examined this flower, soaked in water, and find the following dimensions of parts: corolla-lobes about 1 em. long; staminodes about 6 mm. long; lip little over 1 cm. long; filament 2-5 mm., anther 255 mm. long, with small rounded crest (certainly not 2-lobed with acute lobes as in B. pandurata). Ridley’s statement that the stami- nodes are longer than the lip is certainly wrong. His further statement that the inflorescence resembles that of G. lancifolius is also incorrect. In 1936 Corner collected at Kuala Kangsar a specimen (including a flower in alcohol) which agrees exactly in leaf and inflorescence with Wray’s type of B. longipes. The flower, including anther, has a similar shape (so far as one can judge from the incomplete dried specimen) but is about 50 per cent larger. In view of the uncertainty of exact dimensions of Wray’s flower, I give above measurements taken from Corner’s specimen. Further collections are needed to show whether one or two species exist. The specimens are: Briah, Larut, Wray 4220. Kuala Kangsar, in forest by stream, S.F.N. 31673 (Corner). 7. Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr., Fed. Rep. 12: 516. 1913. Kaempferia pandurata Roxb., Asiat. Res. 11: 328, t. 2. 1810. Fl. Ind. 1: 18. 1820. Bot. Reg. t. 173. 1816. Gastrochilus panduratus Ridl., J.S.B.R.AS. o2: 114. 1899. Flora 4: 249. Valet., Bull. Btzg. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 91. Leafy shoots short, each with 3 or 4 leaves, with bladeless red sheaths at the base. Leaf-blades to about 28 by 10 cm. (the outer shorter ones often wider than the inner longer ones), slightly asymmetric, elliptic, shortly pointed, base cuneate, the midrib at least slightly hairy beneath; petioles 5-12 cm. long, slightly winged, channelled; ligule-lobes broadly triangular, about 5 mm. long; sheaths with thin edge decurrent Vol. XIII. (1950). 116 from the ligule, the longest sheath about 12-15 ecm. long. Inflorescence completely enclosed by the leaf-sheaths except the extreme tips of the bracts, constructed as in B. plicata but with very short rachis and crowded bracts. Bracts about 4-2 cm. long, green, about 4 mm. wide. Bracteoles about as long as bracts and about as wide. Calyx with ovary about 1:8 em. long. Corolla-tube about 1-5 cm. longer than bracts; lobes 1:5 em. long, pink. Staminodes a little shorter and broader than corolla-lobes, pink. Lip about 2-5 cm. long, not deeply saccate, apex reflexed and slightly bilobed, coloured a deeper pink than the petals and staminodes, (pale towards edges and base ?). Stamen in all about 1 cm. long. Anther about 5 mm., with short narrow reflexed bilobed crest. This species was originally described by Roxburgh from a cultivated plant brought to Calcutta from Sumatra. It is probably native in both Java and Sumatra and widely cultivated in Malaysia and India for its rhizome, which is used as a flavouring for food and as medicine. The Malay name is Temu Kunchi. The only Malayan specimens in the Singapore herbarium which seem referable to B. pandurata are from Penang, above the Waterfall, where perhaps they may have been a relic of former cultivation, and a doubtful one from Sungei Siput in Perak. Roxburgh’s description of the structure of the inflorescence is very complete and there is no doubt of the status of the species. The dimen- sions given above are taken from dried Penang specimens and the parts of the flower may perhaps be somewhat larger. SPECIMENS. Penang. Top of waterfall, near the Bun- galow, 750 feet, Fox s.n. 25 July 1899. Waterfall Valley, S.F.N. 1180 (Burkill). Perak. Sungei Siput, S.F.N. 6984 (Haniff and Nur); anther-crest not distinct, but habit of plant and size of flowers agree with B. pandurata. 8. Boesenbergia clivalis (Ridl.) Schltr., Fed. Rep. 12: 316. 1913. Gastrochilus clivalis Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 114. 1899. Flora 4: 249. G. puberulus Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 57: 102. 1910. Flora 4: 251. The type of this species differs from B. pandurata in smaller size of inflorescence and flowers as follows: Bracts about 3-5 cm. long. Calyx with ovary about 1-7 cm. long (dried). Corolla-tube 4-2 cm. long, lobes little over 1 cm. long. Staminodes slightly shorter than corolla-lobes. Lip apparently about 1-5 cm. long. The type is Ridley s.n. 1897, from 15th mile Pahang Track, Selangor. No colours of the parts of the flower are recorded. Ridley’s statement that each bract contains 4 or 5 flowers is incorrect; the arrangement of bracts and bracteoles is typical of Boesenbergia. The shape of the anther-crest of the single flower agrees with B. pandurata. Recent collections from near Labis in Johore (S.F.N. 38265, Henderson) are plants of larger size than the type Gardens Bulletin, S. 117 of B. ciivalis but agree in essentials. Details are as follows: Leaves on each shoot about 6; largest leaf-blade to 52 by 13-5 cm., medium green, pale beneath, main veins raised on upper surface; petiole to 20 cm. long; sheath 9 ecm. long, very broad, slightly purplish, ligule-lobes rather narrowly triangular, to 2-5 em. long. IJnflorescence.enclosed by sheaths of uppermost two leaves. Bracts pale green or the outer ones flushed with purple, 4-5-5 cm. long, 15 mm. wide. Bracteoles nearly as long as bracts and a little narrower, thin and translucent. Calyx 18 mm. long. Corolla-tube nearly 6 cm. long, dorsal lobe 20 mm. long and 10 mm. wide, white. Staminodes white. Lip a little longer than corolla-lobes, with translucent purple veins laterally and central yellow patch. Anther 7 mm. long (excluding crest), filament 4 mm.; crest refiexed, 2 mm. long, bilobed, almost 4-lobed, the outer lobules narrow and acute. Fruit 27 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, containing several seeds; calyx persistent at fruiting. Ridley’s Gastrochilus puberulus (type from Temango, Perak, no. 14423) is similar vegetatively except that it has narrower leaves (to 30 by 6 cm.), and the flowers agree in essential structure; Ridley states that the lip is yellow with a red line on each side of the central ridge. Accepting the Labis and Temango specimens as B. clivalis, the chief distinction from B. pandurata would seem to be the yellow colour of the lip. Further information about both species is needed. Other specimens are: Pahang. Kuala Teku, Seimund 398. Selangor. Ulu Gombak, 10th mile, 1,000 feet, Md Nur s.n., 24.10.1937. Another collection from Johore (S.F.N. 10296, Holttum, from north of G. Blumut), has similar flowers of similar colour, but only one broader leaf on each shoot; it is pro- bably a distinct species. 7. KAEMPFERIA LINNAEUS Rhizome fieshy, usually of short elements each bearing one to a few leaves with a terminal inflorescence, or in a few cases leaves and flowers on separate shoots, not simul- taneous. Roots often bearing small tubers. Lrect stems usually short. Leaf-blade usually broad, sometimes varie- gated or purple beneath; petiole short; sheath often short; ligule usually small. Inflorescence usually enclosed by the imbricating leaf-sheaths, or by blade-less sheaths when it appears on non-leafy shoots; in K. elegans the peduncle elongates so that the whole inflorescence is free from the sheaths. Flowers few to many, spirally arranged, usually on a flat or convex receptacle, each solitary in the axil of a bract and accompanied by a small thin bidentate or bifid bracteole. Bracts much longer than wide, their bases encircling a large part of the axis, their edges involute, Vol. XIII. (1950). 118 closely imbricating. Calyx tubular, split for a short dis- tance and unequally toothed, usually much shorter than the corolla-tube (as long in K. rotunda). Corolla-tube long; lobes subequal, relatively long and narrow, spreading or reflexed. Staminodes petaloid, flat, spreading, basal part often narrow, widened abruptly to an elliptic, oblong or nearly round blade, often similar to the halves of the lip, usually white or lilac. Lip nearly flat, often wider than long, base sometimes narrow, blade deeply bilobed, the two halves often of similar shape and size to the staminodes, usually white or lilac, sometimes marked with a different colour towards the base. Stamen: filament none or very short; anther hardly exserted beyond the throat of the flower; pollen-sacs parallel, dehiscing longitudinally, not produced into free tips at the base; crest of connective usually large, entire or lobed, usually reflexed and filling the throat of the flower. Ovary trilocular (or apparently in some species unilocular) with few to numerous seeds; fruit usually thin-walled, dehiscent (always?) ; seeds ellipsoid to nearly round with lacerate aril. The genus Kaempferia dates from Linnaeus, who included K. rotunda and K. galanga in the first edition of his Species Plantarum. But though these species, and a few others, have been several times described and illustra- ted, and have been cultivated so that botanists could examine them in the living state, the first description of the inflores- cence was given by Valeton in 1918. Valeton was in fact the first botanist to write a satisfactory generic diagnosis; the above statement is taken from his work. Kaempferia, Scaphochlamys and Boesenbergia are all nearly related. Boesenbergia seems distinct enough in its peculiar inflorescence and in the lip being entire, often very concave and often red towards the apex; but the line of distinction between Scaphochlamys and Kaempferia is much less easy to draw. Valeton only saw good and complete material of two species of Scaphochlamys (Gastrochilus laxiflorum Valet., Scaphochlamys Kunstleri (Bak.) Holtt.); he included both in Gastrochilus, though recognizing them as aberrant. But the present collection of specimens from Malaya extend the range of our knowledge of Scaphochla- mys very greatly ; they indicate clearly its distinction from Gastrochilus Wall. and also its closer approach to Kaemp- feria. On the other hand, Kaempferia, as represented by species of close alliance to Linnaeus’s two, is only found in the extreme north of Malaya, and our collections are small. I have seen cultivated plants of three of our species, but take some information from Valeton, whose work fortu- nately supplies many of the deficiencies of mine. Gardens Bulletin, S. 119 Kaempferia has a short compact inflorescence, one flower to each bract, the flower accompanied by a more or less deeply 2-lobed bracteole or by two narrow separate bracteoles; the lip is deeply bilobed, the staminodes rather broad and spreading, the filament very short, and the anther-crest usually large. Scaphochlamys has a compact to very elongated inflorescence with several flowers to each bract (except in S. biloba), the bracteoles sometimes 2- nerved but never (to my knowledge) bilobed. Scapho- chlamys has almost always relatively narrower staminodes and lip than in Kaempferia, the lip never so deeply bilobed, and the filament always present (though never long), the pollen-sacs always free at the base (not free in Kaemp- feria?). The aberrant species S. biloba has a long narrow entire bracteole very unlike the bracteoles of Kaempferia. If we take the distinction of one flower to one bract as against several flowers to one bract, it breaks down at S. biloba; but here the bracteole-character and general flower-shape puts S. biloba into Scaphochlamys. The flower-colour also, with the invariable yellow median band of the lip, is not found (or not constant) in Kaempferia. The habit of Kaempferia, with rhizome of short fleshy elements and fleshy tuber-bearing roots is also different from the less fleshy, often long-creeping rhizome of Scaphochlamys with rather wiry roots which sometimes develop into stilts and support the rhizome above ground level. Kaempferia species also are usually adapted to a seasonal climate, resting leafless in the dry season; Scapho- chlamys are evergreen, native in shady forests in a country with no prolonged drought. The genus Kaempferia is widely distributed in Africa and Asia, and the species also are In many cases of wide distribution. An interesting feature is the presence in all three genera of some species with unilocular ovaries, but appa- rently not in all species of any one genus, as here constituted. Schumann was so impressed by the importance of this character that he made a special genus Haplochorema founded especially upon it. His H. uniflorum, considered by Valeton to be identical with Kaempferia decus-sylvae Hall., is described in detail by Valeton and judged by every other character * it is a species of Kaempferia. Haplochorema sumatranum Burk. is equally clearly a Boesenbergia. Scaphochlamys tenuis and S. erecta have also unilocular ovaries, with one and three ovules respectively. S. Kunst- leri is reported by Valeton to have sometimes unilocular and sometimes trilocular ovaries. The character is thus * Except that the flowers are said to develop from apex to base of the inflorescence as in Boesenbergia. Vol. XIII. (1950). 120 an unstable one, and cannot reasonably be used as the basis for a genus. Schumann’s species probably all belong to Boesenbergia or Kaempferia but his descriptions of the inflorescence leave their individual status in doubt. If we assume here, as throughout the rest of the family Zingiberaceae, that the primitive inflorescence is one with a cincinnus of several flowers in the axil of each bract, then Scaphochlamys has the most primitive inflorescence of the three genera. That is not to say that the other two genera have been derived directly from Scaphochlamys; but Scaphochlamys has preserved that particular primitive form. It also has a much more restricted distribution than Kaempferia, and at the same time has produced a relatively large number of species, most of them apparently local, in the forests of Malaya. Kaempferia, in adapting itself to life in more open places and in seasonal climates, extended greatly the possible range of its distribution, and has travelled right across Africa, being the only genus of this branch of the family Zingiberaceae which has done so. There can be little doubt that the headquarters of this branch is in Asia, and probably in Burma, where all the ear (except perhaps Scaphochlamys) are now repre- sented. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF KAEMPFERIA Flowers and leaves borne on separate branches of the rhizome, not simultaneous; staminodes erect, about 5 cm. long 1. K. rotunda. Flowers produced at apex of leaf-bearing stem, the inflores- cence sometimes entirely enclosed by the innermost leaf- sheaths; staminodes much smaller Flowers white, with purple on lip only 2. K. galanga. Flowers lilac, white at base of lip only Petiole and sheath to about 6 cm. long; leaf-blade horizontal; scape enclosed by leaf-sheaths; anther-crest narrow, spathulate 3. K. pulchra. Petiole and sheath longer; leaf-blade more or less erect; scape exserted beyond leaf-sheaths; anther-crest as wide as long, or nearly so 4. kK. elegans. 1. Kaempferia rotunda Linn., Sp. Pl. ed. 1, 3. 1753. Ridl., Flora 4: 246. Valeton, Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XXVII: 169. Bot. Mag. t. 6054. Fig. 14. Rhizome consisting of subglobose tubercles; roots bearing tubers. Leaves 2, erect, stalked; blade to about 45 by 11 cm. (commonly smaller), purple beneath and usually variegated on the upper surface. Inflorescence appearing from the leafless rhizome, sessile or shortly stalked, surrounded by a few sheaths, Gardens Bulletin, S. 121 the outer ones purple-tinged, the longest to 8 cm. long. Flowers about 10, borne on the almost flat apex of the axis of the _ inflorescence. Flowering bracts diminishing in size towards - centre of intlorescence, the largest to 3-5 em. long; bracteo!les binerved and bidentate, to 2-3 cm. long. Calyx 3-6 cm. long, - faintly greenish, split down one side, apex shortly 3-toothed. - Corolla-tube as long as calyx; lobes very narrow, as long as the tube, white. Staminodes erect, oblong with rounded or acute apex, about 5 cm. long, white. Labellum lilac (paler towards edges, and with white veins in basal part), about as long as the staminodes, deeply bilobed, the lobes curved downwards. Anther-crest longer than rest of anther, relatively narrow, 2- to 4-lobed, the outer lobes narrow and elongate. This species is widely cultivated in south eastern Asia, and is used medicinally. It is said also to be used as a flavouring for food. Its country of origin is not certainly known; possibly Indo-China. Valeton reports that it is apparently wild in East Java, but he considers that it may have escaped from cultivation. It is not mentioned by Rumphius in the Herbarium Amboinense (late 17th cen- tury). In Malaya it is perhaps not uncommon in the north, but can only be kept alive in cultivation in the south. In Singapore the plants rest after the leaves die, and then need some protection from rain, 2. Kaempferia galanga Linn. Spec. Pl. Ed. 1.2.1753. Bot. Mag. t. 805. Ridl. Flora 4: 245. Valet. Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser. XX VII: 108. K. Schum. Pflanzenr. Zingib. 77. Leaves 2 or 3, almost horizontal and near the ground, to about 15 by 10 cm., apex rather broadly pointed, green with (often at least) a narrow reddish edge, much paler beneath; petiole and sheath about 3 cm. long, broadly chan- nelled. Inflorescence sessile, enclosed by the imbricating leaf- sheaths, constructed as in K. pulchra, without any sterile involucral bracts; flowers 12 or more. Bracts about 4 by 1 cm. (outer ones) down to 2-5 cm. long near the centre. Bracteoles two to each flower, narrow, facing the bract, to about 3-5 cm. long. Calyx about 3 cm. long. Corolla-tube 4-5-5 cm. long; lobes 2:5 em. long, white, narrow, spreading. Staminodes spreading, obovate, about 2:2 by 1-4 em., white. Lip about 2-3 em. long and 2-5 cm. wide, divided 2/3 to the base, the lobes entire or somewhat lobed, the whole lip white with two longitudinal violet bands in the basal half. Anther white, sessile with a white bilobed reflexed crest, the lobes rounded. This species is said to be native in India. It is widely cultivated throughout south-eastern Asia and used both to flavour food and medicinally. The Malay name Chéku» is well known. It seems to be a common village plant in Malaya, at least in the north, and the rhizomes are sold in all parts of the country. Like K. pulchra, it does not main- tain itself in Singapore, except in cultivation. It flowers occasionally in Singapore; I have induced flowering by drying a plant for a few weeks. Vol. XIII. (1950) ¢ 122 5. Kaempferia pulchra Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 107. 1899. Flora 4: 245. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 2nd Ser: XXVII: 113. Fig. 15. | Leaves 2 or 3; blade horizontal, close to the ground, commonly about 8-14 cm. long and 4-5-8 cm. wide, asymmetric, elliptic, broadly pointed, base rounded, dark green above, variegated with pale grey-green; petiole and sheath broad, 3-6 cm. long, more or less hairy; petiole to 1 cm. long; ligule- lobes rounded, small; sheaths closely imbricating and enclosing the inflorescence. Scape quite enclosed by the leaf-sheaths, sometimes nearly as long as the sheaths. Inflorescence bearing 10 or more flowers on a somewhat convex (not elongated) receptacle, each flower protected by a bract and bracteole, the outer bracts longest, all fertile. Bracts pale green, narrow, 2:5-3-5 em. long, closely imbricate, thin, outermost spotted with purple. Bracteoles about 1 cm. long, bifid to the base, the segments very narrow. Corolla-tube about 4 cm. long; lobes about 1-2 cm. long and 3 mm. wide, white, rolled backwards and inconspicuous. Staminodes lilac; basal claw narrow, 6 mm. long, blade rounded, a little longer than wide, about 1:9 cm. long. Ip coloured as the staminodes except for a small white and yellow area at the base, bilobed to the base of the blade, the halves of the blade a little longer and narrower than the staminodes, spreading in the same plane as the staminodes and forming a quadrate flower, the basal 7 mm. nar- row with inflexed sides, almost forming a tube and completely embracing the stamen except for the broad apex of the crest. Anther 3 mm. long, sessile, hidden in the throat of the flower, shorter than the spathulate crest (7 mm. long) which has a long narrow basal part, its obovate tip showing in the mouth of the flower, the apical part lilac, rest white. Stylodes very slender, c. 6 mm. long. Stigma with long hairs on the front margin. Fruit 1-2 cm. long, oblong or ovoid, smooth, with a thin wall, 3-locular, each loculus commonly with 4 seeds. Seeds globose, irregularly compressed, 3 mm. long, the aril with many segments, some longer than the seed. This species occurs on limestone in Langkawi and Lower Siam. It is cultivated in the Waterfall Gardens, Penang, where it maintains itself in sandy ground in shade- rockeries, but does not flourish so well nor flower so regularly or freely in Singapore. In a strongly seasonal climate the leaves die in the dry season. The flowers appear with the new leaves after rains begin, and are produced throughout the rainy season. In Singapore the plants are almost evergreen. The fullest account of the species (especially of the inflorescence) is that of Valeton, from which data on bracts and fruits are taken. Gagnepain says the staminodes are 2:5 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, but I have not seen any so large. The size of the leaves varies much; I have seen none as large as the 7 by 5 inches given by Ridley. The species is very attractive and floriferous under suitable conditions, and well worth cultivating for orna- mental purposes. In Singapore, under moist shady condi- tions, the leaves are larger, on longer petioles and more erect Gardens Bulletin, S. 123 than in more open conditions in sandy ground at Penang. The basal parts of the corolla-lobes, staminodes and lip are all parallel to the axis of the flower and (without being joined together) form a tube c. 6 mm. long which completely encloses the stamen. The staminodes and lip are bent abruptly at right angles at the apex of this tube and form a nearly flat flower. 4. Kaempferia elegans (Wall.) Bak., F.B.1. 6: 222. 1890. Ridi., Flora 4: 245. Monolophon elegans Wall., Pl. Beat nar.. bs 2405.20. 1830. Leaves 1 or 2, erect or suberect; blade green, sometimes with greyish spots, 12-15 cm. long, to about 7 cm. wide, asymmetric, elliptic, broadly pointed; petiole and sheath 8-12 em. long, the petiole about 1-5 em.; lzgule-lobes small, rounded. Inflorescence shortly exserted from the sheath on a slender peduncle to about 4 cm. long beyond the top of the leaf-sheath; whole infiorescence about 4 cm. long and about 7 mm. wide, the two outer bracts sterile, pale green more or less spotted with purple; inner bracts shorter. Calyx shorter than bracts. Corolla-tube about 5 cm. long; lobes about 1-5 cm. long, narrow. Staminodes lilac, obovate, about 1-8 cm. long. Labellum as long as staminodes and similarly coloured (apparently not white at the base), bilobed nearly to the base, anther sessile; crest broad, entire, reflexed, rounded, hardly longer than wide. “ear garain Tenasserim; said to occur in Langkawi and Kedah. This species and K. pulchra Ridl. are very nearly allied. According to Wallich’s drawing, K. elegans has larger plain green leaves on longer stalks, peduncle of inflorescence much longer than leaf-sheath and a short broad anther-crest. As regards size of leaves and length of petiole, K. pulchra varies much. Specimens from Langkawi and Kedah certainly agree vegetatively more nearly with K. elegans as illustrated by Wallich than with most specimens of K. pulchra. I cannot see the anther-crest distinctly in any of them; their flowers are exactly like K. pulchra in shape and size of other parts. ; I think it very probable that all specimens referred by Ridley to K. elegans are really only unusually large plants of K. pulchra; and it is even possible that the supposed distinction of the anther-crest is due to an error by Wallich’s artist. If it should prove that the two species are identical, Wallich’s name naturally should stand. 8. HANIFFIA Holttum, gen. nov. _ _ Rhizoma repens, caules 1- vel pluri-foliatos ferens; inflorescentia basi caulis foliati enata, pedunculus tenuis brevis vaginis biseriatis vestitus, rachis brevis pauciflora, bracteae involucrantes nullae; bracteae primariae tenues flores singulos amplectentes ; bracteolae nullae; calyx longus, Vol. XIIT. (1950). 124 tubulosus; corollae lobi inaequales; staminodia lobis latera- libus corollae fere aequalia; ovarium basi solum triloculare, ovula pauca. Species typica: Elettariopsis cyanescens Ridley. This genus is probably most nearly allied to Roscoea, differing in the separate inflorescence and leaf-shoot and in the lack of basal appendages to the anther. Apart from its separate inflorescence and leaf-shoot, it appears to differ from Kaempferia secunda in lacking bracteoles, in its narrower staminodes and lip and in its longer stamen with very short crest. From typical species of Kaempferia it differs in the leafy stem, which in H. cyanescens resembles. exactly that of a small Zingiber, in the elongate relatively slender rachis of the inflorescence, lack of bracteoles, narrow staminodes, lip not deeply bilobed, and length of anther-filament. Two species are known. The second species is undes- cribed, and is represented by a single specimen in Herb. Singapore, collected at Bacho in Peninsular Siam, lat. 6° 26’ (S.F.N. 24293, Kiah). The leaf-shoots have each a single leaf (blade c. 12 by 3 em., petiole and sheath c. 6 cm.) ; the inflorescence is exactly as in H. cyanescens; the flowers are smaller, with corolla-lobes 1:5 em. long, the other parts not well enough preserved to be accurately described but in general having the same shape and proportions as in H. cyanescens. The genus is named to commemorate the late Mohamed Haniff, who was a member of the staff of the Botanic Gardens of the Straits Settlements (chiefly in Penang) for thirtv years. Mr. Haniff had a considerable knowledge of Malayan plants and his collections added greatly to the value of the Singapore herbarium. His field notes and small flower-sketches of Zingiberaceae and Orchids have in many cases provided useful information not otherwise available; he collected one of the three known specimens of Haniffia cyanescens. Haniffia cyanescens (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Elettariopsis cyanescens Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 41: 31. 1904. Kaemp- feria cyanescens Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S 86: 308. 1922. Flora 4: 246. Leaf-shoots to 5 em. or more apart, 45-80 cm. tall, bearing 4-7 pairs of leaves on the upper half. Leaves to about 18 by 3 cm., narrowly elliptic, acuminate, base narrowly cuneate, glabrous; petiole lacking; ligule about 3 mm. long, broad, . hardly lobed, rather sparsely hairy; base of midrib and parts of sheath near ligule also more or less hairy. Inflorescence arising from the base of the leaf-shoot; peduncle 1-2-5 cm. long, covered with alternate thin ovate sheaths the upper Gardens Bulletin, S. ‘125 ones longest, to 2 em. long; rachis hairy, 1 cm. long or rather more. Flowers about 5, each in the axil of a bract, without bracteoles. Bracts thin, to about 2-2 cm. long and 1-0 cm. wide, elliptic, bluntly pointed. Ovary about 4 mm. long, hairy. Calyx with ovary 2-7 cm. long, hairy. Corolla-tube about 4 em. long, hairy; lobes white, about 2 em. long, the dorsal 8 mm. wide near the base, laterals 5 mm. wide, all more or less hairy on the back. Staminodes about 2:5 cm. long and 0-6 em. wide, white. Lip about 2-3 cm. long, obovate, ap- parently about 1-5 cm. wide, bilobed (not very deeply ?), the lobes rounded “violet veined with white” (Ridley). Filament 3 mm. long; anther 6 mm. long, pollen-sacs narrow and parallel, without extended free base; connective prolonged at the apex to a small crest (apparently 3-lobed) about 1 mm. long, not wider than rest of anther. Stylodes slender, 4-5 mm. long, joined together except for short free tips. This species has been found twice at Bukit Tangga in Negri Sembilan, once near G. Bintang on the Kedah-Perak boundary, and once in Peninsular Siam. No material preserved in alcohol is available, and the above dimensions may not all be accurate; they are made from rather frag- mentary dried flowers soaked in water. SPECIMENS. Negri Sembilan. Bukit Tangga, W.G. Napier s.n. 1903 (Type); Ridley s.n. December 1920. Kedah. B. Kuala Bintang, G. Bintang, S.F.N. 21086 (Haniff). Siam. Bukit, lat. 6° 11’, S.F.N. 24254 (Kiah). TRIBE ALPINIEAE This division of the family and the génus Costus together include almost all the larger species (vegetatively considered). Some are very large, and the proportion with leaf-shoots less than one metre tall is very small. The only genus which has always short leafy stems, the leaves longer than the stems and few in number, is Elettariopsis; this is vegetatively much like many members of the Hedychium tribe. There is thus less vegetative diversity in the Alpinia tribe than in the Hedychium tribe, but probably more diversity in the inflorescence. Assuming as we have done (p. 7) that the primitive inflorescence in the family is terminal on a leafy stem, and has a cincinnus of several flowers in the axil of each bract, Alpinia represents a primi- tive condition, and it is possible to derive the other forms of inflorescence from it by various changes. Alpinia (in the sense here used) also has tubular or cup-shaped secon- dary bracts, and these may perhaps also represent another primitive character, which is preserved in many genera of this tribe though not in the Hedychium tribe. A character in which Alpinia and its immediate allies have probably departed from the primitive condition is in having quite small primary bracts or none at all. This Vol. XIII. (1950). 126 reduction is explained when we see how the whole inflorescence is entirely enclosed by two large sheaths (representing the leaves next below the inflorescence) up to a very late stage of development; owing to the protection given by these sheaths, large primary bracts are unneces- sary. In constrast to the Hedychium tribe, a number of genera in the Alpinia tribe have the inflorescence borne on a non-leafy shoot in all species, and the degree of specialization is in some cases considerable. The following are the principal modifications from the Alpinia type of inflorescence found in this tribe. (1) Specialization of the flowering shoot. In this, the 2-ranked leaves which would develop blades on a leaf-shoot are reduced to (relatively small) sheaths only, but in many cases the rudiment of a blade is seen in a subapical point. These sheaths usually increase gradually in size from base to apex of the scape, the upper ones being often large and embracing the base of the inflorescence, like the upper sheaths in Alpinia. (2) Reduction ov increase in size of primary bracts. In Plagiostachys and Catimbium the primary bracts appear to have disappeared entirely. In Alpinia, Languas and Geostachys they are often very small, and sometimes also in Cenolophon. In Amomum, on the other hand, they are large, sometimes very large. (3) Development of an involucre of sterile bracts. This has occurred in Phaeomeria, Achasma and Hornstedtia. The uppermost of the two-ranked sheaths take some part here also in protecting the base of the inflorescence, but the main protection is by large spirally arranged bracts which must be regarded as sterilized primary bracts of the inflo- rescence. These are often gradually smaller inwards and there is usuallv no sharp transition between them and the fertile primary bracts. Most of the primary bracts however are much smaller, their protective function being now largely dispensed with. (4) Reduction of number of flowers in the cincinn. In many genera each cincinnus is reduced to one flower only. The exceptions are: Alpinia, Geostachys, Elettaria, Languas, all of which usually have a number of flowers in each cincinnus. In Catimbium there are almost always at least two flowers in a cincinnus towards the base of the inflorescence. In the other genera, one flower is the rule; the only known normal exceptions are Hornstedtia leonurus Gardens Bulletin, S. ti i 127 and Elettariopsis triloba, but Valeton reports that some- times the bracts of Phaeomeria have two flowers. In the case of a cincinnus of several flowers, the first one to open is trulv terminal, and is not in the axil of a bract. The bract which actually surrounds it in Alpinia (where the flowering bracts are cup-shaped) has the second flower in its axil. Thus where the flowers in a cincinnus are reduced to one, the bracteole is really the bract of the lacking second flower. That flower is often present as a rudiment in Catimbium, but is apparently quite suppressed in Amomum. In the same way, the third flower appears to be suppressed in Hornstedtia leonurus, though its bract surrounds the second flower. (5) Modification of secondary bracts. In most cases the secondary bracts (or bracteoles) retain their tubular character, the exceptions being: Hornstedtia (except A. leonurus), a few species of Amomum, Elettariopsis, Lan- guas, Catimbium, Cenolophon. In Cenolophon the secondary bracts have quite disappeared:.in Catimbium they are large and of peculiar shape, split to the base, and deciduous. Where the cincinnus is not reduced to a single flower, and the flowering bracts are not cup-shaped, the cincinnus- structure is clear, and the first flower is seen to be terminal, not axillary. If a cincinnus with such bracts is reduced to one flower, the flowering bracts should logically all disappear (as in Cenolophon); but in Catimbium (the upper flowers of which are solitary) the single flowers are covered with large bracteoles. The second flower here is usually not entirely suppressed, but present as a rudiment, and this also occurs in the case of the inner solitary flowers of Elettariopsis triloba. In the case of paired flowers of E. triloba, the first has clearly no bracteole; the second has one, which encloses it only. This is an interesting contrast to the case of Hornstedtia leonurus. (6) Shortening of the rachis. This has occurred in Phaeomeria, Achasma and Hornstedtia, and to a smaller degree in Amomum and Plagiostachys. In the three former genera, the inflorescence has become densely crowded, and the axis is short. In some cases (Achasma, most Horns- tedtia and some Phaeomeria) the axis is almost flat: in other cases it is short and denselv covered with flowers. (7) Shortening of the scape. In Hornstedtia, Ach- asma, and some species of Amomum, the scape is very short; so much so that the inflorescence is only just at ground level, its base often buried in the ground. In a few Species, only the upper part of each flower is above ground Vol. XIII. (1950). 128 level. The fruit then ripens underground. This condition is found also in some species of Elettaria, but not due to shortening of the scape. The tubes of such flowers are usually very long. (8) Decurved or prostrate inflorescences. These are found in Geostachys, Elettaria and Elettariopsis. In Geos- tachys some species have erect and some decurved inflores- -cences. In Elettaria and Elettariopsis the inflorescence its prostrate, or nearly so, sometimes quite subterranean. In Elettaria longituba the scape and rachis of the inflorescence are horizontal and below ground level. There appears to be no sharp distinction between scape and rachis, the two-ranked sheaths being similar throughout, all except the basal ones having axillary cincinni which curve upwards, the base of their flower-tubes being below ground level. (9) Plagiostachys. This quite peculiar genus has a branched inflorescence which is terminal on the erect stem but pushes its way through the side of the combined leaf-sheaths instead of growing straight up and emerging at their apex as in Alpinia. / Flowers. The flowers in this tribe are more uniform than in the Hedychium tribe, except for the Hornstedtia group of genera, where they are modified to suit the condi- tion of very compact inflorescences with long bracts, and also are predominantly red in colour. Geocharis also shows peculiarities, resembling to some extent the Papuasian genus Riedelia not known in Malaya. Apart from these, the flowers are fairly uniform in shape, though with a fair variety in colouring. A good number of species of Amomum, Elettariopsis and Plagiostachys have a white lip with yellow median band bordered by red stripes, very similar to the colour arrangement so common in Scapho- chlamys. But in these genera of the Alpinia tribe the lip is not deeply bilobed; it is usually rather distinctly trilobed, the middle lobe being due presumably to the development of the rudiment of the outer staminode. Definition of genera. The genera are in most cases clearly distinguishable on inflorescence-characters. As in the Hedychium tribe, it is difficult to base distinction on flower-character and especially on characters of the anther- crest. The genera as at present limited are in most cases easy to recognize, but there are some species which owing to specialization do not have the typical aspect of their genus. This is especially the case with the reduced species of Achasma with inflorescences quite buried in the ground. The presence of an invoiucre of sterile bracts is here not Gardens Bulletin, S. 129 obvious; but in this case the flowers are of very characte- ristic shape. Elettariopsis and Amomum are also not easy to discriminate, and I am not altogether satisfied with the present arrangement. The details are fully discussed under the genera concerned. The status of the generic name Alpinia. This name was used by Linnaeus for the tropical American species Alpinia racemosa; he described no other. Later the younger Linnaeus described Renealmia exaltata, also from tropical America. Asiatic species were subsequently referred to“both genera, up to the monograph of Horaninow of 1861; but authors did not agree as to the distinctions between the two genera. Later authors, including Schu- mann, considered the tyne species of Alpinia and Renealmia o belong to one genus, but as meanwhile the name Alpinia had been mainly used for Asiatic species, the name Reneal- mia was adopted for those in tropical America (and West Africa), and Alpinia was used for an assemblage of species which did not include the type species A. racemosa. This was obviously an unsatisfactory state of affairs. American botanists wished to regularize the use of the name Renealmia, and so its conservation was proposed; this involved the rejection of Alpinia Linn. The species of Alpinia in Schumann’s sense then needed a new name. It was proposed that the next oldest generic name for any of them should be used, namely Languas Koenig; and accord- ingly many species of Alpinia were transferred to Languas. Later, the committee appointed at Amsterdam to consider further proposals for conservation of generic names proposed that a new status should be given to the name Alpinia, namelv that it should be called Alpinia Roxb. (non Linn.), and should be typified by the species A. galanga (L.) Sw., which is also the type of Languas Koenig. Assuming a continuance of the generic concept of Schu- mann, this proposal would avoid further name-changes. But Schumann’s Alpinia is an unsatisfactory mixture, concerning which Ridley expressed the opinion fifty years ago that it ought to be subdivided. It would have been far better to have studied the problem of this subdivision before proposing another type species for Alpinia.. As a result of my study of the species concerned in Malaya, it seems to me that they fall clearly into four groups, which are as distinct as most genera in the family. For two groups the names Catimbium and Cenolophon are available; a third group includes A. galanga; the fourth group is Schumann’s section Dieramalpinia. This fourth group includes many Species not represented in Malaya, and some among them have received other generic names. Without studying Vol. XIII. (1950). 130 these, I do not know what generic name should be used, in right of priority, for my fourth group, if the name Alpinia is used’ for that containing A. galanga. I am therefore continuing to use the name Alpinia for this fourth group of species, retaining Languas for the group of A. galanga (all of them have names in Languas). This is not in accordance with the Amsterdam proposal, but it involves the fewest changes in nomenclature, and I do not want to make a series of new names for my fourth group which may later have to be changed again. In considering this matter, I was struck by the fact that Schumann describes the inflorescence of Renealmia as exactly like that of Alpinia section Dieramalpinia. I therefore thought that perhaps the Renealmia problem could be solved by uniting Renealmia with Dieramalpinia; if this were possible, the name Alpinia would be appropriate for the whole group. In order to test this idea, I asked Mr. N. W. Simmonds, of the Imperial College of Tropica! Agriculture, Trinidad, if he could send me material of Renealmia for study. This he kindly did, and I have examined flowers and inflorescences of R. exaltata Linn. f., and of Alpinia silvicola Britton (which Mr. Simmonds regards as a species of Renealmia). My conclusion is that these species should not be placed in the same genus as any from Malaya. A brief report on the Trinidad specimens follows. . | In R. exaltata, as sent by Mr. Simmonds, each main inflorescence-bract has in its axil a single flower in a tubular bracteole, and within the bracteole also a rudiment: cf a second flower. It is thus similar in arrangement to Malayan species, but has a cincinnus reduced to a single flower and a rudiment. The other Trinidad species how- ever is quite different. It has one flower in the axil of each main bract, no evidence of a rudimentary second flower, and the bracteole is not tubular nor cup-shaped. If these two species were Malayan, I would place them in different genera; but the striking thing is that they have a lip of closely similar structure, which is unlike anything I know in Malaysia. It looks then as if the tropical American (and presumably also West African) species now called Reneal- mia show a different series of inflorescence-reductions from the Malaysian species hitherto called Alpinia; at any rate the two species I have seen, though differing in form of inflorescence, have lips which are so similar that they must surely be more nearly allied together than to any Malaysian . species. My conclusion then is that Renealmia should — remain distinct from the Asiatic species generally known as Alpinia; I think also that the inflorescence-structure’ of. the tropical American species needs further investigation. Gardens Bulletin, S. 131 KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE ALPINIA TRIBE. inflorescence terminal on a leafy stem Inflorescence bearing single flowers directly on the main axis: bracts usually small, no bracteoles 1. Cenolophon. Inflorescence bearing lateral cincinni of 2 or more flowers, or the apical part with solitary flowers; primarv bracts none or small, rarely large; bracteo- ies (or flowering bracts) always present, small or large Bracteoles funnel- or cup-shaped 2. Alpinia. Bracteoles not cup-shaped, split to the base, sheathing or flat Primary bracts wanting (sometimes present near apex of inflorescence); bracteoles usually large, completely enclosing the flower-buds to a late stage (except in A. nuutica) ; calyx deeply split at flowering; lip large, mainly orange or orange-yellow with crimson markings 3. Catimbium. Primary bracts present, usually small; brac- teoles always small; calyx not deeply split; lip small, white or white and purplish, usually deeply bilobed 4. Languas. inflorescence breaking through the leaf-sheaths at the side of the aerial pseudo-stem (actually terminal on the stem proper ) 5. Plagiostachys. inflorescence on a leafless peduncle from the rhizome or from the base of a leafy shoot Inflorescence a compact head, the base or whole sur- rounded by an involucre of relatively large, usually coloured, sterile bracts, the floral bracts very much smaller than those of the involucre Bracteoles not tubular (except in H. leonwrvs) ; lip not stiffiy incurved after flowering; stamen as long as lip (except in H. conica) 6. Hornstedtia. Bracteoles always tubular; lip (at least the fleshy basal part) stiffly incurved after flowering; stamen always much shorter than lip Inflorescences on a long peduncle raised well above ground; lip not much longer than corolla-lobes 7. Phaeomeria. Inflorescence on short peduncle, always embed- ded in the ground; lip much longer than corolla-lobes 8. . Achasmd. Vol. XIII. (1950). 132 Inflorescence not surrounded by a conspicuous involucre of sterile bracts which are larger than the flowering bracts Inflorescence cone-like, with imbricating bracts; bracts usually persistent, sometimes decaying early Inflorescence embedded in the ground Bracteoles tubular 9. Amomum. Bracteoles not tubular | 10. EHlettariopsis. Inflorescence raised above the ground 9. Amomum. Inflorescence lax, not cone-like, the primary bracts not imbricating Inflorescence erect or more or less decurved, not entirely prostrate nor buried in the ground | Rachis of inflorescence bearing single flowers; lip narrow, split to the base 11. Geocharis. Rachis bearing cincinni of 2-5 flowers each; lip not split to the base 12. Geostachys. Inflorescence prostrate, sometimes entirely underground (except for the tubes of the flowers) Flowers in cincinni, the floral bracts tubular 13. EHlettaria. Flowers solitary, on creeping axis, the bracteoles or floral bracts not tubular 3 10. Elettariopsis. 1. CENOLOPHON BLUME Inflorescence erect or drooping, not branched, bearing only solitary flowers on short pedicels (a rudimentary second flower rarely present in C. oxymitra). Primary bracts usually small, not deciduous from the base, but some- times breaking off above the base, in one species hooded over the flower buds. Bracteoles or secondary bracts absent. Calyx tubular, more or less split on one side. Corolla-tube a little shorter than calyx; lobes white, cream or orange. Lip broad and finely crisped, more or less flushed with orange, with crimson marks; entrance to tube of flower at base of lip rather broad, not filled with hairs, a fleshy papillose swelling on either side of base of filament. Staminodes various, usually present. Anther often deep Gardens Bulletin, S.— 133 red, the connective usually (but not always) produced to form a conspicuous crest. Fruit usually ellipsoid, some- times very much longer than wide, smooth or ribbed. This genus was founded by Blume in 1827, his only species being C. rubrum from Celebes. The description is very brief, and Schumann states that no specimen can be found in Blume’s herbarium at Leiden. There are however two significant points in the description; the inflorescence is racemose and the anther crested. Horaninow is the only jater author to take up Blume’s genus; he included in it Amomum vitellinum Lindl. as well as C. rubrum Bl. Lindley’s species was well illustrated in the Botanical Register and there is no doubt that it is a Malayan species, common on Penang Hill. No other species have later been added to the genus, but it was used as a section of Alpinia by Baker, Ridley and Schumann. Schumann did not clearly recognize the complete absence of bracteoles or secondary bracts. He included only the Malayan species called Ceno- jophon by Ridley and one from Ceylon which is altogether doubtful. On the other hand, he placed in his section Probolocalyx several species which may well belong to Cenolophon, but the bracis are not described; some of these are from Celebes and one of them might duplicate Blume’s original C. rubrum. This genus has doubtless originated from Alpinia; but except. for an occasional rudiment in C. oxymitra it has completely lost all trace of the cincinni, the inflorescence having become a simple raceme like that found (for example) in Orchidaceae. The Malayan species have flowers of moderate size, usually close together and always on very short pedicels, thus forming a rather compact slender inflorescence, except in C. petiolatum where it is drooping and more lax. C. oxynutrum is interesting in having cucullate bracts which break across near the base when the bud within them elongates. Almost all Malayan species have long petioles. C. vitellinum typically has short bracts, but the var. canni- a” which seems a rather inconstant one, has them quite ong. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF CENOLOPHON Anther crested; leaf-sheaths at most short-hairy Bracts hooded 1. C. oxymitrum. Bracts not hooded Leaves broadly rounded or cordate at base Rachis 7-10 cm. long; crest of anther broad, 3—lobed ; calyx with ovary 2 cm. long _ 2. C. macrostephanum. Vol. XIII. (1950). 134 Rachis to 25 em. long; crest crescent-shaped, irregularly toothed; calyx with ovary 3 cm. long 3. C. pulcherrimum. Leaves cuneate at base Calyx with ovary 3 cm. long: inflorescence drooping; corolla-lobes 2:5 cm. long; lip buff towards the base; anther-crest cres- cent-shaped, toothed 4. C. petiolatum. Calyx with ovary under 2 cm. long; inflores- cence erect; lip entirely orange-yellow with crimson veins; anther-crest 3-lobed, middle lobe largest a CO vitellinum. Anther not crested; leaf-sheaths rather long-hairy (hairs 2mm. or more long) Hairs on lower surface of leaves 15-2 mm. long ; petiole to 3. cm. long; leafy stems without conspicu- ously ribbed sheaths at base 6. C. mollissimum. Hairs on lower surface of leaves much shorter; petiole to 8 cm. long; leafy stems with several conspicuously ribbed sheaths at the base 7. C. Corner. 1. Cenolophon oxymitrum (K. Schum.) Holtt., comb. nev. Alpinia oxymitra K. Schum., Bot. Tidsskr. 24: 268. 1902. Pfiznr. Zingib. 336, fig. 40, J, K. Gagnep. FI. Gen. Indochine 6: 93. mm. long, sometimes absent. Stamen cream-white, filament nearly 2 cm. long, slightly speckled with pink; anther massive, 1-2 em. long, the connective not prolonged at the apex. Style and stigma white, stigma curved upwards, hairy. Frwit depressed-globose, orange, with stiff spreading hairs 2 mm. long and shorter hairs also. This species is ultimately based on Galanga malaccensis Rumph., for Burmann gives only a couple of lines of description and quotes Rumphius, who gives sufficient details to characterize the plant reasonably well. Burkill «Dictionary 2: 1310) includes Alpinia nobilis Ridl. as a synonym of A. malaccensis.. There is no doubt that the plant in cultivation in Singapore (doubtless the same which Ridley described) agrees in essential details with the Java plant described by Valeton under the name malaccensis. Valeton however does not give dimensions. Roxburgh describes the lip as even longer than in Malayan plants; on the other hand, Gagnepain describes the flowers as much smaller. In the absence of further information, I think oD ‘ Yol. XIII: (1950). 156 the Peninsula plant, represented by the specimens quoted below, might rank as a local variety, var. nobilis (Ridl.). It has the largest flowers of any Malayan Catimbium. It is no doubt related to C. latilabre, but has the lip mainly red mottled with yellow, instead of yellow mottled with red, and (as Valeton notes) the prominent end of the flower- tube in the throat of the lip is characteristic. It has much larger more hairy leaves than C. latilabre. The distribution appears to be N.E. India to Indo-China, southwards to Malaya and Java. . SPECIMENS. Pahang. Kuala Tembeling, Ridley s.n. 1891. Selangor. Ginting Bidai, Ridley 7795. Cult. in H.B.. Singap: Ridley 4617; S.F.N. 32516 (Corner). 4. LANGUAS KOENIG Inflorescence bearing lateral cincinni, the rachis some- times bearing also one or more branches at the. base, the branches bearing cincinni like the main rachis; the whole inflorescence enclosed in a few long sheaths until the flowers are about ready to open. Primary bracts usually small, often longer towards apex of inflorescence. Secondary bracts small, of comparable size to the primary bracts, not sheathing at the base, the first one never surrounding the pedicel of the first flower. Flowers rather small. Calyx tubular, not deeply split. Lip not much longer than corolla-lobes, usually deeply cleft, white and pink-purple. Staminodes small, triangular, tooth-like, at base of lip. Anther with or without a small crest. Frwt ce. 1 cm. diameter, rcund, red or black, containing few seeds, some- times imperfectly 3-locular, the seeds attached to the dissepiments near the outer wall. This genus dates from 1783, and (as noted on p. 129) is the first proposed for any species of the genus Alpinia as understood by Schumann. The species described by Koenig were L. vulgare (=Alpinia galanga (L.) Sw.), L. chinensis (a doubtful species, described from cultivated plants, perhaps at Malacca; Burkill suggests that it is L. melanocarpa, but this is not sure) and L. aquatica (an Indian species of Catimbium in the sense here used for that genus). It has been generally agreed to typify the genus on L. vulgare = L. gulanga, which is a species much culti- vated and used for food and medicine in Malaysia. The species all have rather small flowers. The inflo- rescence has usually well-developed cincinni carried by the main rachis, and also a few branch-rachises which carrry similar cincinni; but in A. nieuwenhwzii Valet. (Ic. Bog. 2: t. 192) the cincinni have at most two flowers. This species has also rather larger flowers than the Malayan ones, with Gardens Bulletin, S. 157 the lip only retuse, not deeply cleft, and has much larger fruits, though of similar structure. The bracts are small (sometimes very small), never funnel-shaped nor large and hood-like. The fruit is usually small, and always has few seeds. The dissepiments sepa- rating the 3 loculi of the fruit are often imperfectly developed, so that the full-grown fruit is not 3-chambered, and the few large seeds are attached to the dissepiments, often near the ovary wall, not in an axile position as normal in allied genera. The seeds have a thin aril. There are only three Malayan species, including the cultivated A. galanga, which is doubtfully wild in this country. The other two species are common and well- 141. 1899. Flora 4: 268. Amomum ophiuchus Ridl.,. Trans. Linn. Soc. 3: 381. 1893. Leafy shoots to 4 m. tall. Leaves to 55 by 9 cm. or more,. base rounded, slightly unequal, surfaces glabrous; petiole 1 cm. long; ligule 1 em., short-hairy. Inflorescence fusiform but not narrowly pointed, c. 13 cm. tall including the short peduncle. Involucral bracts finely longitudinally ribbed, covered with a. close felt of very short appressed hairs except towards the. apex; inner bracts to 9 cm. long, narrowed to the tip. Ovary densely appressed-hairy; calyx similarly hairy towards the- base, hairs fewer upwards, to about 8 cm. long, deeply cleft down one side. Corolla red, the tube a little longer than the calyx, lobes hardly 2 cm. long, the lateral lobes joined to the lip and enfolding it. Lip as long as corolla-lobes, con- cave, fleshy, red with white edges, hairy within, apparently without auricles at the base. Stamen c. 3 mm. shorter than the lip and lying within it, the anther hairy, emarginate. at the tip. Only known from the origina! collection: Tahan River, Ridley July 1891. Valeton suggests that this species may be identical with H. minor (Bl.) Val., known from Java and Borneo. This may be correct, but the inflorescence of Gardens Bulletin, S.. siete aia aie é ; & } : { ; Cee teeta” « 2 ape ees 177 the type of H. ophiuchus is much shorter than in H. minor, and many comparative details are lacking. When further material is available, a comparison may easily be made with Valeton’s plate in Ic. Bog. 2, t. 167. Lard (7. Hornstedtia leonurus (Koenig) Retz., Obs. Bot. 6: 18. fe ee. ona. oe. 142. Flora’ 4: 269. Amomum leonurus Koenig, Retz Obs. Bot. 3: 69. 1783. Amomum Ridleyi Bak., Kew Bull. 1892: 128. Steno- chasma convolutum Griff., Notul. 3: 433, t. 359. 1851. Fig. 20. | Rhizome +. deep underground: intervals between leafy stems about 10 cm. Leafy shoots to 4 or 5 m. tall, 1-5-2 m. t6 the first leaf; swollen base to 6 cm. thick, + red-brown. Leaves: blade to about 60 by 14 ecm., oblong, apex rounded. with a narrow tip c. 1 cm. long, base truncate or even sub- cordate, slightly uneven, upper surface dark glossy green, the edges broadly crisped; edges of blade, the whole petiole and ligule and upper part of sheath conspicuously brown-hairy; petiole 1-2 cm. long; ligule 1-1-5 cm. long, bearing longer hairs than blade. Inflorescence: scape from the rhizome, erect, subterranean, length from 2 cm. Inflorescence narrowly fusi- form, 7 to 11 cm. long, partly buried in the ground. 1-2 flowers open together. Jnvolucral bracts about 8, the inner ones to. about 9 by 2-5 em., narrowing gradually upwards, end rounded with a very short point; outer surface smooth, not ribbed,. covered almost throughout with short appressed silky hairs which do not form a dense felt; general colour of bracts where. underground pale pinkish to buff, the inner ones, where exposed to light, green with pinkish tips. Floral bracts to about 8 cm. long and 1-5 cm. wide, inner ones narrower, silky appressed hairy on back, each enclosing 2 flowers. Bracteoles two to each bract, one enclosing both buds and one the smaller bud only, largest bracteole 6-7 cm. long, apex unequally 2-lobed,. the base of both bracteoles tubular for a length of 2-2-5 cm. Inner bracteole with a small tooth below apex. Calyx to 8-5 cm. long, pale pink, teeth very short and close together, split about 1-7 cm. on one side, appressed hairy throughout externally. Corolla-tube about as long as calyx, dorsal lobe: about 3-7 cm. long and 1-2 wide when flattened, strongly con-. cave, the lateral lobes a little shorter and about half as wide, usually folded within it, all lobes dull deep crimson. Staminodes none. Lip c. 3-7 cm. long, the base 6 mm. wide, widening abruptly to form a pair of auricles and then tapered to a narrow rounded apex, maximum width when flattened 2 em.; auricles erect, their tips inflexed a little; colour of lip: crimson, edged and tipped with pale pink. F%lament of stamen crimson, 2 cm. long, with thickened edges. Anther 1-4 cm. long, dark crimson, the pollen-sacs densely covered with hairs,. dehiscent throughout their length, their bases free for about 4 mm.; apex of connective short but distinct, emarginate ‘Stigma crimson. Stylodes 9 mm. long, forming a tube round the base of the style split to the base down one side and for a short distance down the other side. Fruit faintly pinkish when young, nearly black when ripe, very short hairy, to about 2 cm. long, on a short pedicel; wall thin; involucral bracts at fruiting persistent but pressed outwards to expose the fruit partly. Vol. XIII. (1950). 178 SPECIMENS. Singapore. Panjang Reserve, Ridley 96. Chan Chu Kang, Ridley s.n. 1892. Pulau Ubin, Ridley 9494. Sungei Buloh, Ridley s.n. 1894. Mandai Forest, Burkill 278. Johore. G. Panti, Ridley s.n. December 1892. Ulu Segun, G. Panti, 500-1 000 . feet. S.F.N..30746:,(Corner). Pahang. Beserah, S.F.N. 16142: (Burkill . and. Haniff). . Kadondong, --Pulau Tawar,. Ridley s.n.. August 1891. ‘Malacca. - -Selandor, Alvins 686. Perak. Tapah, S.F.N. 13462 (Burkill and Haniff). Dindings. Bukit Sejari, Ridley s.n. March 1896. For a note on this very interesting species, which has only been reported from the Malay Peninsula, see the introductory remarks on the genus. dH. leonurus still occurs wild in the forest on Bukit Timah in Singapore, and is also abundant by paths in the Catchment forest near MacRitchie Reseryoir. The dark green glossy stalked leaves with crisped edges are distinctive. 7. PHAEOMERIA LINDLEY Rhizome at or near surface of ground, in the large species of short thick club-shaped elements between succes- | sive leaf-shoots, in P. Maingayi slender and wide-creeping. Leafy shoots often very tall; leaves large, stalked; ligule usually slightly 2-lobed. Inflorescences on long slender peduncles from base of leaf-shoots, the peduncle covered with well-spaced 2-ranked sheaths. Head of inflorescence short and broad, with an involucre of large sterile coloured bracts, erect or spreading, usually not persistent to fruiting; receptacle of inflorescence broad and nearly flat or elongat- ing a few centimetres, bearing very many narrowly tubular flowers close together; flowers opening many together, in a series of concentric circles. Floral bracts narrow, thin, each with one flower, the outer ones wider than those near the centre of the inflorescence. Bracteoles tubular, 2 or 3-toothed, deeply split, shorter than the calyx. Calyx narrowly tubular, usually with 3 short teeth near together and rather deeply split down the other side. Corolla-tube much shorter than calyx; lobes as long as tube or longer, about equal, erect, their tips hardly surpassing the calyx, not widely spreading. Lip erect, ovate when spread out, the sides folded together at the base, the tip extending a little above the corolla-lobes and a little deflexed, the base joined to the stamen in a short fleshy tube above the junc- tion of the corolla-lobes; after flowering stiffly inrolled from the apex in a spiral. Staminodes lacking, or as rudimen- tary hairy teeth or humps. Stamen: filament (free part) very short, erect; anther long, emarginate at the apex, slightly bent forwards towards the lip. Stigma rather large, the opening triangular, with a cleft on the broad forward side. Stylodes short and fleshy, apices irregularly Gardens Bulletin, S. a 179 warty, encircling base of style, separate down one side to the base, joined on the other side. Fruiting-head round. or elongate, the fruits close together, smooth (not ridged nor prickly), sometimes hairy, round or long-beaked;. pericarp thick, fleshy, not dehiscing. The name Phaeomeria was proposed by Lindley in 1836 for the species now known as P. speciosa (he called it P. imperialis). Horaninov in 1862 proposed the name: Nicolaia imperialis for the same species; Nicolaia, being a later generic name, cannot stand. Bentham and Hooker included Phaeomeria in Amomum; it was re-established as a distinct genus by Schumann. The best cr itical work on the genus is that of Valeton, as quoted below under P. speciosa. As shown by Valeton, Phaeomeria is nearly related to: Achasma, differing in the long-peduncled inflorescences which usually have larger flowers, and in the much shorter lip which is little longer than the corolla and hardly spreads horizontally at the apex. The genus is entirely Malaysian, with P. speciosa as the only known widely distributed. species. There are four quite distinct species in Malaya; all (except P. speciosa) appear to be distinct from the Sumatran species described by Valeton. A fifth species probably also exists. The young flowering heads of the large species are all eaten as a flavouring for food. The fruits do not appear to be used. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF PHAEOMERIA Inflorescence about 4 cm. wide and 4 ecm. high; bracts of involucre hairy 1. P. Maingayi.. Inflorescence wider; bracts glabrous Leaves with very broad bases; *involucral bracts. spreading horizontally, with or without deflexed ends; axis of inflorescence elongating, to 5 cm. or more Involucral bracts c. 6 cm. long, apex very broad,. not deflexed; fruits long-beaked 2. P. fulgens. Involucral bracts c. 8-12 em. long, apex narrowed (except for a few outermost ones); fruits rounded at apex 3. P. speciosa. Leaves cuneate to rounded at base; involucral bracts erect, forming a deep cup; axis of inflorescence hardly elongated, slightly raised in the middle only 4. P. venusta. Vol. XIII. (1950). 180 1. Phaeomeria Maingayi (Baker) K. Schum., Pfizr. Zingib. 266. 1904. Ridl., Flora 4: 272. Amomum Maingayi Bak., F.B.1l. 6: 235. 1892. Hornstedtia Maingayi Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 1899. Fig. 21. Rhizome close, to surface of ground, rather slender, long creeping, sometimes raised above ground and supported on short stilt-roots to 20 cm. long where aerial shoots arise. Leafy shoots 2-3 m. tall, c. 30-60 cm. apart. Leaves to about 50 by 12 cm. (sometimes upper leaves only 4 cm. wide), pinkish beneath when young, short-acuminate, glabrous, or short-hairy beneath; petiole to 1 cm. long; ligula to 1-2 cm. long in upper leaves, slightly 2-lobed, short-hairy on edges, very short-hairy on surface. Peduncle slender, c. 40-80 cm. tall, pinkish, glabrous, close to base of leaf-shoot, with well-spaced broad shortly mucronate dull red sheaths c. 3 cm. long (sheaths bright crimson on young inflorescence). Inflorescence almost spherical, c. 4 by 3-5 cm.: receptacle short-conical, 1 cm. tall, bearing c. 35 flowers. Involucre of c. 5 sterile bracts, the largest about 3 cm. long and 2-5 cm. wide, ovate, apex broadly rounded with a stiff point 2 mm. long, densely appressed-hairy all over back except near the thin edges, hairs whitish to yellowish, exposed edges pink to deep red. Outer floral bracts nearly as large as involucral, gradually smaller. Inner floral bracts 2-5-3 cm. long, c. 7 mm. wide, widest near broad blunt apex, tip incurved, very short or absent, hairy on back as involucre. Bracteoles c. 2 cm. long, tubular at base, slit down one side 7-8 mm., from the shortly 3-toothed apex, or sometimes 2-lobed, the slits unequal. Calyx crimson, c. 3 cm. long, with 3 adjacent rather broad lobes 3 mm. long (usually all behind the lip), each with a subapical tooth, slit c. 7-10 mm., appressed hairy outside. Corolla-tube much shorter than calyx, dorsal lobe about 1 cm. long and 4 mm. wide, a little shorter than calyx, others still shorter and about half as wide. Lip bright purplish red, spreading outwards at an angle of c. 45° to vertical, when straightened about 1:3 cm. longer than calyx, with paler inflexed sides at base partly embracing the anther: blade c. 8 mm. wide, edges crinkled, apex broadly rounded, tube and back of lip at base crimson like the calyx. Stamen: filament short (1 mm.) and broad: anther c. 8 mm. long, dark red. Stigma dark red, shining, nearly 3 mm. wide. Fruits shortly stalked, + round, apex broad, not beaked, fleshy, smooth or very short-hairy, each c. 2 cm. long and wide, bright red, the head surrounded with the persistent involucre (head of fruits c. 5 ecm. across). SPECIMENS. Malaya: lowland forest, many localities, Singapore to the north. Type from Malacca (Maingay) at Kew. var. longibracteata Holtt., var. nov. Bracteae involucri c. 3 cm. longae, 1-5 cm. latae, apice anguste rotundatae; labellum basin versus albomarginatum. Pahang, Tembeling, S.F.N. 24522 (Henderson). 2. Phaeomeria fulgens (Ridl.) K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zin- gib. 262. 1904. Ridl., Flora 4: 272. Hornstedtia fulgens Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 149. 1899. Fig. 22. Like P. speciosa in stem and leaves, but apparently smaller, the leaves to 14 em. wide (so far as known), edges short-hairy, especially towards the apex; leaves purplish Gardens Bulletin, S. 181 ; beneath (when young only ?). Inflorescence axis to about : 5 em. long, diameter of flowering part 7-8 cm., the involucral bracts forming a shallow cup, their ends spreading, broad to the apex, which is not reflexed, about 6 cm. long and to 4 em. wide, dark red with pale greenish edges. Flowering <- bracts c. 3-5 em. long and 1 cm. wide, red with pale green 3% edges. Bracteole 2-5 cm. long, translucent, tinged with red. Ovary finely appressed-hairy. Calyx 3-5 cm. long, red, with 3 greenish tips about 2 mm. long, the other side split about 15 em. Corolla-tube white; lobes 8 mm. longer than calyx, red with translucent whitish edges. Lip deep red with yellow edges all round except towards the base, 5 mm. longer than : the corolla-lobes. Filament 4 mm. long, white; anther 9 mm. long, crimson on back. Stigma large, shining, crimson. Fruiting-head 12 cm. across; fruits short-hairy, long-beaked, about 5 cm. long, diameter in the middle about 2-5 em. (when dry—probably more when fresh), beak 1-5 cm. long, sur- mounted by remains of calyx. This species is known from few collections; it is in cultivation in Singapore. It is distinguished by its broad, shortly spreading dark red involucral bracts and long- beaked fruits. About 12 flowers open together, in the early morning. | wry tr SPECIMENS. Perak. Larut Hills (plant cult. in Singa- ; pore), Ridley 6887 (Type). Maxwell’s Hill, Ridley s.n. June 1893. Trengganu. Ulu Brang, 400 feet, S.F.N. 33670 ; (oysey}- pinnsock Rett 2- : 3. Phaeomeria speciosa (Bl.) Merrill, Enum. Philip. Pl. 1:° 241. 1922. Elettaria speciosa Bl., Enum. Pl. Jav. 51. 1827. Alpinia magnifica Roscoe, Monandr. PI. t. 75. 1828. Phaeomeria imperialis Lindl., Nat. Syst. Ed. 2,446. 1836. Ridl., Flora 4: 272. Nicolaia imperialis Horan., Monogr. 32, t. 1. 1862. Nicolaia speciosa Horan., Monogr. 32. 1862. Valet., Bull. Buitenz. 3rd Ser. 3: 138. 1921. Phaeomeria magnifica K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zingib. 262. 1904. Leafy stems close together, to about 5 m. tall, with about 18 pairs of leaves; uppermost leaves often narrow, subapical largest. Largest leaves to about 85 by 18 cm., glabrous, purplish beneath when young, tip short, edges broadly crisped, base very broadly rounded or in the lowest leaves slightly cordate; petiole to 4 cm. long; ligule slightly bilobed, to 1-5 em. long, glabrous. Scape about 120-150 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous, to 12 em. long, not overlapping, green. Involucral bracts about 8-12 cm. long and 2-3 em. wide (a few outer enes shorter and broader), the ends more or less -tapering, spreading with the ends refiexed at flowering, waxy, crimson- pink with pale edges, the ends with a short (2-3 mm. long) spine-like appendage below the apex. Avzis of inflorescence elongating to 5-10 cm. or more: Floral bracts: outer ones showing a transition from the involucral bracts, inner ones smaller 3-5-5 cm. long, narrow, pink. Bracteoles about 2-2 cm. long, deeply split. Calyx 3 cm. or rather more long, 3-toothed, Vol. XIII. (1950). . ogy rad os A atti Mal PO tig, SMS ee 182 the teeth close together, the other side of the tube rather deeply split. Corolla normal for genus, lobes pink. Lip deep crimson with narrow white or yellow edges: Filament short, flat, white-hairy; anther longer, red. Heads of fruits about 10 em. diameter and up to 10 cm. or more long; individual fruits rounded, 2-2-5 em. diameter, narrowed to base and rounded at apex, short-hairy, green to reddish; seeds many, black in a translucent pulp. This species appears to be widely distributed in Malay- sia, and is often cultivated for its flower-shoots. Valeton says there are several varieties. Ridley says that the wild Malayan plants have a yellow-edged lip, while cultivated ones are white-edged. There is said to be a variety with the leaves permanently dark purple beneath. Though this species has been known for over a century, no full description with accurate details of flowers has been published, and as no fresh flowers or specimens in alcohol are available, the dimensions given have not been checked. 4. Phaeomeria venusta (Ridl.) K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zin- gib. 264. 1904. Ridl., Flora 4: 272. Hornstedta venusta Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S8.. 32: 149. 1899. Rhizome at or just above ground level; leafy shoots rather close together, 3-4 m. tall. Leaves green, purple beneath when young, to at least 80 by 19 cm., edges short-hairy, base rather gradually narrowed, cuneate to rounded; petiole 0-3 cm. long; ligule short-hairy, bilobed, to 2 em. long. Inflorescence about. 60 cm. tall; peduncle short-hairy, its sheaths to 10 em. long, not overlapping, pale green. Inflorescence at flowering 5 cm. or more in diameter, the receptacle broad and only slightly raised in the middle. Involucral bracts about 7 by 2-5 to 12 by 4 cm., erect, forming a cup, bright rose-pink, the largest outer ones with recurved ends. Floral bracts about 4 cm. long, narrow, pale pink or white. Bracteoles tubular at base, unequally 2-lobed at apex, deeply split, c. 3-5 ecm. long, whitish. Ovary appressed-hairy. Calyx about 5 ecm. long, narrowly tubular, pink with white tip, the three teeth very short and close together, the other side split 2 em. or more, appressed-hairy especially near base. Corolla-tube about 2-5 cm., lobes about 2-5 cm. long (the whole corolla thus equal in length to calyx); lobes pink to crimson, about 6 mm. wide near the base, their tips round and concave, slightly spreading. Lip when straightened about 4 mm. longer than corolla-lobes, when flattened ovate, the sides towards the base raised, their edges touching behind the stamen, edges white or pale yellowish, centre crimson, apex rounded, slightly reflexed, 5 mm. wide. Filament about 3 mm. long (free part), white- hairy; anther massive, 1-1 cm. long, retuse at the apex, white or pink, with yellowish hairs on the pollen-sacs. Stigma large, 3-5 mm. across the apex, filling the retuse apex of the anther, the mouth narrow, fringed with hairs. Stylodes 5 mm. long, broad, surrounding the base of the style, split to the base on one side, irregularly warty near the shortly pointed apices. Floral tube with a ring of hairs at the level of junction of Gardens Bulletin, S. 183 corolla and lip with anther. Fruiting-head about 12 cm. . across, fruits red, beaked about as in P. fulgens, sessile, glabrous. The details of colour are taken. from a drawing made of a plant cultivated‘ at Penang and from Corner’s field notes (on S.F.N. 32778). Ridley’s original description agrees except that he says the calyx is red, and the lip spotted with pink. SPECIMENS. Selangor. Ginting Bidai, Ridley 7810 (Type). Perak. Ulu Batang Padang, Ridley 18835. Taiping Hills, Tea Gardens, Curtis s.n. May 1890. Trengganu. Ulu Brang, 300 feet, S,F.N. 33721 (Moysey). Johore. Mawai- Jemaluang Road, S.F.N. 32778 (Corner). 8. ACHASMA GRIFFITH Rhizome of long elements between leaf-shoots, rela- tively slender, often rather deep, never much raised above ground. Ligule simple. Inflorescence capitate or cylindric, on a short erect subterranean stalk covered with short 2-ranked sheaths which increase in length from base to apex of stalk. Involucral bracts 2-8, whitish or coloured, much broader than the inner floral bracts. Flowers on a flat receptacle, 4-15 open together (except in species which have only 2-3 flowers), in 3 or 4 concentric circles. Floral bracts with one flower to each, the inner ones narrow, the outer ones often wider and showing a transition to the involucral bracts. Bracteole one to each flower, tubular at the base, the upper part sheathing, 2 or 3-toothed. Calyz tubular, rather !ong, split down one side to about 1/3 of its length, with 3 short teeth on the other side. Corolla- tube nearly as long as calyx, lobes erect, much shorter than tube, dorsal lobe not hooded, somewhat wider than the cthers, which are + folded beneath it or close to it on either side. Labellum very long; lowest part erect, forming a broad tube with the base of the stamen for some distance above the junction of the corolla-lobes; free part + 3-lobed, the lateral lobes at the base folded over the stamen, more distally reflexed, the midlobe widening from a narrow base and spreading horizontally, its apex entire or bilobed: after the flower withers, the lower part of the labellum is rolled spirally inwards as in Phaeomeria, the widened blade withering. Staminodes none. Stylodes narrow or flat- tened, pointed. Stamen: filament (free part) very short, erect, rather broad; anther bent forwards, massive, at apex more or less deeply cleft, never crested. Fruits sessile, in a round compact head, not dehiscent, the pericarp thick and dry, smooth on the outside or + longitudinally ridged, or with blunt warts in rows, towards the rounded apex. Vol. XIII. (1950). 184 The genus Achasma was founded by Griffith, the descriptions and drawings being published in his Notulae in 1851. He described three species, all apparently found in Malaya, though the locality of one (A. metriocheilos) is. not specified. Unfortunately he failed to give any vegeta-- tive details, and the floral details also are not always very explicit. Apparently his drawings. were made from flowers preserved in alcohol, and his colour notes are incomplete. yo Seth Sap t, » whe 221 tubular (?) at the base. Flower shortly pedicelled. Calyx tubular, rather narrow, shortly 3-lobed and 3-toothed, split slightly down one side. Covrolla-tube slender, as long as or longer than calyx, dorsal lobe longer and much wider than the laterals, all lobes much shorter than the tube. Labellum about as long as lateral corolla-lobes, narrow, 2-lobed nearly to the base, joined to the stamen to form a short tube above the bases of the corolla-lobes. Stamen with rather long broad concave filament, bearing a small tooth-like staminode on either side near the anther; anther narrower, with a small hood-shaped appendage at the apex. Stylodes very short, fleshy. Fruit ellipsoid, large, warty, the walls fleshy, with persistent calyx at its tip; seeds many, angled, each covered witn a thin fleshy aril. Schumann made a section Geocharis in the subgenus Rhizalpinia of the genus Alpinia. This section included A. macrostemon Schum. from Sumatra and A. decurva Ridl. from New Guinea. Ridley found in Johore a plant which he considered related to these, and adopted Schumann’s name Geocharis to found a new genus for his species, G. aurantiaca. He stated that he considered all three species to be probably congeneric, and distinct from Alpinia, but he did not make any new combinations. He noted a resemblance to the Papuan genus Riedelia. He also des- cribed another Geocharis from Sarawak, G. rubra. In the same publication, Ridley described a new species Alpinia secundiflora, from a specimen collected by Kelsall. He did not see the living plant, and so did not realize that the inflorescence was not terminal. I collected the same (or at least a closely similar) species on G. Tampin, and thus showed its identity with Geocharis. Ridley’s original species had an erect symmetrical inflorescence; this second Malayan species had the flowers all pointing to one side, as in Schumann’s Sumatran species. It seems clear that these four species all belong to one genus, and that genus is not Alpinia, unless Alpinia is so enlarged as to become meaningless. Ridley’s generic name is the valid one, and we have :— Geocharis aurantiaca Ridl. G. rubra Ridl. G. secundiflora (Ridl.) Holtt. comb. nov. (Alpinia secundiflora Ridl.). ) G. macrostemon (K. Schum.) Holtt. comb. nov. -.(Alpinia macrostemon Schum.). Alpinia decurva Ridl. is probably a true Riedelia, in which yenus it has been placed by Valeton. Vol. XIII. (1950). 222 If Valeton is correct in stating that Riedelia species always have a deciduous calyx, then the above species of Geochavis are certainly distinct from Riedelia. They agree strikingly with Riedelia however in the deeply-bilobed narrow lip which is joined to the stamen in a short tube above the attachment of the corolla-lobes. In character of inflorescence, Geocharis has somewhat the aspect of Cenolophon, the flowers being all borne singly, and it has also elongated fruits; but it appears to have tubular bracteoles (though this needs to be confirmed) and. also the lip is very different from Cenolphon. In the remarkable cross-bars between the ribs of the leaf-sheaths, Geocharis exactly matches Hornstedtia scyphifera and allied species. Geocharis agrees with Geostachys in having the inflo- rescence on a separate shoot from the leaves, and also in having erect symmetrical and decurved secund inflores- cences within the genus; but again the lips of the two genera are very different, and Geocharis has solitary flowers. There is little doubt that Geocharis is related to Alpinia and to Riedelia, probably more nearly to the latter, of which it may ultimately rank as a section. The only known species of Geocharis are in Western Malaysia, whereas Riedelia is centred in New Guinea. Probably species from Celebes and other intermediate countries will throw more light on the relationships of the two groups. KEY TO GEOCHARIS IN MALAYA. Flowers on inflorescence spreading in all directions 1. G. aurantiaca. Flowers all pointing in one direction 2. G. secundiflora. 1. Geocharis aurantiaca Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 5.: 144. 1908. Flora 4: 273. Riedelia aurantiaca Loes., Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, 15A: 627. 1930. Rhizome 1 cm. thick or rather more, just below ground surface; scale leaves when young cross-barred like the leaf-sheaths. Leafy shoots 10-20 cm. apart, to 2 m. or rather more tall, basal 30-60 cm. leafless, 3-4 small leaves below full-sized leaves; sheaths dark green, slightly scabrid, with irregular small horizontal white bars joining the longitudinal ribs. Leaves dark green, blade minutely hairy on the midrib and hairy on the edges beneath, otherwise glabrous, commonly to about 35 by 7-5 cm., exceptionally to 10 em. wide, apex shortly acuminate, base cuneate or sometimes almost rounded; petiole to 2 em. long, very short-hairy; ligule to 1 em. long, short- hairy. Inflorescences arising at base of leaf-shoots or from rhizome between leaf-shoots. Peduwnele erect, slender, 25—40 em. tall, covered with 2-ranked sheaths which are shortly tubular at the base, the upper ones longest, to 10 em. long, Gardens Bulletin, S. 223 scabrid and cross-barred like the leaf-sheaths. Rachis of - inflorescence erect, slender, minutely hairy, elongating gradually to 15-25 cm., bearing many flowers on all sides (not secund). Bracts very thin, soon becoming broken, apparently to about 5 mm. long (longer in lower flowers). Bracteole joined to pedicel, very thin and soon breaking, apparently as long as the calyx, apparently tubular at the base. Pedicel about 2-3 mm. long at flowering, 6 mm. at fruiting; ovary minutely warty. Calyx with ovary e. 3-5-4 em. long at flowering, the apex 3-lobed, the lobes subequal, 5 mm. long, each with a slender hairy tip 2 mm. long. Corolla-tube as long as calyx; lobes oblong, orange, the dorsal one about 2-4 cm. long, erect, concave, fitting round the stamen, about 1 ecm. wide when flattened, laterals a little shorter, narrower, close together below the lip. Tube of flower densely hairy within. Lip about as long as corolla-lobes, crimson with yellow edges, deeply 2-lobed, lobes narrower than corolla-lobes with acute tips. Filament 1 ecm. long, broad, concave, as wide as dorsal corolla-lobe which encloses it, with a short forward-curved tooth on each side just below the anther. Anther about 7 mm. long, erect, very broad, with a small hooded appendage at the apex 1 mm. long. Stylodes very short, blunt, pale violet (Ridley). Fruit narrowly ellipsoid, about 6 cm. long and 2-5 cm. thick, with 6 rounded ridges, entirely covered with irregular warty outgrowths 2-3 mm. high and wide, crowned with the persistent calyx, green when nearly ripe, wall fleshy; seeds may in each loculus, 6-7 mm. long, angled, entirely covered with a thin fleshy aril. SPECIMENS. Johore. Tempayan river, Kukub, Ridley 13271 (Type). Kluang-Mersing Road at 7th Mile, S.F.N. 9283 (Holttum). Sungei Kayu, Mawai-Jemaluang Road, S.F.N. 32454, 32777 (Corner). This species has only been found in fresh-water swamp-forest in Johore, at three rather widely separated localities. It has slender erect inflorescences with the flowers symmetrically arranged. Ridley described the flower from an unopened bud; his description is therefore admittedly incomplete. The measurements of the parts given above are taken from a specimen preserved in alcohol (S.F.N. 32446). This shows excellently the peculiar con- cave very broad filament (shaped like half a hollow cylinder) closely enclosed by the dorsa! corolla-lobe. The lip and stamen are joined together in a tube about 5 mm. above the base of the corolla-lobes. The colour notes are taken from Ridley. Further field notes are needed, and especially the examination of young inflorescences, so that clear information about the shape and size of bracts and ‘bracteoles may be obtained, as these are not included in the alcohol material available. 2. Geocharis secundiflora (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Alpinia secundiflora Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 165. 1899. Flora 4: 278. Leaf-shoots to 2 m. tall; basal sheaths with rather regular cross-flecks of white. Leaves to 43 by 10 cm., glabrous except Vol. XIIT. (1950). 224 for hairy edges beneath, apex shortly acuminate, base cuneate; petiole to about 5 mm. long; ligule densely short-hairy or glabrescent, 5-9 mm. long; sheaths with very broad close white cross-bars near the petiole. Peduncle erect or with a curved base, probably to more than 30 ecm. tall, sheaths with close and rather regular white cross-bars, longest sheath up to 15 cm. long. Rachis 20-30 cm. long when old (the lower part then flowerless), somewhat decurved, bearing closely placed secund flowers, short-hairy. Bracts very thin, to at least 7 mm. long. Bracteoles apparently as in G. aurantiaca. Pedicel at flowering 4—6 mm. long; ovary distinctly warty, not hairy. Calyx with ovary 2:6 cm. long, slender, the teeth little over. 1 mm. long, hairy, otherwise glabrous, split 8 mm. down one side. Corolla-tube 3-5 cm. long, hairy inside, with lobes deep yellow; dorsal lobe 1:8 cm. long and about 8 mm. wide, laterals 1-5 cm. long and about 4mm. wide. Lip joined to stamen for a short distance beyond end of corolla-tube, about 1-6 cm. long, lobed nearly to the base, the lobes apparently about 2 mm. wide near the base, narrowing to the apex, deep orange, the edges paler. Filament about 1-2 cm. long, basal part 6 mm. wide, abruptly narrowed to 3 mm. near the apex, with a small tooth each side. Anther 8 mm. long, with a small concave rounded apical crest about 1:5 mm. long and wide. Stylodes broad, fleshy, little over 1 mm. long. Fruit not known. This species is very nearly related to G. aurantiaca, but appears to differ constantly in its secund inflorescence. The calyx appears also to be shorter and the corolla-lobes smaller, but the measurements are made from dried mate- rial and may be too small. It is a species of moderate elevations in the hills, nct of swampy lowland forest. The floral details are taken from G. Tampin specimen, which matches the type well in observable characters. The type has however a stouter rachis, longer pedicels, and a short- hairy ovary which is ridged rather than warty. Perhaps we have two species here. It seems clear that Ridley’s “‘staminodes” which he reports as 1 inch long are the two lobes of the lip. SPECIMENS. Selangor. Bukit Etam, Kelsall s.n., January 1891 (Type). Negri Sembilan. Gunong Tampin, 2,000 feet, S.F.N. 9575 (Holttum). Kelantan. Gua Ninik, S.F.N. 19678 (Henderson). 12. GEOSTACHYS RIDLEY Rhizome stout or fairly stout, often supported above ground level on thick stilt-roots, sometimes in contact with ground surface, never buried. Leafy shoots often very close together, giving the plant a tufted habit, the false stem 40 cm. to 3 m. tall; leaves narrow or broad, glabrous or hairy, the ligule fairly large, broad, entire. Peduncles from the base of the leafy shoots, erect at the base, often curved near the apex, completely covered with closely over- lapping 2-ranked sheaths, the basal sheaths small, the upper ones as long as the peduncle itself, or nearly so. Gardens Bulletin, S. 225 Rachis of inflorescence 5-20 cm. long, erect or bent more or less steeply downwards, bearing many short cincinni in the axils of small (rarely large) primary bracts. Cincinni arranged symmetrically on all sides of erect inflorescences, or all bent upwards (secund) in decurved inflorescences, each cincinnus bearing 2—5 flowers in close succession, their bracts and calyces extending little beyond the first floral bract. Floral (secondary) bracts inflated-tubular, breaking open near the apex only, usually with a small hairy tooth just below the apex, each bract entirely enclosing both the first flower and the next bract with its contents. Flower shortly pedicelled, the ovary glabrous. Calyx about as long as the bract which encloses it, in many species with a single slender point about 5 mm. long, sometimes with two rather broad lobes, usually split about 5 mm. from the apex, Corolla-tube a little shorter than the calyx; lobes oblong, about as long as the tube, the dorsal one wider than the laterals, with concave apex. Labellum about 114 times as long as the corolia-lobes, more or less distinctly 3-lobed, the side-lobes usually erect, triangular, smaller than the broadly rounded and somewhat reflexed midlobe, usually dull yellow, often marked with pink or red (sometimes white instead of yellow). Staminodes usually absent, sometimes present as small lobes at the base of the lip (?). Stamen with broad filament and anther of about equal length, the connective of the anther sometimes produced to form a simple or 3-lobed crest. Stigma small, cup-shaped, the orifice fringed with hairs, usually standing well above the apices of the pollen-sacs. Stylodes short, fleshy, blunt. Fruit red, smooth, ellipsoid or almost round, 1-3 em. long. _ The species of this genus are all mountain plants. Most of them have the rhizome supported on stilt-roots and the inflorescences decurved, with the flowers all bent upwards, thus giving the plants a very characteristic appearance. But there are other species, agreeing in every other character, which have quite erect inflorescences with the flowering branches spreading equally all round them. The really distinctive characters of the genus are the short or fairly short inflorescence from the base of the leafy shoots, the peduncle covered with closely overlapping rela- tively large sheaths, and the short cincinni each in the axil of a (usually very small) bract, each flowering bract completely enclosing both the next flower and the next flowering bract. The inflorescence-structure, apart from its position on a short shoot from the base of a leaf-shoot, is exactly that of Alpinia in the restricted sense here used, and the original position given to the genus as a section of the large large genus Alpinia, by Baker in the Flora of Vol. XIII. (1950). 226 British India, was quite a natural one. If we could elon- gate the peduncle and turn its sheaths into foliage-leaves, Geostachys weuld become Alpinia; and when the correct generic name for the species here called Alpinia is established, the question of uniting them with Geostachys should be considered. Ridley included seven species in Geostachys. In addi- tion to these, his Conamomum sericeum and Carenophila montana clearly belong to this genus. Three new species are now also added, one based on specimens from G. Tahan which Ridley wrongly referred to G. rupestris, one on a specimen from Taiping Hills wrongly named by Ridley Conamomum utriculosum, and one on a remarkable and very large plant found at 6,000 feet on G. Batu Brinchang. Several of the species are rather closely allied, and it may later appear preferable to reduce one or more to the rank of varieties; on the other hand, it seems quite likely that other new species may be discovered. There is little doubt that some at least of the species are very local in their distribution. Of the twelve species, nine are known from one locality only. Of the other three, G. elegans has been found on Mt. Ophir and on three different mountains in Pahang, G. penangensis on Penang Hill and rather doubt- fully at Cameron Highlands, and G. densiflora (again with some doubt) on G. Kerbau, at Cameron Highlands and on Fraser’s Hill. G. elegans is thus the most widely distri- buted species. The floral form is very constant throughout the genus, but the anther-crest is variable and perhaps would afford the best distinguishing character for individual species, if we had full information. The primary bracts are probably useful, being extremely small in some species, and in one species very large. The vegetative habit of the plants, width and pubescence of leaves, are very distinctive in most cases, as also the size, habit and density of the inflorescence. KEY TO THE MALAYAN SPECIES OF GEOSTACHYS Inflorescences with cincinni spreading evenly on all sides (never secund), the rachis, like the peduncle, usually erect but sometimes slightly curved, never strongly deflexed Leaves to 5 cm. wide, ligule and lower surface glabr- ous 1. G. elegans. Leaves much wider, ligule or lower surface, or both, densely hairy Leaves glabrous beneath, except for the edges Gardens Bulletin, S. ee | ee ee ae of -» ‘a c . 227 Lip nearly 3 cm. long, pale pink, streaked darker in the throat; leaves to 20 cm. wide 2. G. megaphylla. Lip about 1-5 cm. long, pale yellow, side-lobes spotted pink at base; leaves to 12 cm. wide 3. G. sericea. Leaves copiously hairy beneath Ligule densely long-hairy; primary bracts 7-12 mm. long; flowering bracts not over 2 em. long 4. G. montana. Ligule glabrous (or quite glabrescent) ; pri- mary bracts to 3 cm. long; flowering bracts 2-5 cm. long 5. G. taipingensis. Inflorescence with deflexed rachis, the cincinni all secund, pointing upwards Rachis of inflorescence not over 7 cm. long Lip yellow with red spots; anther with a small round crest 6. G. rupestris. Lip without red spots; anther without crest Leaves not more than 4 cm. wide 7. G. penangensis. Leaves to 8 cm. or more wide Leaves about 4 to each leaf-shoot, midrib glabrous, blades to 25 by 8 cm.; rachis of inflorescence glabrous 8. G. tahanensis. Leaves to 45 by 11 em. (and probably also longer); midrib hairy beneath; rachis hairy 9. G. primulina. Rachis of inflorescence much longer on well-grown plants Leaves to 12 cm. wide 10. G. secunda. Leaves much narrower (to about 5 cm.) Inflorescence lax (about one cincinnus per cm. of length), rachis glabrous : 11. G. decurvata. Inflorescence dense (about 3 cincinni per cm. of length), rachis hairy , 12. G. densiflora. 1. Geostachys elegans Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 160. 1899. Flora 4: 277. Rhizome supported on stilt-roots; bearing densely tufted leaf-shoots. Leaf-shoots to 120 cm. or more tall to apex of longest sheath; leaves to about 10. Leaves: blade to about 45 by 4-5 cm. (often narrower), glabrous, dark purple beneath when young, apex narrowly acuminate, base cuneate; petiole 5-10 mm. long; ligule to 5 mm. long, glabrous. Peduncele slender, 15-30 cm. long, erect covered with rather few long sheaths, Vol. XIII. (1950). 228 longest to 17 cm. or more long. Rachis erect, densely short- hairy, about 10 cm. long, bearing c. 20 cincinni. Primary bracts 1-2 mm. long; longest stalk of cincinni 5-7 mm. long, short-hairy. Outer flowering bracts 1-3-2 cm. long, glabrous or finely hairy, especially towards the base, containing 2 flowers. Calyx with ovary c. 1-4 em. long. Corolla-lobes c. 9 mm. long, buff (Ridley). Labellum 1-5 em. long, orange yellow (Haniff). Anther apparently with a small crest. Fruit orange red, almost spherical, glabrous and slightly ribbed, about 1-5 cm. long. SPECIMENS. Malacca. Mt. Ophir, 3,800 feet, Ridley 3187 (Type); Ridley s.n. December 1898. Bukit Kedondong, Derry 603. Pahang. G. Tapis, Kuantan, 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 28863 (Symington and Kiah). G. Benom, 6,000 feet, F.M.S. Coll., 20.7.1925. G. Tahan, Ridley 15942; 5,500—7,000 feet, S.F.N. 7968 (Haniff and Nur). This species has been found at more different localities and over a wider area, than any other in the genus. Its slender erect inflorescence is very much like that of G. sericea (from G. Tahan only) but is smaller, and it always has narrow leaves, red beneath, glabrous ligule, and diffe- rent details of the flower as specified under G. sericea. With some of the collections there are no notes of flower colour, and no good flower-material, so that local varieties may exist. There can however be little doubt that the G. Tahan and Mt. Ophir plants are conspecific. Derry’s locality Bukit Kedondong is not a high hill; no other lowland records exist for the species, nor for any other in the genus. 2. Geostachys megaphylla Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma validus, radicibus gralliformibus validis susten- tus; caules foliati 300 em. alti; lamina folii ad 80 em, longa et 20 cm. lata, marginibus exceptis glabra, apice abrupte angustata brevissime acuminata, basi late cuneata; petiolus 10-15 mm. longus; ligula 15 mm. longa, lata, dense hirsuta; vagina margine hirsuta; inflorescentia erecta, scapo 12 cm. longo sustenta, rachis c. 8 cm. longa; bracteae primariae parvae, tenues; cincinni flores 4 ferentes, pedicellis glabris 5 mm. longis donati; bracteae secundariae 2-2-3 em, longae, apice paulo hirsuto excepto glabrae; calyx cum ovario 2-2 em. longus, apice bilobatus, lobi fere aequales, apicibus brevibus hirsuti; ovarium 4 mm. longum, rubrum; corollae tubus quam calycem leviter brevior, lobi 2-2 cm. longi, lobus dorsalis 15 mm. latus, pallide rubicundus, lobi laterales 10 mm. lati; labellum tenuissimum, pallide rubescens, fauce striis rubris ornatum, fere 3 cm. longum, trilobatum, margine crispatum; flamentum 10 mm. longum; anthera 8-10 mm. longa, crista connectivi pallide carnea, trilobata, lobo intermedio petaloideo 7-8 mm. longo et lato, rotundato, marginibus irregularibus, lobis lateralibus patentibus 3 mm. longis et 2 mm. latis; stigma supra antheram longe exsertum, parvum, cyathiforme, apice haud 2 mm. latum; stylodia carnosa, obtusa, 2 mm. longa; fructus ellipsoideus, atro-ruber, glaber, 2:3 cm. longus, 2-0 cm. diametro. TYPUS: Pahang, Cameron Highlands, G. Batu Brinchang, 6,000 feet, S.F.N. 31276, leg. Holttum 15.5.1936. This remarkable species is known only from the type collection. The details of the description are taken from dried and alcohol material and from field notes. It appears Gardens Bulletin, S. 229 to be closely allied to G. sericea from G. Tahan, but differs in the much larger leaves, glabrous bracts, larger lip of different colour, and larger anther-crest. It probably differs also in having a shorter peduncle, but this is un- certain. It agrees with G. sericea and G. montana in the densely hairy ligules of the leaves, a character otherwise unknown in Malayan species of Geostachys. 3. Geostachys sericea (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Conamo- mum sericeum Ridl., Journ. F.M.S. Mus. 6: 185. 1915. Hera £:.255. Rhizome large, stilted. Leafy stems 1-20-2-50 m. tall (Ridl. says 8 feet, Holtt. 4 feet). Leaves to 60 by 12 cm., glabrous; apex shortly pointed, base rather narrowly cuneate; petiole 0-5-1-5 cm. long, glabrous; ligule to 1-2 em. long, densely short-hairy all over. Peduncle erect, to 25 em. tall, rather stout, short-hairy towards the apex; sheaths broad, to 15 cm. long. Fachis erect, to about 14 cm. long, densely short-hairy, bearing very many closely packed cincinni. Primary bracts usually to about 5 mm. long; in some specimens the basal ones very much larger, up to the length of the flowering bracts: stalks of cincinni to 7 mm. long, densely short-hairy. Outer flowering bracts to about 2-3 cm. long, minutely hairy all over, containing 2 or 3 flowers. Calyx broad, with ovary ec. 1-55 em. long, hairy towards the tip. Corolla-lobes about 1-2 em. long, pale pink or white. Labellum about 1-5 cm. long (?), pale yellow, the midlobe rather deeper in colour, the side-lobes spotted with pink at the base. Filament ec. 5 mm., anther c. 6 mm. long; anther-crest 3-lobed, white flushed and spotted with pink, side-lobes spreading, narrow, about 2 mm. long, midlobe broad, rounded, about 3 mm. long and wide. Fruit ellipsoid, ribbed, smooth, at least 1 cm. long (probably longer). This species has only been found on Gunong Tahan, at about 5,000 feet altitude. It is closely allied to G. elegans, but attains a larger size, has much larger and wider leaves, very hairy ligules, and a much denser inflores- cence with rather larger floral bracts, longer corolla-lobes, the lip differently coloured and the anther-crest large, 3-lobed. 4 . 4 ¢ 4 SPECIMENS. Pahang. G. Tahan, Ridley 159438 (Type) 5 5,000 feet, S.F.N. 20663 (Holttum); 4,500-6,000 feet, S.F.N 8133 (Haniff and Nur). Corner ,s.n. 15.9.37. A. Geostachys montana (Ridl.) Holtt., comb. nov. Careno- _phila montana Ridl., Journ. F.M.S. Mus. 4: 78. 1909. Flora 4: 256. Leafy stems to 100 em. tall and possibly to 150 cm. Leaves densely soft-hairy beneath, the hairs over 1 mm. long, spreading; blade to about 45 by 8 cm., upper surface glabrous, apex shortly acuminate, base cuneate; petiole very short, densely covered like the midrib with longer hairs than those on the leaf-blade. Ligule 5-7 mm. long, densely yellow hairy; sheath hairy down the edges and on the back below the petiole. Vol. XIII. (1950). > 2350 Peduncle 5-7 cm. long, longest sheath c. 8 cm. long, broad, pink (Ridley). Rachis of inflorescence c. 6 cm. long, somewhat decurved, hairy, completely covered with the very numerous crowded cincinni which are not secund. Primary bracts 7-12 mm. long, very thin, apex rounded, hairy at base and on edges. Stalks of cincinni c. 4 mm. long. Outer flowering bracts pink, to 2 cm. long, hairy towards tip, containing 2 or 3 flowers. Calyx with ovary 2-3 cm. long, 2-lobed, sparsely hairy through- out, densely so at apex, ovary glabrous except for a few hairs at the base. Corolla-tube 5 mm. shorter than calyx, pink; lobes 1-5 cm. (? to 2 em.) long, hairy outside, white. Labellum little longer than corolla-lobes, “entire, edges upcurved”, “white speckled with red” (Ridl.) with basal lateral lobes 4 mm. long (called staminodes by Ridley). Filament 6 mm. long; anther (apart; from crest) 6 mm. long; crest thin, round, 4 (or ? 5) mm. long and wide. Stigma cup-shaped, 2 mm. wide, the mouth fringed with hairs. Fruit broadly ellipsoid, when dry 1-5 cm. long, glabrous, with many small longitudinal ridges, when fresh smooth, red (Ridl.). This species is only known from the type, collected on the summit of G. Berembun (alt. 6,500 feet) in November 1908 by Mr. Ridley. It differs from the other species of Geostachys in its very hairy leaves (agreeing with G. sericea and G. megaphylla in the very hairy ligule), in the hairy corolla-lobes and small basal lobes of the lip. Its inflores- cence is essentially of the same shape as that of G. elegans and G. sericea but very much shorter and apparently is somewhat decurved instead of erect (this is not mentioned by Ridley and may be due to uneven drying of the specimen). The primary bracts are rather large, but they are occasionally so in the allied species. The only possible reason for making a new genus of this species (which agrees exactly in inflorescence-characters with Geostachys) is the presence of the basal lobes of the lip, which Ridley calls staminodes; I think however that a comparison of fresh material will show them to be very similar to the lateral lobes of the lips of other species, but smaller. 5. Geostachys taipingensis Holtt., sp. nov. Caules foliati alti, validi; lamina folii ad 80 em. longa et 15 cm. lata, infra dense et molliter hirsuta, capillis costalibus eis laminae non longioribus, apice breviter acuminata, basi cuneata; petiolus 1 cm. longus, validus, subtus breviter hir- sutus; ligula ad 2-3 em. longa, lata, firma, glabra (vel gla- brescens) ; vagina prope petiolum leviter hirsuta, marginibus glabris; pedunculus 7 em. longus, erectus vel suberectus, vaginis latis ad 6 cm. longis vestitus; rachis erecta, c. 9 cm. longa, capillis patentibus dense vestita; cincinni numerosi, quaquaversi, rachin obliterantes; bracteae primariae tenues, ad 4 cm. longae et 1 cm. latae, apicem et basin versus solum leviter hirsutae; pedicelli cincinnorum ad 7 mm. longi, breviter hirsuti; flores 2-4; bracteae secundariae primae 2-5 em. longae, omnino breviter hirsutae; ovarium glabrum; calyx cum ovario c. 2 em. longus, apice unico donatus, 5 mm. fissus, sparse hirsutus; corollae tubus extus hirsutus, lobi ¢. 15 mm. (?) b Gardens Bulletin, S. — Pen aa ee 231 longi, extus pilosi; anthera 8 mm. longa, crista parva rotundata (?); styleodia carnosa, obtusa, 2 mm. longa. TYPUS: Perak, Taiping Hills, Anderson 139, pro parte (in herb. Singap., sub nomine Conamomum utriculosum Ridl.). This large species is near G. megaphylla in the size of its leaves, but they are hairy, whereas the ligule (densely hairy in G. megaphylla) is glabrous. The primary bracts, at least to half way up the inflorescence, are very large (the apical ones are probably shorter) as sometimes occurs also in G. sericea, with which G. taipingensis agrees in its hairy flowering bracts. The details of the flower are unfortu- nately not well preserved (the details of dimensions are thus doubtful), but the species is undoubtedly quite distinct from all others so far known in Malaya. Of Anderson’s no. 139 there are two sheets in the Singapore herbarium. One is Amomum utriculosum (Ridl.) and the other is the present species. Whether any specimens bearing this Seer have been distributed to other herbaria is not nown. 6. Geostachys rupestris Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 159. 1899. Flora 4: 276. Rhizome supported on stilt-roots. Leafy shoots to about 100 cm. to top of the longest sheath. Leaves to 35 by 7 cm., glabrous, apex acuminate, base rather broadly cuneate, unequal; petioles to 4 cm. long, slender; ligule to 8 mm. long, glabrous. Peduncle 4-8 cm. long, longest sheath to about 7 cm. Rachis of inflorescence short-hairy, to about 6 cm. long with up to 20 cincinni. Primary bracts hardly over 1 mm. long: stalks of cincinni to 1 cm. long; flowers 2-3 in each cincinnus. Floral bracts glabrous, outer ones 1-8-2-5 cm. long. Calyx e. 1-3 cm. long. Corolla-lobes c. 1 em. long. Lnp yellow with red spots. Anther with a small rounded crest, without spread- ing side-lobes. This species has cnly been found on the upper part of Kedah Peak, in the zone dominated by Baeckia and Leptospermum. It is moderately tall, has leaves of width intermediate between the narrow and broad-leaved species, a short but dense inflorescence, with very short primary bracts, rather small flowers with red-spotted lip, and a small simple anther-crest. Mr. Ridley included with this species some specimens from G. Tahan, which differ how- -ever in several characters and are as distinct as most species in this genus; they are now re-named G. tahanensis. SPECIMENS. Kedah. Kedah Peak, 3,000—4,000 feet, Ridley sn. June 1893 (Type); 3,500 feet, Haniff 12584. | 7. Geostachys penangensis Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32:° 159. 1899. Flora 4: 276. | Rhizome at or close to ground level, not on stilt-roots. Leaf-shoots to 55 cm. tall to top of longest sheath, with 5-8 leaves. Leaves to 33 by 4 cm., often as long but narrower, Vol. XIII. (1950). 232 glabrous, apex acuminate and shortly caudate, base narrowly cuneate; petiole of lowest leaf 5 mm., of uppermost to 3 cm., slender; ligule to 7 mm., glabrous. Peduwncle 2-5-5 cm. long, longest sheath c. 5 cm. Rachis glabrous, to 7 cm. long, with up to about 12 cincinni. Primary bracts 2-3 mm. long; stalks of cincinni 5-10 mm. long. Outer flowering bracts 2-2-7 cm. long, glabrous, each enclosing 2—4 flowers. Calyx c. 2 cm. long. Corolla-lobes reddish, 1:3 cm. long. YLabellum about 2 cm. long, narrower than long, dull yellow. Filament 5 mm., anther 6 mm, long, without crest. This species appears to be common on Penang Hill. The only specimen from outside Penang is one collected by Ridley at Telom (i.e. near Cameron Highlands), with young fruits; so far as it goes, this matches Penang specimens quite well. Specimens collected on G. Tahan agree well in inflorescence-characters, but have fewer leaves which are shorter and usually more than twice as wide. I rank them as a separate species. SPECIMENS. Penang. Government Hill, 2,000 feet, Curtis 327 (Type). Moniot’s Road, Curtis 327 (1892). Tiger Hill, 2,400 feet, S.F.N. 2650 (Burkill). Penang Hill 2,500 feet, Ridley 9336. Pahang. Telom, Ridley s.n., November 1908. 8. Geostachys tahanensis Holtt., sp. nov. Rhizoma in terram repens, radicibus gralliformibus nullis; caules foliati c. 40 cm. alti, 4-5 foliati; lamina folu ad 25 cm. longa et 8 cm. lata, glabra, apice breviter acuminata, basi anguste cuneata; petiolus ad 2 cm. longus (interdum petiolus folii apicalis longior); kiguia ad 7 mm. longa, glabra; pedun- culus 5-7 cm. longus, vaginis biseriatis vestitus, vagina maxima 7 cm. longa; rachis decurvata ad 5 cm. longa, glabra, 7-12 cincinnos ferens; bracteae primariae 3-5 mm. longae; cincinni 2-3 flores ferentes, pedicellis 8 mm. longis donati; bracteae secundariae 2-2-8 em. longae, glabrae; calyx cum ovario 18 mm. longus; corollae lobi 13 mm. longi, lobus dorsalis 7 mm. latus, lobi laterales 6 mm. lati, extus rubri, intus pallidi; labellum 22 mm. longum, 16 mm. latum, pallide luteum, nervis pellucidis; flamentum 4 mm. longum, anthera 6 mm. longa, crista nulla; stylodia brevia, obtusa; fructus non visus. TYPUS: Pahang, G. Tahan, 3,000-3,500 feet, near Sungei Reriang, S.F.N. 20582, leg. Holttum. OTHER SPECIMENS: Wray’s Camp, 3,300 feet, Ridley 16286, 16287. This species was referred by Ridley to G. rupestris (only otherwise known from Kedah Peak) ; but it differs from G. rupestris in being shorter (only half as tall) with shorter and proportionately broader leaves, shorter glabr- ous rachis with fewer cincinni, longer primary bracts, longer floral bracts, larger flowers lacking anther-crest and lacking red spots on the lip. The G. Tahan specimens were all collected at the same locality. They constitute a species which is most nearly related to G. penangensis, but quite as distinct as most others in the genus. Ridley’s no. 16287 differs from the other specimens in having the inflorescence almost erect, the flowering branches spreading all round, Gardens Bulletin, S. Te aT fase, spi were ”_ ~~ =” —_— : .. 233 not on one side only. This may be due to some unusual environmental condition. Further details of the variation in size of the plants, and of floral characters, are needed to establish clearly the distinction from G. penangensis. 9. Geostachys primulina Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 82: 201. 1920. Fiora 4: 277. Leafy stems tall. Leaves to 45 by 11 cm. or more, with spreading hairs on the midrib beneath, apex shortly acuminate, base rather broadly cuneate, slightly and unequally decurrent; petiole 1-1-5 cm. long, hairy beneath or glabrescent; ligule to about 1-3 cm. long, broad, hairy or glabrescent; sheaths hairy near petiole only. Peduncle c. 4 cm. long, erect at base, apex decurved; largest sheath c. 5 em. long. Rachis c. 6 cm. long, conspicuously hairy, hairs a little over 1 mm. long; cincinni to about 14. Primary bracts little over 1 mm. long; stalks of cincinni to 6 mm. long. Outer fiowering bracts 2-2-5 cm. long, glabrous containing 2 (? 3) flowers. Calyx with ovary ec. 2 em. long. Corolla-lobes 1:2 em. long, primrose yellow. Anther without crest. This species is only known from the type collection, from Semangkok Pass (The Gap), Ridley 12029. It is evidently a large species vegetatively; the leaf preserved is one of the lower ones, and upper ones might be longer, though probably not wider. The inflorescence-characters, except the conspicuous hairs on the rachis, are those of G. penangensis. The colour of the lip has not been reported, nor is its size clearly distinguishable from the available material; it is likely however that a red-spotted lip would have been noted by Mr. Ridley, who notes the primrose yellow colour of the petals. 10. Geostachys secunda (Bak.) Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 158. 1899. Flora 4: 276. Alpinia secunda Bak., F.B.I. 6: 257. 1892. Leaves to 80 by 13 cm., glabrous, apex acuminate; petiole ce. 3 cm., ligule 1 em. long, glabrous. Peduncle 10 cm. long (Ridley) ; rachis to 20 cm. long, with short spreading hairs; cincinni very numerous, their stalks also hairy, the whole inflorescence very dense. Primary bracts about 1 mm. long (much wider than long) ; stalk of cincinni to nearly 3 cm. long. Flowering bracts glabrous, 2-3 cm. iong, each with 2-4 flowers. Calyx about 2 cm. long. Corolla-lobes about 1-3 cm. long. Lip about 2 em. long (? 2-5 em.). Anther 8 mm. long, without crest. The type collection of this species (Kunstler 8047) is not represented in the Singapore herbarium. The above brief description is taken from a specimen of Ridley’s which he refers to the species. It has much larger leaves than Baker described (he says 2 inches wide = 5 cm.). The flowers are in a fairly good state of preservation, and show no anther-crest. The very dense inflorescence is large, Vol. XIII. (1950). 234 with long stalks to the cincinni, and unusually short primary ; bracts. It may be that Ridley’s specimen represents a distinct species. SPECIMEN. Perak. Bujong Malacca, Ridley 9785. 11. Geostachys decurvata (Bak.) Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 158. 1899. Flora 4: 276. Alpinia decurvata Bak., FBT. 6 2257" 13692: Leafy shoots to 1-5 m. tall. Leaves deep green, glabrous, to about 60 by 5 cm., apex acuminate, hardly cuspidate, base cuneate; petiole 2—4 cm. long, ligule to about 1-2 cm., glabrous. Peduncle erect, curved near apex only, 10-25 cm. long; sheaths to about 10 cm. long. Rachis ec. 12-20 cm. long, bearing up to about 22 cincinni, glabrous. Primary bracts usually 2-3 mm. long. Stalks of cinecinni 1-2-5 cm. long below first bract; flowers 2-4 to each cincinnus. Flowering bracts 2-5-3-5 cm. long. Calyx and corolla buff (er corolla-lobes sometimes tinged with red ?), lip deeper. Anther-crest fairly large, exact shape not certain. fruit red, glabrous, ellipsoid, to 2-5 cm. long and little over half as wide. This species is near G. densiflora, but appears to differ in the longer peduncles and rachis of the inflorescence, more widely-spaced cincinni and glabrous rachis. The specimens all have short primary bracts except Ridley’s from Max- well’s Hill, in which they are up to 8 mm. long. Ridley says of this specimen that the connective is scarcely prolonged beyond the anther. The flowers are not well enough preserved to show the character clearly. There is certainly a well-developed crest in one specimen of the type collection. If further specimens from Maxwell’s Hill show long bracts and crestless anther, Ridley’s specimen probably represents a distinct species. On the other hand, further collections may also show intermediates between the type collection and G. densiflora in the density of flowering branches. SPECIMENS. Perak. Larut, 3,000-4,000 feet, King’s Collector 6310 (type collection). Maxwell’s Hill, Ridley 5189. Larut Hills, 4,000 feet, Anderson 60. 12. Geostachys densiflora Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 82: 201. 1920. Flora 4: 276. Fig. 30. Rhizome raised on stilt-roots 5-20 cm. above ground, bearing leafy shoots close together, the whole plant forming a close tuft of stems 1 metre wide. Leafy shoots to about 120 cm. (to 200 cm. ?) tall; basal sheathing portion green, the old basal sheaths brown. Leaves purple beneath for a long time, eventually green, with wavy edges; blade to about 50 by 4-5 em., glabrous, apex gradually narrowed and more or less caudate (cauda to 25 cm.), base cuneate; petiole slender, to 3-5 em. long; ligule to 1-5 em. long, glabrous or fringed with short hairs, not lobed. Peduncles many, arising Gardens Bulletin, S. : s ¢ 5 . 235 from base of leaf-shoots, basal %4 erect, then curving down- wards, c. 6-12 cm. long, covered with large overlapping sheaths (to 10 cm. long); rachis of inflorescence red, 7-15 cm. long, curved obliquely downwards, bearing up to 30 short cincinni which all curve upwards; main and branch-rachises covered with rather stiff spreading hairs barely 1 mm. long. Bracts at base of cincinni 3-4 mm. long, rounded, glabrous, the basal ones to 5 mm., narrowed to the tip. Stalks of cincinni about 1-2-0 cm. long to the first floral bract, each bearing 2-5 flowers. Outer floral bracts 2 to 4 cm. long, glabrous except for a small tuft of hairs on the subapical tooth, or sometimes with scattered short hairs, split about half-way down one side, the apex acuminate and slightly keeled, with a subapical tooth 15 mm. long. Pedicel up to 6 mm. long, pedicel and ovary glabrous. Calyx with ovary about 2 cm. long, transparent whitish, the apex drawn out to a slender tip 5 mm. long on one side, not evidently lobed, glabrous; the tip terminating a flower-bud. Corolla-tube as long as calyx without its tip; lobes pale translucent yellow, (sometimes pink ?), c. 1-4-1-8 cm. long, dorsal 8 mm. wide with strongly concave tip, laterals 6 mm. wide, spreading. Lip 2-5-3 em. long, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, triangular, their tips about 1 cm. from base of lip, midlobe spreading and reflexed at the tip, almost circular, with crinkled edges, about 2 cm. across, minutely hairy on upper surface, pale orange buff, deeper down the midline, with colourless transparent veins. Staminedes nil. Fulament about 5 mm. long and 2 mm. wide, pale yellow buff. Anther bent forwards at nearly a right angle to filament and more deeply coloured, 7 mm. long, the crest 3-lobed, total width 8 mm., side-lobes spreading, acute, c. 2 by 1 mm., the midlobe erect, broadly rounded, c. 3-5 mm. wide and 3 mm. long. Stigma small, with a narrow transversely elongated mouth fringed with hairs. Stylodes 2-5 mm. tall, fleshy, blunt. Frwit ellipsoid, gla- brous, more or less finely ribbed, about 2 em. long, red when ripe, stalked like the flower or the stalk elongated further. SPECIMENS. Pahang. Cameron Highlands 5,000 feet, S.F.N. 31205 (Holttum); Batten-Pooll, sn. November 1939. Fraser’s Hill 4,000 feet, S.F.N. 8636 (Burkill and Holttum), 338154 (Corner). Perak. Scortechini 381. G. Kerbau 4,000 feet, Robinson (not in H.S., Type). The above description is based chiefly on field notes and specimens preserved dry and in alcohol by Corner (S.F.N. 33154). Burkill’s field notes agree. The Cameron High- lands specimens are not so complete as those from Fraser’s Hill. Holttum’s 31205 was fruiting only; Batten-Pooll’s is a dried specimen showing floral details well (no colour recorded) but there is no complete inflorescence. The Fraser’s Hill specimens have floral bracts little over 3 cm. long, lip about 2-5 em. long and corolla-lobes about 1-4 cm. long. Batten-Pooll’s specimen has floral bracts to 4:2 .cm. long, lip certainly 3 cm. long and corolla-lobes almost 2 cm. long. It may be that Cameron Highland plants represent a distinct variety; a difference of flower-colour as well as Size is possible. Cameron Highlands specimens collected in 1946 had anther-crest 15 mm. wide, its midlobe 75 mm. wide and 4-5 mm. high, also filament 9 mm. long. Vol. XIII. (1950). 236 | * I have ranked these specimens as G. densiflora Ridl., but it is possible they are not truly referable to that species. The type of G. densiflora is a specimen of Robinson’s from G. Kerbau, presumably at Kew; the collection is not repre- sented in the Singapore herbarium. Ridley’s descriptions ~ of other species in this genus indicate that no reliance — whatever can be placed on his dimensions of inflorescence, — flowers and their parts. All that is clear from his descrip- — tion of G. densiflora is that the species is not very large, — has narrow leaves, a fairly large and dense-flowered inflorescence with hairy rachis, and the anther-crest large (he says ‘‘anther-crest large, round’, but the lateral lobes might be broken in a dried specimen). The Fraser’s Hill and Cameron Highlands specimens agree in these characters; the Fraser’s Hill specimens differ in having eorolla-iobes pale yellow, not pink as recorded for G. densi- flora. It seems best to refer our specimens to Ridley’s species at present, pending examination of the type. 18. ELETTARIA MATON Rhizome stout or fairly stout, the intervals between — leaf-shoots often short. Leaf-shoots tall, with many blade- — bearing leaves; petioles short. Inflorescences from rhizome ~ close to the base of a leaf-shoot, long and slender, prostrate, either just at the surface of the ground or just below it (not bearing roots), protected by alternate fairly large scale-leaves, in the axils of which cincinni arise, their attachment being sometimes supra-axillary. Cincinni short, bearing a close succession of tubular bracts, each of | which encloses entirely the next flower and also the next — bract; the flowers in two close rows on one side of the composite axis of the shoot, all pointing in the same direction, and curved, opening in succession. Calyx tubular, split about 14, of its length down one side, shortly 3-toothed; in some species joined at the base to the corolla-tube for a — variable distance above the ovary. Corolla-tube about as long as calyx; lobes not very broad, subequal, the upper with a concave apex. Labellum as in Amomum, with yellow median band and red stripes, sometimes so curved — that it stands as a hood over the top of the flower. Stami- nodes none, or short and narrow. Filament of anther very short, broad. Anther longer than filament, the connective produced at the apex into a small crest. Stigma small, in close contact with the distal end of the pollen-sacs. Fruit globose or ellipsoid, thin-walled, smooth or with longitudinal ridges when ripe. | Gardens Bulletin, S. 237 This genus has hitherto been regarded as comprising only the two species EF. cardamomum and E. major, from southern India and Ceylon. It agrees in all essential flower-characters with Amomum (in which Gagnepain includes EF’. cardamomum), but differs strikingly in the form of the inflorescence, which (as Bentham pointed out when describing Cyphostigma, in Hook. Ic. Pl. t. 1380) is the most satisfactory basis for generic distinctions in this group of plants. In investigating the Malayan Elettariopsis longituba Ridl. I have discovered that this has exactly the same inflorescence-structure as Elettaria cardamomum,; and the same is true of the Sumatran species Elettariopsis multiflora Ridl. It is clear that Elettariopsis aquatilis Ridl. (Sumatra) and Cyphostigma surculosum K. Schum. (Borneo) have the same structure, and should also be included in the genus; there is also an undescribed Bornean species in the Singapore herbarium. The essential feature of the inflorescence of Elettaria is a prostrate axis bearing 2-ranked sheaths, with a cincin- nus in the axil of each. The structure is thus identical with that of Alpinia and Geostachys, except that the axis is prostrate and the sheaths which correspond to the primary bracts of Alpinia are 2-ranked. If we stretched out the decumbent inflorescence of such a species as Geostachys decurvata, and increased the number of the 2-ranked sheaths of its peduncle, putting a cincinnus in the axil of each, we should have Elettaria. If we regard Amomum as a genus in which the lateral cincinni of the inflorescence are each reduced to one flower (which seems the only rational interpretation), then Elettaria cannot be a derivative of Amomum; rather is it another and distinct offshot from the Alpinia stock. But the resemblance of colouring of the ewer in the two genera indicates a near origin in that stock. Elettaria agrees with Elettariopsis (so far as Malayan plants are concerned) in having long-tubed flowers; but this is probably a superficial resemblance due to the fact that in both Elettariopsis Curtisti and Elettaria longituba the flowers are produced just below ground-level and must have long tubes to bring them up into the free air. Eletta- ria cardamomum, which has flowers entirely above ground, has short tubes. There is also an important difference between Elettariopsis Curtisii and Elettaria longitube in the matter of variable flower-length (such variation occurs in both according to the thickness of leaves etc. through which the flowers must penetrate). The lengthening in Elettariopsis Curtisii is in calyx or corolla-tube or both; the lengthening in Elettaria longituba is in the joined part Vol. XIII. (1950). ~~ 238 ae of the two tubes, at their base. Such a fusion of the two tubes, forming a separation between ovary and calyx proper, is only known to occur otherwise in Cyphostigma pulchellum. The position of Cyphostigma, which likewise has a prostrate slender inflorescence, is rather different, as in at least three characters it shows a relationship to Elettaria rather than to Elettariopsis. The first has already been mentioned, namely the fusion of calyx and corolla® The second is the tubular bracteoles. The third is the position of the flower, with the lip hooded over the top of it, in which Hlettaria longituba closely resembles Cyphostigma as illustrated in Hooker’s Icones (t. 380). It may be that Cyphostigma is a derivative of Elettaria in which the cincinni are reduced to one flower; but the details of branching are not shown with sufficient clearness to make a definite statement, and I have seen no specimens. Elettaria occurs in Ceylon and southern India, Sumatra, Malaya and Borneo. There is no record of any Burma species; but it is probable that much more remains to be discovered about Zingiberaceae in Burma. It is however perhaps possible that Elettaria cardamomum and the Malaysian Elettarias represent parallel developments from different points of origin in the Alpinia stock. The only known Peninsula species is Elettaria longi- tuba. Corner has made some elaborate field notes of this, as found at Kemaman; these are incorporated in the description given below. He records that the flowering runners may be 11 feet (33 metres) long, crossing small streams; a similar fact is recorded of FE. aquatilis, which likewise grows in wet ground (in southern Sumatra) and may be conspecific with EH. longituba. EH. longituba is certainly one of the largest species of the genus, having the vegetative habit of a large Hornstedtia. Its flowers appear singly, at longer intervals than in some other species, few to each cincinnus; and it seems that the cincinnus stops flowering as soon as a fruit is formed. The fruits are large, but apparently not valuable as a spice, like Cardamoms. Elettaria longituba (Ridl.) Holtt. comb. nov. EHlettariopsis erent Ridl,, Trans. Linn. Soc. 3: 382. 1893. J.S.B. R.A.S. 156. 1899. Flora 4: 275. Cyphostigma pes Py K, Schum., Pflanzenr. 274. 1904. Rhizome stout, below ground, bearing leaf-shoots at inter- vals of 7 cm. or more. Leaf-shoots tall (probably to 3 m.), swollen at base to about 6 cm., bladeless basal part greenish to greenish yellow, upper sheaths greenish. Leaves rather light green, distinctly but faintly ribbed on the upper side, Gardens Bulletin, S. 2359 midrib yellowish on both sides, blade to 80 by 17 cm., softly short-hairy beneath throughout, apex caudate (cauda to about 3 cm.), base unequal, cuneate; petiole to about 2-5 em. long, hairy beneath; ligule 5-10 mm. long, short-hairy, broad, some- what 2-lobed; sheath short-hairy or glabrescent. Flowering stolons arising from the under sides of the rhizome and travelling 1-2 cm. below the surface, to 3-5 m. long, when old about 1 cm. thick, white, bearing white or pinkish scale- leaves to 7 cm. long. Cincinni arising well above the axils of the scale-leaves, each with a stalk 1 to 3 cm. long, and bearing a succession of a few (5 to 6) flowers opening singly. Lowest bract on cincinnus ec. 3-2 cm. long, the basal half or more tubular, glabrous. Within this bract is the first flower of the cincinnus (usually abortive) and another bract. Second bract c. 2-5 cm. long, tubular for 2/3 of its length, the apex unequally 2-lobed, each lobe with a short slender tip, glabrous, enclosing a flower and also another bract which in turn encloses a flower and a closed bract. Flowers erect, the apical part curved over so that it represents the quadrant of a circle, with the lip uppermost. Calyx glabrous, with pedicel and ovary to 4 cm. long, split about 1 cm., the teeth rather fleshy, 2-4 mm. long, with narrow tips bearing a few hairs, otherwise glabrous, deep red fading to brown. Covrolla- tube as long as calyx; lobes c. 1:5 cm. long, dorsal 8 mm., lateral 7 mm. wide, pale pink. Corolla-tube and calyx joined together for nearly 2 cm. above ovary (length of this part varies). Lip about 2 cm. long and wide, white with a rather pale yellow median band, which in the proximal third is edged with a fine pink longitudinal stripe and has also 2 pale pink stripes upon it (i.e. 4 stripes in all); edges towards the base inflexed to make a tube, distal part of blade spreading, concave, with reflexed wrinkled edge. Filament nil (at most 1 mm.). Anther 6 mm. long, crest small, reflexed, almost equally 4-lobed, the lobes quadrangular, each c. 1 mm. long and wide, the whole crest slightly diverging in a fan-shape, total width 4 mm., length 1-5 mm., colour pale pink with white tips. Staminodes none. Stylodes 3 mm. long, relatively thick and blunt, apex 3-lobed, split to base one side only. Stigma small, under 2 mm. wide, immediately in contact with distal ends of poilen-sacs, with forward-turned linear opening. Fruit on pedicel 3 mm. long, globose-pyriform, slightly 3- shouldered, smooth and slightly ribbed, with thin walls when dry, surmounted by base of calyx and corolla 3 mm. long, maximum diameter 2-8 cm., height rather less, white when young, brown when ripe. The flowering stolons do not root. They reach the surface of the ground at times, and sometimes traverse small streams, the flowers appearing out of the water. The details of habit and colour are obtained from Mr. Corner’s notes. ASS SPECIMENS. Pahang. Streams and wet spots, Tahan, Ridley 2403 (type). Perak. Upper Perak, 300 feet, Wray 3586. Selangor. Gunong Hitam, Goodenough s.n. 1897. Trengganu. Kemaman, Ulu Kajang swamp, S.F.N. 30484 (Corner). Vol. XIII. (1950). 240 COSTUS LINNAEUS Stems erect from rhizome; covered near the base with bladeless sheaths, leafy higher up, at first unbranched, later branched, with secondary branches also; branches breaking through leaf-sheaths. Leaves spirally arranged on stem (spiral sometimes very steep) ; base of blade usually attach- ed to sheath by a short stalk and articulated at the junction ; sheath tubular, its apex running round across the base of the blade as a short ligule. Inflorescence dense, globose or ellipsoid, terminal on leafy stems or on short leafless shoots ; bracts in a series of parastichies, usually broad and over- lapping at the base, with 1 or 2 flowers (one in Malayan plants) ; bracteoles smaller, laterally flattened, in the case of one flower facing at right angles to the bract, not tubuiar at the base. Calyx tubular, more or less deeply 3-lobed, lobes often acute or thorn-like, the anterior one usually broader than the other two. Corolla-tube shorter or longer than calyx, lobes overlapping. No staminodes. Labellum large, obovate, thin, the edges often crisped, never deeply lobed, often brightly coloured. Stamen with broad petaloid. filament which usually curves forwards and closes entrance to tube of flower, with upturned tip; anther well below apex of stamen, little raised from its surface. No erect nectaries in base of tube, but two hollows which secrete nectar, being connected below to a gland in the apex of the ovary. Ovary trilocular; ovules many, in 2 rows. Capsule 3-angled, the lateral angles smaller and more spreading, loculicidal, gaping with 3 slits, not splitting to the apex. Seeds angular, usually with white fleshy aril, all those in one loculus adhering together by their arils on dehiscence ; embryo straight, in copious endosperm; operculum present.. This is the only genus of Zingiberaceae, as arranged by Schumann, which is pantropic; and it is further remark- able in that the majority of the species are African and American, whereas in the family as a whole the great majority of species are Asiatic. Costus is the main repre- sentative of the sub-family Costoideae, the only other important genus being the Papuasian Tapeinochilus. __ Schumann was the first to point out the important differences between the Costoideae and Zingiberoideae, namely the spiral arrangement of the leaves, the closed (entirely tubular) leaf-sheaths with circular ligule, the sunken nectar-glands, and the lack of aromatic substances in the plant. Costus itself is also remarkable for the com- plete absence of staminodes and the very large convoluted lip. Loesener (Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, 15A: 551) quotes Troll as suggesting that the large lip of Costus represents a Gardens Bulletin, S- 241 complete union of ali five non-functional stamens, and this seems likely to be correct. The very broad petaloid stamen is another characteristic feature of Costus itself. Tapeino- chilus differs in floral form, but is very close vegetatively to Costus; this is one of many indications of the importance of vegetative features (and especially those of the inflores- cence) in a comparative study of the family. Ridley considered that Malayan specimens of Costus represented five species; these are here reduced to three, two (C. Kingi and C. velutinus) being regarded as varieties of C. globosus. C. speciosus has a very wide distribution in Indo-Malaysia, and is variable; it grows on the edges of forest and in similar half-open places, not in the full forest- shade like C. globosus, and this tolerance of exposure has doubtless permitted it to spread. C. globosus is distributed throughout western Malaysia. The third species, C. oligophyllus, is still only known from the original collection, and has been incompletely described. The West African species Costus lucanusianus was introduced to Singapore as an ornamental plant. It has become well established in the Botanic Gardens, reproduc- ing itself freely from seeds, and has formed dense thickets in half-shaded places, or even in full sun where the soil is fairly good. It is in fact a weed which may become troublesome if not controlled. It has the habit of C. speciosus but the labellum has crimson sides and orange centre, with white towards the base only; a vegetative distinction is a raised ring round the top of the leaf-sheath, the ring bearing stiff spreading hairs. Another West African species, apparently C. Schlechteri, is also well established in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, but only in full shade. It has white flowers, usually on a short separate stem close to the ground but occasionally also on the end of a leafy stem; there are two flowers to each bract, a character not seen in native Malayan species. KEY TO COSTUS IN MALAYA Inflorescence at apex of leafy shoots Labellum white and vellow only 1. C. speciosus. Labellum with crimscn and orange patches [C. lucanusianus (African) }. Inflorescence on short leafless shoots Bracts and calyx-lobes ending in stout spines, conspicu- ously hairy or scabrid 2. C. globosus. Hairs on bracts and lobes of calyx club-shaped, about 0-5 mm. long. var. Ridley. Vol. XIII. (1950). 242 Hairs on bracts and calyx needle-like, 1-2 mm. long Leaves and sheaths short velvet-hairy var. Kingi. Hairs on leaf-sheaths spreading, c. 3 mm. long var. velutinus. Bracts and calyx-lobes acute but not ending in spines, not conspicuously hairy 3. C. oligophyllus. 1. Costus speciosus (Koenig) Sm., Trans. Linn. Soc. 1: 249. 1800. Ridl., Flora 4: 256. Banksia speciosa Koenig in Retz. Obs. 3: 75. 1783. Costus nepalensis Rosc., Monandr. Pl. t. 80. 1828. Fig. 31, 32. Stem 2-3 m. or more tall, much branching when old; base of stem covered with sheaths only for 60 cm. or more, rest leafy. Leaves: sheath c. 4 cm. long, green + flushed with purple, with many closely pressed fine short hairs, top edge of sheath with rather long fine soft hairs (not spreading) to 7 mm. long; petiole 5-7 mm. long, short appressed-hairy above and below; blade to ec. 23 by 6 ecm., oblanceolate- acuminate, widest 1/3 from apex or sometimes in middle, base narrowly rounded; dark green and glabrous or appressed-hairy above, with paler grooved midrib, finely appressed-hairy below, paler (hairs pale greenish). Inflorescence to c. 5 cm. diameter and 10 ecm. long, on short stalk usually curved, close to uppermost leaf. Bracts c. 1-4 em. long, ovate acute, green + flushed with red, with a narrow red fleshy protuberance up to 5 mm. long below the apex; densely minutely hairy with distinctly ciliate edges (hairs vary in length) or rarely glabrous. Bracteole one to each flower, c. 1 cm, long, keeled, acute, + tinged with red especially at the ciliate edges. Flower 1 to each bract. Calyx at flowering much longer than bract, with the ovary c. 2-2 em. long (calyx alone c. 1:3 cm.) ; 2 posterior teeth 3 mm. long, strongly keeled; anterior tooth nearly 5 mm. long, not keeled; teeth all more or less red, hairy like the bracts or rarely glabrous, tube of calyx green, reddening after flowering. Ovary at flowering much flattened, c. 9 mm. wide. Corolla-tube shorter than calyx; lobes 3-5 cm. long, faintly pinkish (pink in bud). Labellum curved, trumpet- shaped, the edges overlapping, tip to apex of ovary c. 5-5—-7-5 em., white with cream median band hardly reaching apex, with yellow hairs in this band at throat of trumpet, longest hairs 1 cm. from base of tube. Stamen: free part 2-5 em. long when flattened, 1-2 cm. wide, yellow at apex only, hairy on back. Fruit bright red, dehiscing loculicidally: seeds black with fleshy white arils all coming out in one group. This species is very widely distributed in Indo-Malay- rk and very common in Malaya, chiefly on the edges of orest. Herbarium specimens all have leaves hairy below, but the amount of hairiness varies much. Some specimens (including some from Singapore) have leaves hairy above. A few plants have much longer hairs than the rest, those on sheaths spreading a little. One collection from Perak has Gardens Bulletin, S. esl al IPT TRIE WEL TIN te 5, 243 inflorescence on leafless stem 12 cm. long, covered with short overlapping softly hairy sheaths. It is impossible to tell the size of flowers from herba- rium specimens. The typical form is said to have large flowers 10 cm. long, but I have not seen a Malayan specimen of this size. var. sericea (Bl.) Schumann, Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 27: 348. 1899. C. sericeus Bl., Enum, Pl. Jav. 1: 62. 1827. This is said to be more hairy, with flowers 5-6 cm. long. But hairiness varies much and can hardly be used to separate varieties clearly. A plant flowering in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, has leaves glabrous above, bracts and calyx quite glabrous, and lip 7-5 cm. long and 7:5 em. wide in its natural position. But it is certain that some large-flowered plants have hairy calyx and bracts. The only specimen with glabrous bracts and calyx is from Bukit Mandai, Singapore Island. 2. Costus globosus Bl., Enum. Pl. Jav. 62. 1827 (sens. lat.). Valet., Ic. Bog. 2: t. 163. 1905. Stems to 3 m. or more tall, much thickened at base, covered with sheaths only for greater part of height, leafy towards apex, leaves in a steep spiral; erect when young, when older often bent over and branching much; erect stems branching near apex only. Leaves (on main stem): blade to about 30 by 10 cm., widest 1/3 from apex and narrowed evenly to slightly unequally cuneate base, apex abruptly shortly acumi- nate, tip c. 2 cm. long, glabrous or hairy beneath; stalk to 5 mm. long and wide; sheath glabrous or hairy. Inflorescence from rhizome: peduncle usually 2-10 cm. long, exceptionally to 20 cm., covered with overlapping sheaths 2—4 cm. long, hairy as bracts; spike globose or slightly elongate, 5-9 cm. diameter: one bracteole and one flower to each bract. Bracts 2 to 3-5 cm. long, to 2-5 cm. wide, apex broadly rounded with a stout acute spine-like tip which projects 2-3 mm. and is produced downwards as a thickening on the back; outer surface more or less densely hairy, the hairs stiff and needle-like or short, broad and blunt; colour of bracts red, spiny tips yellowish. Bracteole nearly as long as bract, but much narrower, similarly pointed, or sometimes passing right across the back of the calyx and almost completely embracing the base of the ovary. Calyx at flowering 2-5-4 cm. long including the ovary, hairy like the bracts, lobes to 8 mm. long, all three ending in stout spines like the bracts, red. Corolla-tube shorter than the calyx: lobes about 3-5 by 2 cm., hairy on back (in Peninsular plants), apiculate (apiculus longer on dorsal lobe) pink to deep red. Lip cherry red to bright orange yellow, always orange in the throat, edges with rather long hairs, inside towards throat short yellow hairs. Stamen same colour as lip or paler, with long white or yellow hairs on back. Ovary hairy, hairs always slender and appressed. Fruit enclosed by bracts. Rarely an epiphyte: usually in moist forest near streams, cften very large. Vol. XHTI. (1950). 244 var. Ridleyi. (Schum.) Holtt., stat. nov. Costus Ridleyi K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Zingib. 411. 1904. Costus glo- bosus quoad Ridl., J.S.B.R.AiS. 32: 126" Flora 43 290, Fig. 33. Bracts and lobes of calyx bearing swollen club-shaped unicellular hairs c. 0-5 mm. long, basal part of calyx with short thin hairs; bracts usually not over 2-5 cm. long; bracteoles usually embracing whole base of ovary. Leaves almost glabrous beneath. Corolla-tube hairy. Flowers red. Throughout Malaya in moist lowland forest but not north of Perak. SPECIMENS. Perak. Maxwell’s Hill, Ridley s.n. June 1893 (large bracts). Waterloo Estate, 1,500 feet, Curtis sn. May 1890. Tanjong Rambutan, S.F.N. 28772 (Henderson). Selangor. Gua Batu, Ridley 8474. Dusun Tua, Ridley s.n. May 1896. Pataling, Ridley s.n. 27.6.1889. Klang Gates, Hume 7280 (F.M.S. Mus.). Negri Sembilan. Perhentian Tinggi, s.n. 1898. G. Tampin 2,000 feet, S.F.N. 3102 (Burkill). Ulu Bendul, S.F.N. 9848 (Holttum). Bukit Tampin, Good- enough 1908. Pahang. Tahan River, Ridley 2392. Ulu Chineras, K. Lipis, S.F.N. 15684 (Burkill and Haniff). P. Tioman, Joara Bay, S.F.N. 1147 (Burkill). Tembeling, S.F.N. 21778 (Henderson). Johore. Ulu Madik, S.F.N. 10639 (Holttum). @G. Panti, Ridley s.n. December 1899. Singapore. Bukit Timah, Ridley s.n. 1892; S.F.N. 126 (Burkill). var. Kingii (Bak.) Holtt., stat. nov. Costus Kingu Bak., F.B.I. 6: 250. 1892. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 125. 1899. Flora 4: 257. Bracts and calyx bearing slender pale needle-like hairs of 3-4 cells, 1-2 mm. long, bracts usually 3 cm. or more long, bracteoles narrow. Leaves hairy beneath throughout, the hairs on the midrib always distinct, close, spreading, on the lamina close, erect, velvety to the touch, sometimes very short: leaf- sheaths also short-hairy. Flower bright orange. Lowlands, many localities, not south of Tampin: occurs in Penang. SPECIMENS. Perak. Ulu Temango, Ridley s.n. 1909. Penang. Pulo Boetong, Curtis 1976. Balik Pulau, Ridley s.n. 1898. Highlands Reserved Forest, S.F.N. 1475 (Burkill). Pahang. Bentong, S.F.N. 14104 (Best). Sungei Tahan; Ridley s.n. 1891. Selangor. Ulu Gombak, 1,000 feet, S.F.N. 34207 (Md. Nur). var. velutinus (Ridl.) Holtt., stat. nov. Costus velutinus Ridl., -J:S:B.R.A.S. 57:.108, 1910. Fiota 4. 2a, Bracts and calyx hairy as in var. Kingii but hairs denser and thicker. Sheaths of peduncle similarly hairy. Flowers orange-red. Leaves hairy as in var. Kingii but the hairs longer; hairs on leaf-sheaths copious, spreading, c. 3 mm. long. Perak only near Grik and at Temengoh. SPECIMENS. Perak. Ulu Temengoh, Ridley (Type). Grik, S.F.N. 12473 (Burkill and Haniff). Three species of Ridley’s Flora are here united, namely his C. globosus, C. Kingi and C. velutinus. They are all very closely allied, and none of them agree exactly with Gardens Bulletin, S. el 245 cc. globosus Bl. of Java. As far as can be judged from herbarium specimens, the distinctions are mainly of hairi- ness only, of the leaves and inflorescence, and thus it seems preferable to regard them all as varieties of one species. There may well be differences of vegetative habit (size, mode of branching etc.) but these have not been established. If they should prove to exist, it may be well to revert to a separation of the three as separate species. Some specimens referred to var. Ridleyi on grounds of the swollen short hairs of the calyx and bracts disagree with most others of the variety in having long bracts (3:5 cm. long) and narrow bracteoles on one side of the calyx only, exactly as in var. Kingii. Some specimens of var. Kinguvi also have short bracts as in most specimens of var. Ridleyi, but their bracteoles are narrow. Thus the distinc- tions between these varieties do not seem very sharp. The information as regards flower colour does not appear to be uniform within a variety as at present recognized. More anformation on this is needed, especially from places (like Tahan River) where two varieties grow near together. Vol. XIII. (1950). INDEX TO NAMES AND SYNONYMS Note. Names printed in bold-face type refer to new species or new combinations. Names printed in italics are synonyms. Achasma Griff., 183. macrocheilos Griff., 188. megalocheilos Griff., 191, fig. 23. pauciflorum (Ridl.) ’ Holtt., 187. on ats ee (Bak.) Holtt., 189. subterraneum Holtt., 187. triorgyale (Bak.) Holtt., 186. Alpinia, 140. assimilis Ridl., 152. aurantiaca Ridl., 144, 145. Burkillu Hend., 146. campanaria Ridl., 146. cannifolia Ridl., 138. capitellata Jack, 143. comosa Ridl., 134. conchigera Griff., 142, fig. 16. decurvata Bak., 234. denticulata (Ridl.) Holtt., 148. Fraseriana Oliv., 159 galanga Sw., 157. Hookeriana Val., 158. involucrata Griff., 145. javanica Bl., 145. latilabris Ridl., 153. macrostephana Ridl., 135. magnifica Rosce., 181 malaccensis Rosc., 155. melanocarpa Ridl., 159. mollissima Ridl., 138. Murdochii Ridl., 148. mutica Roxb., 150, 153. nobilis Ridl., 155. nutans Rosce., 152. oxymitra K. Schum., 134. pahangensis Ridl., 146. petiolata Bak., 136. pulcherrima Ridl., 136. Rafflesiana Wall., 144. scabra Bak., 158. secunda Bak., 233. secundiflora Ridl., 223. Seimundii Ridl., 149. Wrayi Bak., 137. Amomum, 192. aculeatum Roxb., 212. aurantiacum Ridl., 212. biflorum Jack, 199. cephalotes Ridl., 209. citrinum (Ridl.) Holtt., 207. cylindraceum Ridl., 204. cylindrostachys Ridl., 207. elettarioides Bak., 199. Banksia speciosa Koenig, 242. Boesenbergia O. Ktze., 106. flavum Ridl., 212. hastilabium Ridl., 203, fig. 25. Holttumi Ridl., 203. kapulaga Burk. and Spr., 200. lappaceum Ridl., 210. laterale Ridl., 161. macrocheilos Bak., 188. macrodous Scort., 202. macroglossa K. Schum., 200. megalocheilos Bak., 191. micranthum Ridl., 201. ochreum Ridl., 208. ophiuchus Ridl., 176. perakense Ridl., 210. phaeochoanum x. Schum., 174. rivale Ridl., 205. Schmidtii Gagnep., 199. scyphiferum Koenig, 170. sphaerocephalum Bak., 189. spiceum Ridl., 197. squarrosum Ridl., 206. stenoglossum Bak., 198. testaceum Ridl., 205, fig. 25. trilobum Gagnep., 219. triorgyale Bak., 186. uliginosum Koenig, 213, fig. 26. utriculosum (Ridl.) Holtt., "302. vitellinum Lindl., 137. : xanthoglossum Ridl., 208. xanthophlebium Bak., 198, fig. 24. zeodaria Berg., 71. zerumbet Linn., 59. albo-sanguinea Schltr., 111. clivalis (Ridl.) Schltr., 116. concinna Schlitr., 94. Curtisii (Bak.) ‘Schitr., 112. flava (Ridl.) Holtt., 113. lancifolia Schltr., 104. legsipes (King and Pr.) Schltr., 4 lurida Loes., 110. pandurata ( Roxb.) Schitr., 115. plicata (Ridl.) Holtt., 109. Prainiana (Bak.) | Schltr. Til. ereiEe (Wall.) O. Ktze., scaphochlamys Schltr., 104. . Gardens Bulletin, S._ Camptandra Ridl., 78. latifolia Ridl., 81, fig. 8. ovata Ridl., 81. parvula (King) a 80. tahanensis Ridl., — Carenophila toes ie *Ridl, 229. Catimbium Juss., 149. - assimile (Ridl.) Holtt., 152. latilabre (Ridl.) Holtt., 153, fig. 18. malaccense (Burm.) Holtt., 155. muticum (Roxb.) Holtt., 150, fig. 17. speciosum (Wendl.) Holtt., 152. Cenolophon Blume, 132 Corneri Holtt., 139. ee (Bak.) Holtt., 135 mollissimum (Ridl.) Holtt., oxymitrum (K. Schum.) Holtt., 134 petiolatum (Bak.) Holtt., 136. Conamomum citrinum Ridl., 207. sericeum Ridl., 229. utriculosum Ridl., 208. Costus Linn., 240 globosus Bl., 243. Kingtit Bak., 244. lucanusianus, 241. malaccensis Koenig, 145. nepalensis Rosc., 242. Ridleyi K. Schum., 244. sericeus Bl., 243. ar icing (Koenig) Sm., 242, figs. 31, 32. 28 oe Ridl., 244. Curcuma Linn., 65. aeruginosa Roxb., 70. aurantiaca van Zijp, 67. colorata Val., 69. 68, fig. 4 6. domestica Val., Kunstleri Bak., 5 longa Koenig, 68. é mangga Val. and v. Zijp, 70. yi parvifiora Wall., 68. é, sylvestris Ridl., 91. ks viridiflora Roxb., 69. > xanthorhiza Roxb., 72. : longituba K. Schum., 238. Schmidtti K. Schum., 199. Elettaria Maton, 236. longituba (Ridl.) Holtt., 238. speciosa Bl., 181. Vol. XII. (1950). 138. pulcherrimum (Ridl.) Holtt., 136. vitellinum (Lindl.) Horan., 137. zeodaria (Berg.) Rosc., 71, fig. 5. Cyphostigma exsertum Scort., 217. 247 Elettariopsis Bak., 214. Curtisii Bak., 217, figs. 27, 28. cyanescens Ridl., 124. exserta (Scort.) Bak., 217. latiflora Ridl., 217. longituba Ridl., 238. pubescens Ridl., 199. Schmidtui K. Schum., 199. serpentina Bak., 217. triloba (Gagnep.) Loes., 219, fig. 29. Galanga malaccensis Rumph., 155. Gastrochilus Wall., 10 acuta Ridl., 112. albo-sanguinea Ridl., biloba Ridl., 89. calophylla Ridl., 89 clivalis Ridl., 116. concinna Ridl., Curtisii Bak., 112. flava Ridl., 113. javanus K. Schum., Kunstleri Val., 96. lanceolatus Ridl., 97, 99. lancifolius Ridl., 104. longifolia Ridl., 91 longipes Kg. and Pr., lurida Ridl., 110. minor Ridl., a 114. oculata Ridl., pandurata Ridi. plicata Ridl., 109. Prainiana Ridl., 111. puberula Ridl., 116. pulcherrima Wall., 109. scaphochlamys Ridl., 104. sub-bilobus Burk., 105. Geocharis Ridl., 220. aurantiaca Ridl., 222. macrostemon (K. Schum.) Holtt., 22 secundiflora wer Holtt., 223. Geostachys Ridl., decurvata Hie Ys Ridl., 234. densiflora Ridl., 234, fig. 30. megaphylla Holtt., 228, montana (Ridl.) Holtt., 229. penangensis Ridl., 251. primulina Ridl., 223. rupestris Ridl., 231. secunda (Bak.) Ridl., 233. sericea (Ridl.) Holtt.; 229. tahanensis Holtt., 232. taipingensis Holtt., 230. Globba Linn., 21 albiflora Ridl., 31. aurantiaca Miq., 36. cernua Bak., 111. 112. 114. “115. : maa oh 248 ~ . Curtisii Holtt., 4 striolata Ridl., 173. elegans Ridl., triorgyalis Ridl., 186. fasciata Ridl., 38. venusta Ridl,, 182. flavidula Ridl., 28. floribunda Bak., 26. leucantha Miq., 26, fig. 1. Kaempferia Linn., 117. macranthera Ridl., 32. concinna Bak., 94. malaccensis Ridl., 37. cyanescens Ridl., 124. marantina aes 20. elegans (Wall.) Bak., 123. montana Ridl., galanga Linn., 121. . pallidiflora Bak, "36, lancifolia K. Schum., 104. panicoides Ridl., 29. malaccana K. Schum., 104. pendula Roxb., 29. pandurata Roxb., 115. perakensis Ridl., 37. parvula King, 80. regalis Ridl., 27. Prainiana Bak., 111. trachycarpa Bak., 32. pulchra Ridl., 122,-fig. 15. uliginosa Bak., 29. 3 rotunda Linn., 120, fig. 14. unifolia Ridl., 33. variabilis Ridl., 37. violacea Ridl., 27. ‘ soe ? Languas Koenig, 156. Wallichit Bak., 29. cannifolia Burk., 1388. conchigera Burk., 142. Haniffia Holtt., 123. galanga (L.) Stuntz, 157. , javanica Burk., 146. H Fea ae ea 124. malaccensis Merr., 155. chivsclaenia Hook., TA. ger (T. and B.) Burk., collinum Ridl., 75. a2: coronarium, TA. crassifolium Bak., 17. denticulatum Ridl., 148. hirsutissimum Holtt., 76. longicornutum Bak., 77, figs. 6, 7. macrorhizum Ridl., 76. malayanum Ridl., 75. paludosum Hend., 77. Hellenia scabra Bl., 158. mutica Deg., 151. pahangensis Hend., 146. Rafflesiana Burk., 146. scabra (Bl.) Burk., 158. speciosa Small, 152. vitellina Alst., 137. vulgare Koenig, 157. Hitchemopsis Kunstleri Ridl., 96. Maranta galanga Linn., 157. lanceolata Ridl., 97. malaccensis Burm., 155. sylvestris Ridl., 91. Monolophon elegans Wall., 123. Hornstedtia Retz., 165. albomarginata Ridl., 189. alliacea Valet., 175. Nicolaia imperialis Horan., 181. ca reall pie speciosa Horan., 181. grandis Ridl., 172. ] i { : P ae 80, ira: : 2 eibprestneplaats- Odontychium denticulatum K. macrocheilos Ridl., 188. Schum., 143. macrodus K., Schum., 202. megalocheilos Ridl., 191. metriochetlos, 188. Phaeomeria Lindl., 178. . ophiuchus Ridl., 176. fulgens (Ridl.) K. Schum., 180, a pauciflora Ridl., 182. fig. 22. phaeochoana K. Schum., 174. imperialis Lindl., 181. . pusilla Ridl., 174. magnifica K. Schum., 181. ; peers (Koenig) Steud., 170, Maingayi (Bak.) K. Schum., 180, fig. 19. fig. 21. scyphus Retz., 170. speciosa (Bl.) Merr., 181. : sphaerocephala K. Schum., 189. venusta (Ridl.) K. Schum., 182. Gardens Bulletin, S. 249 Plagiostachys Ridl., 160. rubromaculata Holt., 103, fig. 11. albiflora Ridl., 164. sub-biloba (Burk.) Holtt., 105. lateralis Ridl., 161. sylvestria (Ridl.) Holtt., 91. mucida Holtt., 162. tenuis Holtt., 98, fig. 11. , Renealmia nutans Andr., 152. Zerumbet speciosum Wendl., 152. Riedelia aurantiaca Loes., 222. Zingiber Adans., 48. aromaticum Ridl., 59. cassumunar Roxb., 58. Scaphochlamys Baker, 82. chryseum Ridl., 62. atroviridis Holtt., 93. chrysostachys Ridl., 55. biloba (Ridl.) Holtt., 89. citrinum Ridl., 60. breviscapa Holtt., 95. Curtisii Holtt., 54. Burkillii Holtt., 102. gracile Jack, 63. concinna (Bak.) Holtt., 94. Griffithii Bak., 60. erecta Holtt., 99, fig. 12. Griffithii var. major Ridl., 60. grandis Holtt., 101. Kunstleri King, 52. Klossii (Ridl.) Holtt., 100, fig. 13. multibracteatum Holtt., 57, Kunstleri (Bak.) Holtt., 96, fig. 2. figs. 9, 10. officinale Rosc., 54. lanceolata (Ridl.) Holtt., 99. Ottensii Valet., 56. longifolia (Ridl.) Holtt., 91. puberulum Ridl., 61, fig. 2. malaccensis Bak., 104. spectabile Griff., 56. oculata (Ridl.) Holtt., 92. spurium Koenig, 59. pennipicta Holtt., 93. Wrayi Prain, 53. perakensis Holtt., 97. zerumbet (L.) Sm., 59, fig. 3. Vol. XIII. (1950). 2mm yr Fig. 1. Globba leucantha. A, single cincinnus with two developing fruits, a flower, and buds. B, a complete flower. C, two views of anther and stigma. oP Fig. 2. A, Zingiber multibracteatum, single flower. B-J, Z. puberu- lum. B, inflorescence. C, flower just opened, in morning, with top of bract. D, flower in afternoon. E, flower from below, showing junction of lip and lateral lobes of corolla. F, anther. G, lip flattene H, stylodes. J, base of flower (bracteole is behind) and bracteole. Fig. 38. Zingiber zerumbet. A, rather young inflorescence with flower. B, flower with lip and two corolla-lobes removed. C, bracteole in natural position and flattened. D, dehiscing fruit enclosed by bracteole. E, seeds covered with aril. Fig. 4. Curcuma domestica. A, part of plant with inflorescence. B, one cincinnus, as exposed by pulling down primary bract; 1, 2, first and second secondary bracts enclosing next flower-bud; on right, dead first flower. C, same cincinnus with first and second secondary bracts removed, pa poke third secondary bract (3). D, stylodes and base of style. . P a Fig. 5. Curcuma z ria. A, inflorescence. B, end of primary bract and a flower. C, a single flower. D, longitudinal section thrcugh upper part of flower. E, two views of stamen, style and stigma. \ YO. (AMIE li Fig. 6. Hedychium longicornutum. A, end of flowering stem in natural position. B, flower, with bracteole; the 3 corolla- lobes pendulous on the left, staminodes to left and right, lip at back. C, lip, bases of staminodes and of stamen, with dorsal corolla-lobe at back. D, two views of stylodes. E, two views of stigma and top of anther. F, transverse section through filament and style. et eg AE Fig. 7. Hedychium longicornutum. A, fruiting inflorescence. B, dehisced fruit with mass of seeds intact. C, one seed with its aril. D, section of seed, showing embryo, endo- sperm and perisperm. Ss lig. 8. Camptandra latifolia. A, a single shoot with leaves and inflorescence. B, stamen, style and stigma. C, lip and stamen; staminodes and dorsal petal removed. A | ; G Imm 4 \ UT $ mm Ut, Nass TOLL LTT gu SF / D sh pe/ Fig. 9. Seaphochlamys Kunstleri. A, single leafy shoot with inflorescence. B, flower, excluding calyx. C, base of flower. D, longitudinal section through top of flower, the stamen intact. E, anther with stigma. F, back of top of anther. G, section of ovary showing ovules on a basal placenta and incomplete septa. eer) wee eae a eet FEET ae Ne OY Ba Dees “te, q + eon ‘peAaouiat Jowiq ALepuodes pAIYy} YIM ‘d se ‘q ‘paaoures IOMOY PUuodes Jo surleuIel pue yoviq Alepuosas puodes YIIM ‘gq se ‘ ‘I9MOY PAY} JO vseq 4YySI2 uo ‘I9MOY puovas jo SUIVUIAL ST jay uO { peaourer peig Ailepuoves say ynq ‘g se ‘O ‘yoriq Areutid 24} Suloey apis wor sures ‘q ‘yoviq Arepuoses ysiy 9} Aq peieAod snuutour JO S01 pue uedo JaMmoy PITY} YIM “Yovrq Jo opisul ‘yw “2uaz]suny shupjysoydnag ‘OL “SIy PE SIRI hem a te Fig. 11. A, Scaphochlamys rubromaculata, inflorescence with one open flower. B-F, S. tenwis. B, inflorescence; the fifth bract from the base has a fruit in its axil. C, a flower. D, stamen and base of staminodes. E, anther, lateral view. F, fully developed fruit, containing one seed. | 3mm D E Fig. 12. Scaphochlamys erecta. A, inflorescence. B, tips of two bracts. C, one cincinnus, showing first secondary bract on left, some shrivelled flowers and one flower-bud. D, base of cincinnus shown in C, as viewed from right. E, same viewed from left, with outer secondary bract and aoe flowers removed. fF, anther-crest and stigma. G, seed. Fig. 13. Scaphochlamys Klossii, a small plant with inflorescence; 4 outer sheaths removed. Fig. 14. Kaempferia rotunda, inflorescence with one open flower; on right, a stamen with style and stigma. p ee eS oy ‘ N | cm ns) i ke ae S ~.) B Fig. 15. Kaempferia pulchra. A, one leafy shoot with inflorescence. B, inflorescence and base of leaf-blade. C, inflorescence and peduncle, one flower expanded, corolla-lobes in normal position. D, flower from below, showing narrowed base of bilobed lip, 2 corolla-lobes (untwisted) and 2 stami- nodes. E, flower with staminodes and dorsal corolla-lobe removed, showing base of lip clasping stamen; c, anther- crest. F, inflorescence with 2 outer bracts removed, showing base of a flower with part of bilobed bracteole; on left, bract enclosing next flower. G, bilobed bracteole. H, sessile stamen with its crest (tip of crest turned backwards) and stigma. - ree or oe ~~ - oo ag late ea ne em tm Le - ae eee A owes TO UOTIWSSOS BSISASUPRI’ OUNOA TO WOoTi909S — [eUIpnyzSuo, ‘y “tamoy Jo uorjoas ‘q ‘sopourureys “SuLMoys “taMoy Jo MATA. quory < eo ee ee; ‘uedo Jamoy pity} pue (uses you ‘yoeq 4e [eotped) uarey IaMoy puodes ‘ieMmoy 4siy eet eet Wlory SurdojaAsp 4INAZ YIM SnuuroUID ve ‘gq ‘Ways SuIIomOy Jo doy ‘VY ‘plabvyou0s nwidj)p “QT “BIg ; - ie ta ote - ; | - . if i “ f vi \ ¥ Fig. 17. Catimbium muticum. A, inflorescence just expanded, with flowers in bud, the lower left-hand cincinnus in axil of a large sheath. B, cincinnus a enlarged, with large bracteole. C, cincinnus b enlarged, showing 3 flowers in bud and one small bracteole. D, mouth of flower. E, side view of flower. F, stamen and stigma. G, longi- tudinal section of flower. Fig. 18. Catimbium latilabre. A, young inflorescence, covered by its two sheaths, just emerging from top of leaf-sheaths. B, inflorescence with basal flowers open, upper enclosed by bracteoles. C, an open flower, calyx covered by bracteole. D, flower with bracteole removed, showing second flower enclosed by second bracteole. E, same enlarged, seen from opposite side. F, base of lip and stamen (dorsal petal removed) showing staminodes. G, stylodes. H, stamen and stigma. i le i a Fig. 19. Hornstedtia scyphifera. A, inflorescence, with one open flower and three old ones. B, inner part of inflorescence; a bract removed to show open flower with its bracteole, calyx and corolla; other flowers in bud covered. with their bracts. C, bracteole of an outer flower. D, mouth of open flower (lip and 2 corolla-lobes on right). E, another view, showing inner surface of lip. F, longi- tudinal section through lip and dorsal petal, showing staminode at base of lip. G, base of lip with its auricles removed, showing staminodes. H, anther from below. J, stigma. K, stylodes and base of style. L, part of an involucral bract, showing vertical ribs and white Sa eps M, inner bracts of an old inflorescence, with ruits. -* Fig. 20. Hornstedtia leonurus. A, base of leaf-shoot and inflore- scence; dotted line shows surface of ground. B, an old inflorescence with fruits. C, two views of bracteole enclosing two flowers; the right-hand drawing shows the inner bracteole between the flowers; one flower is represented by shrivelled calyx only. D, 0 of inner bracteole. E, common pedicel of two flowers with bracteole-scar at top and bract-scar at base; left-hand flower shows ovary and base of calyx, right-hand flower is covered with inner bracteole, ey. _ Fig. 21. Phaeomeria Maingayi. A, inflorescence and part of scape. B, oblique view of top of inflorescence. C, a flower, showing bilobed bracteole, split top of calyx, dorsal corolla-lobe (shorter than calyx) and lip. D, corolla-lobes and base of lip (calyx removed). E, on left an open flower (showing calyx and lower surface of lip), on right yesterday’s flower with shrivelled lip. F, stamen and stigma. G, top of one of the larger involucral bracts. ee ——— —— = — - =—= 2 ——— so a a —— - = — . idtbbilie + sal ~ st sO A MUD 8 — ATLU Uo ULL 9: ETS “SepojAys BSuULMOYS ‘ZeMOy FT y eee 2 aaa ” nace casa aseq Ysnory} UOT}oeS [eUIPNysuo[ ‘gq ‘e[oojovrq JNOYIIM ‘TaMOY ajsuls e ‘y ‘suabyn{ DIUIWOaDYT “ZS ‘Bi k Fig. 23. ' Achasma megalocheilos. A, an old inflorescence, with many shrivelled flowers and one expanded. B, yesterday’s flower, enclosed in its bracteole; calyx on left of shrivelled lip, corolla on right. C, top of open flower. D, view at 45 degrees to vertical, showing position of stigma in mouth of flower. E, bracteole, calyx (2 tips), corolla and base of lip. F, top of another flower, showing single tip of calyx on near side. G, stamen, style and stigma, with half of base of lip. H, two views of stylodes. [em Fig. 24. Amomum xanthophlebium, two views of stamen, style and stigma; on right, a bracteole. A-D, Amomum testacewm. A, an old inflorescence with 2 flowers at top. B, flower from above. C, flower from side, showing bracteole at base. D, two views of stamen and stigma. E, F, A. hastilabiwm. E, stamen. F, anther-crest and stigma. ‘Jeorped Jo doz ye afoajoerq pue jeorped sz uo AaMoy Surmoys ‘paaoutar 4o¥1q puoses ‘yoeiq Yyoes Jo [Ixe url PNq-ToMmoy ouo YIM 4sot ‘sy}BoYys Ysnory} Suryveiq soyoueaq [eseq OM} YIM ‘sdUedsadopUr ‘ns74ND Sisd0vwn}}9)q 8% “BI wrt aa ’ Y al lem jOem Fig. 29. Elettariopsis triloba. A, leafy shoot with inflorescence at its base. B, inflorescence with faded flowers and unopened buds. C, a complete flower (bracteole removed). D, two views of front of flower. E, stamen, style and stigma. F, stigma and top of anther-crest. G, two views of stylodes. H, scape of inflorescence, with bracts removed, showing buds which may form lateral inflores- cences. J, one of the inner primary bracts, and a bracteole. ee a ee } a _oe | " é z ov 3 Qe» sf e 4 a eee nA a "ik x C in 4 orn ad £s ¥ oT. Y. | a WH ( NEVA Fig. 31. Costus speciosus. A, top of flowering stem. B, inflores- cence with one open flower, and base of upper leaves. C, bracts, bracteoles (lateral) and calyces of two flowers. D, lower surface of stamen with style and stigma. E, mouth of flower, showing stamen. = pe Fig. 32. Costus speciosus. A, fruiting inflorescence with lower fruits open. B, transverse section of fruit ready to open; — endosperm cross-hatched, embryo dotted, aril blank. C, — a group of seeds, each seated on its white aril. D, a single seed and its aril. E, longitudinal section of flower. — F’, transverse section of flower below junction of lip and © stamen. G, transverse section of base of flower, showing calyx tube, nectar ducts in base of floral tube, and base of style. H, transverse section of ovary of a flower. — ‘SIIBY AV[N[[eoIuN SurMmoys ‘gqo]-xA[e9 jo diy ‘9 ‘apis 10y}0 Woy owes ‘gq ‘xA[eo pue sjooqjoeaq Sy ‘eha7pry ‘aeA snsoqoj)b snjysop ‘gg “BIA ee +4 < eeea eos eh a aD PUBLICATIONS: OF THE BOTANIC GARDENS | SINGAPORE as 1. The Agricultural Bulletin of the Malay Peninsula (ola eh Series) nos. 1-9, 1891-1900 (out of print). 2. The Agricultural Bulletin of the Straits and F.M.S. be (Second Series, monthly issues) Vols. 1-10, 1901— 1911. Most numbers are available, price 50 cents am each or $5 per volume. a 3. The Gardens’ Bulletin, Straits Settlements. | Vol. 1 nos. 1-5, January to May 1912 (as Agricul- tural Bulletin of the Straits and F.M.S., Third Series); nos. 6-12, December 1913—March ye 1917 (as The Gardens’ Bulletin, S.S.).. | Vol. 2 nos. 1-12, July 1918—August 1921. Vol. 3 nos. 1-12, August 1923—March 1925. Vol. 4 nos. 1-12, June 1926—January 1929. Re Vol. 5 nos. 1-12, August 1929—June 1982. ac Vol. 6 nos. 1-15, (issued as parts 1-3) December ae sf 1929—October 1930. Med Vol. 7 parts 1-38, September 1932—June 1934. Vol. 8 parts 1-4, October 1934—October 1935. Vol. 9 parts 1-4, December 1935—March 19388. Vol. 10 parts 1 and 2, January 1939—August 1939. Vol. 11 parts 1-3,.May 1939—August 1941. a o 4. The Gardens’ Builetin, Singapore. . Vol. 11 part 4, September 1947. ‘Vol. 12 part 1, April 1949. Vol. 12 part 2, December 1949. The above former issues of the Gardens Bulletin n may? 3s be purchased from the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, at $5 per volume or 50 cents per number for vols. 1-5 (V f of 15 numbers, $7.50) ; in some cases two or more nu were published together. Vols. 7-11 are publishe per volume; the prices of parts vary according size. The parts are published at gabe inter material is Sayeele- THE GARDENS’ BULLETIN SINGAPORE EE Vol. XIII Ist September 1951 Part 2 CONTENTS es ) PAGE iy A New Malayan Vanilla by R. E. HoLttum ae bent gt BO & \ The Marantaceae of Malaya by R. E. HoLtTuM .. we 254 ve A New Species of Knema by JAMES SINCLAIR .. A Sey gS | a4 PALMAE MALESICAE by C. X. FURTADO XI. The Malayan Species of Korthalsia .. «+. 300 The Malayan Species of Plectocomiopsis 2 ae The Genus Myrialepis Ser, an ao “Boo . The Species of Plectocomia in Malaya .. .. . 845 . The Genus Ceratolobus in Malaya as says * SOR . The Little-known Malayan Genus Calospatha C2 Be Price $10 _ Published by Authority Been SU, oa BS ‘Printep AT THE GOVERNMENT io Pattie OFFICE, SINGAPORR, eee: he < re BY V. C. G. GatRELL, GovERNMENT PRINTER Gi ut say et 1951 JAN 11 1952 linmpaoy THE GARDENS BULLETIN SINGAPORE BPAY 2A AMA AAA AAAA MM A2AMMA™A OMS» Vol. XIII Ist September 1951 Part-I] VV VV VV VV VV VPP AAA AYA AAO | A New Malayan Vanilla By R. E. HOLTTUM University of Malaya ~~ _ VANILLA plants of all species (with the exception of V. aphylla) are vegetatively much alike, and in the south of _ Malaya they rarely flower. The flowers also are short-lived. _ The few lowland plants actually seen in flower by botanists have all belonged to the species Vanilla Griffithii, and it has been assumed that this is the only lowland species of Vanilla in this country. Recently however :-Mr. J. A. le Doux found a flowering plant near Kota Tinggi, Johore, and this proved to be quite distinct from V. Griffithii in the form of the lip. It is also different from all recorded species from Sumatra, Borneo and Siam. In the structure of the flower, this new species. seems to be nearest to V. aphylla, which occurs in the north of Malaya. | Flowers of all species of Vanilla have a mass of append- ages of some sort in the middle of the lip, opposite the - anther. Pollination is affected by small bees which enter _ the tube formed by the joined lip and column. In returning _ from the bottom of the tube to its mouth, the insect must - surmount the obstacle formed by these appendages, and - in so doing comes into contact first with the stigma and _ then with the anther. In V. Griffithii the appendages consist — of very fine twisted woolly hairs. In V. montana Ridl., and in V. kinabaluensis Carr, the appendages are a series of _ thin plates. In the present new species there is a tuft of 251 INS i jem SS) NYY \ : : oy. ae Pa ( SJ a A\\ Gy hon Vanilla pilifera. Above, on left, a single flower; on right, lip and column fro1 Below, longitudinal section of lip and column. Li” re 253 fine curved but not twisted hairs, directed backwards to- wards the base of the column. The midlobe of the lip also is covered with thicker erect hairs, as in V. aphylla. The column is joined to the lip for almost the whole of its length, and then the side-lobes enfold the end of the column, which is not visible unless they are folded back. This arrangement contrasts with that of V. Griffithu, in which the column is joined to the lip for only one third of its length, and the side-lobes are reflexed, exposing the end of the column. Vanilla pilifera Holtt., sp. nov. Internodia 7-10 cm. longa. Folia c. 10-14 cm. longa, 4-5-5 cm. lata, basi rotundata, apice anguste acuminata; petioli 10-15 mm. longi. Inflorescentia c. 5 cm. longa, flores c. 9-12 ferens; bracteae latae, acutae, ad 10 mm. longae; pedicelli albi, ovaria viridia, pedicellus cum ovario ¢c. 3-5 cm. longa. Sepala pallide viridia, basi alba excepta, c. 3-4 * 1-1 cm. Petala.lactea, obtusa, dorso carina viride instructa, c. 1:6 cm. lata. Labellum album, intus pallide rubro-striatum, c. 3 cm. longum, ungue gynostemio adnatum; lobi laterales imbricati antherae obtegentes; lobus intermedius truncatus, marginibus tenuibus plicatis ornatus, medio incrassato pilis rectis 5 mm. longis instructus; unguis supra carinatus, infra canaliculatus, medio antherae opposito fasciculum pilorum tenuium basin labelli versus incumbentum ferens. ~Gynostemium 34, longitudine ungui labelli adnatum, 18 mm. longum, glabrum, album, basi antice carinis aurantiacis duobus instructum. TypPus: Johore, Kota Tinggi, leg. J. A. le Doux, April 1951, in Herb. Singap. Vol. XIII. (1951). The. Marantaceae of Malaya By R. E. HOLTTuM University of Malaya Summary of characters. Plants rhizomatous, the rhizome a sympodium, each new element ending in an erect leafy shoot ; rhizome elements usually short. Branches of all kinds, both vegetative and on the inflorescence, bearing first a 2-keeled prophyll backing on to the axis which bears the branch. Erect shoots bearing one to several distichous leaves, the leaves sometimes all basal, sometimes separated by short or long internodes, and usually a terminal inflores- cence; in a few cases the inflorescence borne on a separate shoot having only short sheaths, without foliage leaves. Leaf-blade usually elliptic to ovate, nearly always glabrous except sometimes for hairs on either side of the midrib beneath, sometimes with the upper surface variegated, the lower surface sometimes purple; lateral veins oblique, close, fine, with little distinction between main and subsidiary veins; petiole short or long, the portion immediately below the blade being thickened and round in section, often slightly curved; sheath short or long, sometimes hairy, the edges usually converging upwards and meeting in a point at the base of the petiole, often without a distinct ligule. /nflores- cence always with condensed cymose partial inflorescences in the axils of primary bracts, each successive branch of the cyme enclosed in a 2-3-keeled prophyll, often also with an unkeeled mesophyll opposite the prophyll and closing the gap between its edges. Primary bracts arranged in a simple spike, either distichous or spirally, or with lateral spikes in the axils of the lower bracts; spikes of second and third order sometimes developed. Flowers always paired, the two flowers of a pair usually. opening together, but sometimes not, and sometimes unequally stalked, one flower being the mirror image of the other. Ovary inferior, unilocular or trilocular (trilocular in Malayan species), one ovule in each loculus. Sepals free to the base, usually equal, usually narrow, sometimes persistent on the apex of the fruit. Corolla forming a tube with 3 lobes; lobes usually narrowly triangular or oblong. Staminodés and stamen Gardens Bulletin, S. 259 attached to the corolla-tube, sometimes forming a tube which extends some distance beyond the attachment of the corolla-lobes. Staminodes of the outer whorl two, rarely one; when two, placed on either side of the stamen, petaloid, often unequal, large or small. Staminodes of the inner whorl two, unequal, called the fleshy staminode and the hooded staminode. Fleshy staminode small or large, petaloid, usually broad, of thicker texture than the outer staminodes, bearing an oblique fleshy callus on which the stigma rests after release from the hooded staminode. Hooded staminode usually small, with hooded apex and usually a downward- pointing lobe on one side, enclosing the style and stigma until disturbed, and then releasing them. Stamen about as long as hooded staminode, bearing one half of an anther on one side, the other side more or less developed into a petaloid lamina (usually narrow). Style and stigma held erect at first by the hooded staminode, when released the upper part springing downwards to form an inverted U, the stigma resting on the callus of the fleshy staminode. Fruit dehiscent or indehiscent, containing 1 to 3 seeds; in dehiscent fruits the seeds bearing a bilobed basal aril, in indehiscent fruits the aril lacking. Seed containing a curved or sometimes straight embryo embedded in perisperm, with an opening for germination of the root closed by a special plug as in Musaceae and Zingiberaceae; a hollow (the perisperm canal) extending from near the plug into the interior of the seed, in the bay formed by the curve of the embryo, or parallel to the embryo when the latter is straight (Phrynium capitatum). Rhizome. In most Marantaceae the rhizome elements are short, the erect shoots standing close together. In Maranta arundinacea extended horizontal rhizome elements without leaves are produced, and shorter ones in other species, but in none native in Malaya. The rhizome bears numerous roots, which are usually not very thick, stiff, with few main branches but with many short secondary roots which stand out at right angles. Branching. The presence of a 2-keeled prophyll, backing the primary axis, as the first leaf on every new branch is apparently universal in the family. A similar prophyll occurs in several other families of Monocotyledons, inciuding (in the Order Scitamineae) Cannaceae (where it is hardly Vol. XIII. (1951). 256 © j keeled) Lowiaceae but not Zingiberaceae. It is said to occur also in the sub-family Strelitzioideae of Musaceae, but is not obvious in several species of Heliconia. The places at which branches can arise vary in different genera, and give rise to differences of habit. In some cases tufts of branches are produced; the basal internode of each new branch is very short, and a further branch may be produced in the axil of the first leaf. Such tufts are produced both on vegetative parts of plants and on inflorescences. Schumann also states that sometimes several buds may arise in one axil; but I have not seen this in Malayan species. Structure of erect shoots. The first leaf on a new shoot is a prophyll backing the main axis. Loesner states that the following leaves are distichous, beginning with the prophyll; but this is in many cases not clear. It more often appears that the bladeless sheaths which usually follow the prophyll, and the following leaves, lie in a plane at right angles to the prophyll. The transition to this plane seems sometimes to be abrupt, sometimes apparently gradual; but the exact relationships of successive leaves are not easy to understand. Once the plane of the distichous leaves is established, it is usually quite uniform; but Schumann remarks that in some cases a slight twist may be observed. I have not seen this in Malayan species; but, so far as present information goes, none of them has many leaves on a single shoot. The number of leaves on each shoot is usually limited and fairly constant within a species. Erect shoots of Malayan Marantaceae are of two types. In the commonest, all leaves on each shoot, or all but one, are borne close together near the base, the internodes being very short. In some cases, the last internode may be much elongated, a single leaf being raised well above the others, with the inflorescence beyond it at the apex of the shoot. The long internode is here called the peduncle, because it functions as such. The inflorescence may be produced imme- diately above the attachment of the upper leaf, or it may be raised still higher on a further extension of the axis of the shoot. Whether a long internode between two leaves occurs or not, the essential structure is the same. Within the genus Phrynium both conditions may occur. The other type of erect shoot is found only in Donax and Schumannianthus (among Malayan Marantaceae). These Gardens Bulletin, S. - : ; ia! 257 plants are known locally as Bemban and have long slender shoots of a single internode arising from the base of the plant, with tufts of leaf-shoots at their upper ends, each leaf-shoot ending in an inflorescence. The structure of these groups of shoots is sympodial. The original stem bears two or three leaves only beyond its long internode; the basal one of these then bears an axillary shoot, the basal leaf of this another, and so a series of shoots is produced, all close together, and each of limited growth with 2 or 3 leaves only. Leaf-blade. As in the other families of Scitamineae, the leaf is rolled in the bud, one half rolled inwards in a series of coils, the other half rolled outside it. The half rolled out- side is always narrower than the other half when the leaf expands. In some genera of Marantaceae the wider half is always to the same side of the midrib (right or left) ; in others alternately the right and then the left side is widest. The former condition is called homotropic, the latter anti- tropic. Leaves of Malayan genera appear to be all homo- tropic, but in some cultivated plants they are antitropic. Variegation occurs in several Malayan species, consisting usually of darker or lighter oblique stripes on either side of the midrib. There are several fairly commonly cultivated exotic species with much-variegated leaves, mostly from tropical America. The position of the blade, whether erect or bent back- wards, is often characteristic and is controlled by the thickened upper part of the petiole mentioned below. It should be noted that the turgidity of this organ may vary _ and with it the angle of the blade. Petiole. The single character by which any member of the family can be distinguished at a glance is the thickening ef the upper part of the petiole (or of the whole petiole where this is short, as in Donax). This thickened part is usually somewhat curved, round in section, and closes up the groove at the base of the midrib. Internally it has long and closely set radially disposed cells, in one or two series, which contain no chlorophyll; their turgidity appears to maintain the rigidity of the whole structure. This thickened part of the petiole seems to have no special name. It is sometimes called the knee, on account of its curvature, but this is not a good name for this whole structure, which may be 10 cm. long or more. It is sometimes called a pulvinus. Vol. XIII. (1951). — S4) A an * i< s, mkt 4 258 Lae The rest of the petiole is usually quite terete, sometimes’ _ laterally flattened. In Stachyphrynium Griffithi (and | perhaps also in other species inhabiting wet ground) it has longitudinal lacunae, closed by numerous cross-walls. The sheath has broad thin edges which overlap the other sheaths, as usual in Scitamineae. These edges converge up- wards and usually meet at an acute angle at the base of the petiole proper; sometimes they form a raised ligule where they meet, but more often not, and the ligule is never so conspicuous as in Zingiberaceae. Inflorescence. In all Malayan species except Stachyphry- nium Griffithi and S. cylindricum the inflorescence is terminal on a leaf-shoot. In these two species it is on a separate shoot branching from the base of a leaf-shoot and bearing only bladeless sheaths below the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are rare in Marantaceae. The inflorescence consists of an axis bearing primary bracts (usually broad and imbricating) arranged either in two ranks or spirally. In simple spikes (genera Stachyphry- nium and exceptionally Phrynium) each bract contains a condensed monochasial cyme bearing a few flowers. In. compound inflorescences the lower bracts have secondary spikes in their axils, and these again may have tertiary spikes in their lower axils, until in a species like Phrynium capitatum a compact head of many spikes is produced. This is exactly comparable with the close tufts of leaf-shoots at the ends of the erect stems of Donax. In Phacelophrynium the inflorescence is large and the lower bracts much spaced, so that it has a series of groups of subsidiary spikes and then a simple terminal spike. In all cases the subsidiary spikes bear first a 2-keeled prophyll backing on the axis of the main spike. Where the inflorescence is accompanied by a leaf, attached to the axis just below it (as often in Phrynium), the young inflorescence is protected by the sheath of the leaf, which stands erect, its petiole continuing the line of the axis. ~ When the inflorescence emerges, it must do so obliquely ; and : if it is much branched the branches must spread hori- zontally or even some of them below the horizontal, owing to reasons of space. Thus the inflorescence may appear to be lateral in the axil of the leaf, but it is not so. The condensed cymes in the axils of the bracts are peculiar in having all the flowers in pairs (except in a few Gardens Bulletin, S. 259 non-Malayan species). Each successive branch of the cyme ends in a pair of flowers, not a single flower as in Zingi- beraceae. This pair of flowers is backed by the usual 2-keeled prophyll; in front it bears a simple bract enclosed by the edges of the prophyll, and in the axil of this comes the next pair of flowers, protected again by their prophyll; and so on up to as many as ten pairs of flowers in seme Calatheas, but not more than about five pairs in native Malayan Marantaceae. The second and later prophyllis often have a median keel on their backs (sometimes a very high one) ; this keel lies between the flowers at the back of the prophyll, and the three keels together form two small chambers in which the flower-buds develop. The middle keel is however not always developed, and even in one inflorescence it is not equally developed on all prophylis. Schumann states that such 3-keeled prophylls are only found in Phacelophrynium among Malayan genera, but this is not correct. The bracts facing the prophylls are called. mesophylls by Schumann, and we will use that term for convenience. If the inflorescence in the axil of a bract is truly a monochasial cyme with a pair of flowers at the apex of each branch (and this appears to be the simplest interpretation), then each new branch is in the axil of a mesophyll: the meso- phylls are in fact an essential feature of the scheme. But in some genera (e.g. species of Stachyphrynium) the meso- phylls are quite absent. This must be a secondary develop- ment, and species lacking mesophylls are then to be regarded as réduced, not primitive. Schumann states that mesophylls are lacking in Phrynium, but this is incorrect. In some genera small bracteoles of various kinds occur, as well as prophylls and mesophylls. Among Malayan plants such bracteoles are only found in Donax and Schumanni- anthus, where they take the form of small fleshy bodies, quite un-leaf-like in appearance. In cultivated Calatheas the bracteoles are sometimes rather long and terete. Flowers. The flowers are quite asymmetrical in structure; but the two flowers of a pair are mirror images one of the _ other, so that together they make a symmetrical whole. _ They usually open together, and appear to be quite equal in status; but sometimes one is regularly opened a day or two before the other (Phrynium capitatum), and often the two have pedicels of different length. In the most nearly related Vol. XIII. (1951). 260 family, Cannaceae, the flowers are arranged in cincinni of two flowers only, the cincinni arranged spirally on the main axis of the shoot. It is possible to imagine that the pair of flowers of Marantaceae once was in the form of a cincinnus of two flowers as in Canna; but the arrangement of the bracteoles (in such species of Marantaceae as possess them) does not correspond to such an arrangement. Schumann reports that the rudiment of a third flower between the two is sometimes found; we may thus perhaps interpret this rudiment as the real apex of the group, and the pair of flowers as lateral, as in the ultimate branchings of a dichasial cyme. The flowers are nearly always quite small. Ovary. The ovary is inferior, trilocular in all Malayan species, with one ovule in each loculus. In the tribe Maranteae only one loculus is present, the other two remaining rudimentary. Sepals. The sepals are quite free, as in Canna. They vary a good deal in length, those of Donax being very short, while those of some species of Phrynium are 2.5 cm. long. Corolla. The tube of the corolla varies much in length. The three lobes are usually narrow and are not the most conspicuous part of the flower. Staminodes. The staminodes and stamen together are joined to the corolla-tube, or sometimes to a longer tube extending beyond the corolla-tube. There are normally four staminodes and one stamen, all five organs being different. They represent five of the six stamens normally present in a flower of Liliiflorae, one of the outer whor] being always absent. The two staminodes of the outer whorl (one only in Phacelophrynium but two in all other Malayan genera) are similar in appearance but usually unequal in size. They are placed one on each side of the stamen. In many cases they are as long as the corolla-lobes, or longer, and are the largest organs of the flower. They are usually delicate in texture, and often difficult to distinguish clearly in dried flowers. One of the three inner members is a fertile stamen, but carries only half an anther. It is joined to a usually narrow petaloid appendage which may be longer or shorter than the anther. Gardens Bulletin, S. : [ Ry i i =e 4 eye cee Pea ee I 261 The second of the inner staminodes is rather fleshy, much firmer than the outer staminodes, and usually has a fleshy flap or callus rising from its face; the callus is sometimes 2-lobed. This is called the fleshy staminode (staminodium callosum). It is sometimes called the labellum, but this is not a satisfactory term, as it is not at all comparable with the labella of Zingiberaceae nor of Orchidaceae. The third inner staminode is always rather small. It is called the hooded staminode (s. cucullatum). The apex is hooded and the sides inflexed, one side having a triangular appendage or lobe which projects laterally or downwards. The hooded part of this staminode encloses the style and stigma. Style and stigma. The style is joined to the inside of the flower-tube, not free from it as in Zingiberaceae; it is free only from the base of the hooded staminode. The stigma is 3-lobed, more or less irregularly, with a hollow between the lobes which is the receptive part. At the time of opening of the flower, the stigma has developed an internal tension which causes it to bend over with explosive force as soon as it is liberated from the hooded staminode. This liberation takes place as soon as the staminode is disturbed by a slight touch, or even by shaking the flower. When the stigma is so liberated, it bends over until it comes into contact with the fleshy staminode, on the callus of which it rests. The anther sheds its pollen before the flower-bud opens (probably the day before) as in Canna. The pollen consists of large clear spherical grains which adhere together. In the bud, the anther is placed very near the style, and the pollen is deposited just below the stigma, in exactly the same way as in Canna (as reported by Costerus; see below). When the stigma is liberated from the hooded staminode, the pollen is on its back, on a flattened area, whence it may be removed by a visiting insect, if an insect has caused the liberation of the stigma. At the same time, if the insect has already gathered pollen from another flower, this pollen may come into contact with the hollow of the stigma. as it passes downward. The possibility of cross-pollination in this way may undoubtedly exist, but has been rarely observed. It is however clear that self-pollination is almost impossible, as once the open mouth of the stigma is in contact with the fleshy staminode, no pollen can reach it. Vol. XIII. (1951). 262 Floral morphology. The above interpretation of the flower is that of Schumann, based on anatomical investigations of earlier authors. The stamen, fleshy staminode and hooded staminode are considered to represent the three members of the inner whorl of stamens. The Canna flower, on the other hand, though having the same number of parts, is much less easy to interpret and various authors have differed in their interpretation of it. The last investigation was by Costerus, who arrived at the new conclusion that the petaloid and fertile parts of the anther of Canna are of separate origin, the fertile part being a portion of one of the outer staminodes. Having arrived at this result (from a study of the course of vascular bundles in the flower-bud), Costerus proceeded to examine a Marantaceous flower, to see how the structure compared with that of Canna. He claims that the structure in the two cases is identical (see Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenz. 30: 59-90 and pls. 15-14 1918). His theory is that the inner whorl of stamens is represented by the fleshy and hooded staminodes and by the petaloid appendage to the anther, the anther itself being part of an outer staminode. This would explain the curious fact that the two outer staminodes are not equal, the smaller one being that to which the half-anther is said to belong. The drawings given by Costerus are not very satisfactory, nor is his statement (to my mind) set forth sufficiently fully; but if his theory is correct it correlates exactly the structures of the flowers of Canna and Marantaceae, and also supplies a more symmetrical arrangement for Maranta- ceae by balancing the two outer staminodes. It does not however explain the complete absence of the smaller outer staminode in some cases (Phacelophrynium and Calathea). A very remarkable parallel in the structure of Canna and Marantaceae concerns the stamen and stigma. In both cases the anther is in close contact with the style in the flower-bud, and in both pollen is shed before the flower opens, adhering to the style close to the stigma. The struc- ture of the stigma in Canna is however quite different, and there is nothing comparable with the arrangement of the hooded staminode and the springing style. It is clear how- ever that Cannaceae and Marantaceae are much more closely related together than either is to Zingiberaceae, where the flowers are quite symmetrical. Gardens Bulletin, S- 263 Fruit and seed. All Malayan Marantaceae belong to the division of the family having a trilocular ovary, but the ovules in all loculi do not always develop into seeds, so that one- or two-seeded fruits are not uncommon, and may he characteristic in certain species. A more definite distinction is that between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits. The seeds have a two-lobed basal aril, the lobes usually much shorter than in Zingiberaceae. The aril-lobes also here serve a function which they do not perform in Zingibera- ceae; they are turgid and assist in forcing the dehiscence of the fruit. Schumann states that they are absent in. indehiscent fruits, but Gagnepain describes a small aril for the seeds of Donax arundastrum; if such an aril is present. it is rudimentary. System of Classification. The main basis of classification of the Marantaceae of the New World (by far the major part of the family) was established by Ko6rnicke and Eichler. A large number of the species were introduced to cultivation in Europe as ornamental plants, and so could be studied in the living state, and Eichler also received from S. America material preserved in alcohol. This classification of Eichler was maintained with minor changes in Schu- mann’s monograph of the family in the Pflanzenreich (1902). But the Old World species had not received such a thorough study, nor had such good or ample material been available. Schumann sought to remedy the position by studying such material as he could, and he re-arranged the genera and described a number of new species. He also saw the original collections on which Blume based his species and re-described them. Schumann’s work however was not altogether satisfactory, as may be judged from the fact that he entirely overlooked the presence of mesophylls and tricarinate prophylls in the inflorescence of Phrynium, and of mesophylls in some species of Stachyphrynium. He also misinterpreted the genus Donax Lour. and re-named it Actoplanes, instead of providing a new generic name for Clinogyne dichotoma. Malayan Marantaceae (sixteen known species, two of them from imperfect single collections only) form such a ‘small minority of the family that it is hard to judge the general validity of Schumann’s scheme of genera from them alone. When ample good material from Borneo and Sumatra is available we shall be in a better position to Vol. XIII. (1951). 264 Judge. At present it is clear that Donax and Schumanni- anthus, though closely allied, are distinct. Phrynium, in the sense here adopted, is a group of closely allied species, but whether it is sharply distinct from Stachyphrynium is not certain; and Stachyphrynium itself, as represented by the four Malayan species now known, is not at all uniform. Stachyphrynium is in fact much less uniform than Schumann thought. Phacelophrynium appears distinct, re- sembling Calathea on the one hand in its single outer staminode, and Phrynium on the other in its much branched inflorescence and absence of bracteoles (in the strict sense here used). Thus we retain Schumann’s genera, amending the descriptions to cover details of the inflorescence which Schumann had not seen, while doubting the status of Stachyphrynium. In general, the floral structure of Marantaceae is so uniform that it offers few characters by which main divi- sions of the family can be made. The only one of importance for Malayan species is the presence of one or two outer staminodes. Apart from this, as in Zingiberaceae, characters of the inflorescence (the arrangement of bracts, of branch- ing, and the nature of the bracteoles) are of the greatest importance. KEY TO THE GENERA OF MARANTACEAE IN MALAYA Leaves mostly on short shoots from the apex of long slender aerial stems; axes of inflorescence very slender, with narrow deciduous bracts Fruit indehiscent, round and shining; flowers 1—2 cm. long 1. Donax. Fruit dehiscent, 3-lobed, not shining; flowers 4 cm. long 2. Schumannianthus. Leaves all from the base of the plant, except sometimes one on each shoot accompanying the inflorescence; axis of inflorescence stiff and erect; bracts imbricating, not deciduous Inflorescence a simple unbranched spike Bracts 2-ranked 3. Stachyphrynium. Bracts spirally arranged 4. Phrynium (p.p.). . Inflorescence with secondary spikes in the axils of basal bracts, branch-spikes of 3rd and higher orders some- times present Gardens Bulletin, S. ae 1 rie J e =e ——— -~ es. ee Tl 265 Bracts spirally arranged, all imbricating; two outer staminodes 4. Phrynium. Bracts 2-ranked, the lowest two primary bracts widely spaced; one outer staminode only 5. Phacelophrynium. Distribution. The family Marantaceae is almost confined to the wetter parts of the tropics. Like Zingiberaceae, it contains no xerophytic species, and most are shade-plants of the forest. The total number of species was stated by Loesener (in Pflanzenfam. Ed. 2, Vol. 154; 1930) to be about 360, as against 1,300 in Zingiberaceae. A majority of the species are found in the northern part of South America, principally the large genus Calathea of about 130 species, almost entirely confined to that area. There are a number of species in the wetter parts of West Africa, but far fewer in East Africa, corresponding with climatic — conditions. In Malaysia are far fewer species than in the New World. It is however quite likely that more exist in Borneo and Sumatra than are hitherto known; and those known are in most cases not well described. In Malaya we here admit sixteen species, two of them known only from incomplete single collections. Four species are known to be common in all parts of the country; Donax grandis, Schumannianthus dichotomus, Phrynium capitatum and Stachyphrynium Griffith. It is probable that several other species are much more common than is indicated by existing collections. Often they are neglected by collectcrs because of the absence of flowers (which may be seldom produced) or because flowers are not obvious and are overlooked (e.g. the small species of Stachyphrynium). As in Tropical Africa and America, a few Asiatic species are very widely distributed; among these are the first three of the four listed above. It is very probable that the fourth also occurs in other parts of Western Malaysia, but it has not been definitely reported, unless it is identical with Stachyphrynium latifolium of Java. It seems arguable from existing information that the family Marantaceae is not in as active a state of evolution in Malaysia as Zingiberaceae. It is no doubt a more recent family, and also it must have originated in the American tropics, travelling by slow progress to Malaysia; but it has been here long enough to produce species which, though confined to shady forest, have spread over very large areas Vol. XIII. (1951). 266 (e.g. Phrynium capitatum). In Zingiberaceae we have a number of species which are certainly of local distribution, indicating active evolution, especially in the genera Scap- hochlamys, and Geostachys. Perhaps the apparent lack of such in Marantaceae is due to the shorter time available and partly also to our ignorance. Though vegetatively most Marantaceae are vigorous, their floral organization is per- haps not an advance in efficiency on that of Zingiberaceae, though it is true that many species fruit quite freely. — DONAX LOUR. Tall plants of tufted habit with slender woody stems rising in a single internode from the ground to 2 m. or more tall and then in a much shorter internode to the next leaf. Branching regularly sympodial throughout, each axillary shoot bearing first a short 2-keeled sheath backing on to the main axis, then close to it an unkeeled bladeless sheath and a foliage leaf, then one or two more leaves separated by longer or shorter internodes and a terminal inflorescence. Leaf-blades of moderate size, ovate to elliptic; petioles short, the whole thickened and terete; sheaths much longer than petioles, with distinct short ligule. Inflorescence with few to many branches arising near the base, branches drooping or pendulous, all slender with alternate bracts at intervals of 1-1-5 em.; bracts narrow with inflexed edges, much longer than the internodes. Flowers white, 1-2 pairs in the axil of each bract, each pair with a thin 2-keeled bract and 2 small fleshy bracteoles near the apex of their pedicels. Common pedicel of a pair of flowers nearly as long as the bract; separate pedicels of the two flowers unequal; pedicels thickened much at fruiting. Sepals short and narrow. Corolla-tube shorter or longer than sepals, lobes fairly long. Tube of staminodes and stamen about as long as corolla-tube. Outer staminodes 2, about as large as corolla-lobes. Anther with a small petaloid appendage of equal length. Fruit spherical indehiscent, containing 1-3 seeds; seeds not arillate. Bentham, in Genera Plantarum, included in the genus Clinogyne both African and Asiatic species, taking the name of the genus from Salisbury (1812) who founded it on Phrynium dichotomum Roxb. (1810). Schumann, in pre- paring his monograph of the Marantaceae for Engler’s Pflanzenreich, decided that the African species of Clinogyne Gardens Bulletin, S. 267 sensu Benth. constituted a genus distinct from the Asiatic ones; the latter he further divided into two genera. Con- fusingly, he used the name Clinogyne for the African species, though it had originally been used for an Asiatic one, on the plea that Salisbury’s name was a nomen nudum and that the genus really dated from Bentham. Bentham indeed quoted the name as nomen tantum, and no other person had used it. Having retained the name Clinogyne for the African Species (a majority in Bentham’s genus), Schumann had to find two new generic names for the Asiatic ones. One of them had already been called Donax by Loureiro; but Schumann (apparently following Ridley) applied Loureiro’s name to the wrong species, and re-named Loureiro’s genus Actoplanes. Thus the second Asiatic genus still lacked a name, which was supplied in 1904 by Gagnepain, who called it Schumannianthus. If however Salisbury’s name was valid, this genus should have been called Clinogyne, and the African genus re-named. We thus have the confusing situation that Donax arund- astrum of Ridley and Schumann is Schumannianthus dichotomus (Roxb.) Gagnep.; the true Donax arundastrum of Loureiro is apparently equivalent to Actoplanes canni- formis of Schumann. That Schumann was mistaken is clear from Merrill’s statement (Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. N.S. 24: 120. 1935) that Rolfe had examined Loureiro’s type; but indeed Loureiro’s description itself is sufficient to indicate the true nature of his plant. As indicated under D. grandis, there is some doubt as to the correct name of our species. If I am wrong in uniting it with Miquel’s Sumatran species, the name Ridley: of Schumann must be revived and a new combination made. The habit of Donax, with its very long slender erect stems bearing leafy branches at their apex, is peculiar among Malayan plants and makes it easy to recognize. The leaf at the top of the long stem bears a branch in its axil; this in turn bears another branch in the axil of its first foliage leaf, and this again; after a time the original stem- apex flowers, fruits, dies and falls off, leaving a scar, and the next also, so that old stems hear a succession of such scars, arranged in a spiral manner. The stem then appears like a continuous axis with the scars of fallen lateral branches; but it is really a sympodium. Vol. XT. (1951). 268 Not only the basal leaf of each new shoot may bear an axillary shoot, but the second leaf also and this again will repeat the branching process on a smaller scale producing in time a tuft of shoots, the old ones falling after they become old. Thus the whole plant consists of tufts of short leafy shoots separated by longer or shorter lengths of slender stem. Each tuft is very like the tuft of shoots produced by a rhizomatous species, but instead of the Sympodium being at ground level it is raised high into the air. The plants are well known to the Malays as Bemban, and are used extensively for making baskets. Leaf-blade to 30 by 20 cm. widest near truncate base; corolla-tube much longer than sepals 1. D. grandis. Leaf-blade to 20 by 9 em. nearly elliptic; corolla-tube shorter than sepals 2. D. parviflora. 1. Donax grandis (Miq.) Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 176. 1899. Flora 4: 286. Maranta grandis Miquel, Fl. Ind. Bat. Suppl. 616. 1860. Actoplanes Ridleyi K. Schum., Pflanz- enr. Marant. 35. 1902. Fig. 1. Main stems 2-5 metres tall, then branching copiously; stems of second order to 50 cm. or more long. Leaf-blade varying much in size, to about 30 by 20 cm., sometimes proportionately narrower, nearly always widest in the basal half and usually quite near the almost truncate base, apex very shortly pointed, lower surface pale, hardly glaucous, with hairs on either side of the prominent midrib; petiole 15-2'5 em. long, hairy on the upper surface; ligule very short; sheath varying much in length, to about 20 cm. long. Inflorescence branched, often with many branches, to about 30 cm. long, rachises slender. Primary bracts 1:2-1:5 cm. apart, 2:3-3-2 em. long, each with 1 or 2 pairs of flowers. Two-keeled bract c. 15 cm. long. Common pedicel of pair of flowers 2-5-8 em: long; pedicels of individual flowers ec. 25 and 5 mm. long; a fleshy conical bracteole c. 2 mm. long at the junction of the pedicels and another on the longer pedicel. Sepals about 3 mm. long, narrow, white. Corolla-tube c. 8-10 mm. long, white ; lobes 1-:0—1:4 cm. long and 4—5 mm. wide, white. Stamen-tube a little longer (3—4 mm.) than corolla-tube. Outer staminodes equal or slightly unequal, widening from a narrow base, c. 1:3 em. long and 5 mm. wide, white or tinged with yellow near tip. Fleshy staminode broad, yellowish, nearly as long as the outer Fig. 1. Donax grandis. A, a branch of the inflorescence, showing a stalked pair of flowers and their bract. B, the unequal pedicels of a pair of flowers, each with a fleshy bracteole, and of each flower the ovary, sepals and base of tube. C, a .\ single flower, showing the three spréading petals, two broader outer staminodes, and the tall fleshy staminode fi embracing the inner parts. D, the fleshy staminode, with stamen (anther dotted) and back of hooded staminode. E, inner view of hooded staminode, from the down- Bites stigma has escaped; anther and its appendage in front on . F, fleshy staminode of the other flower, being a mirror image of that shown 5 callus is marked C. G, a pair of fruits; persistent bract embraces their common <. H, longitudinal section of seed, showing curved embryo and perisperm canal. ¥ 270 — staminodes, basal part of callus hairy. Hooded staminode 9 mm. long, yellowish, with a broad lateral lobe. Stamen | 8 mm. long, with a narrow petaloid appendage a little longer than the anther. Fruit on much thickened pedicel, smooth and shining, almost spherical, 1 cm. diameter or rather larger, indehiscent. Seeds usually two, sometimes 1 or 3, without aril; surface rugose. This is the large species of Donax which is common in lowland forest throughout Malaya. It does not agree with Schumann’s description of Donax arundastrum Lour. from Indo-China, and Ridley was probably right in identifying it with Miquel’s Sumatran species, though I have seen no authentic specimen of the latter. The two chief points of difference between D. grandis of Malaya and D. arund- astrum are the large leaves with very broad base and the usually 2-seeded fruit of D. grandis, as against the smaller elliptic leaves and invariably 1-seeded fruit of D. arund- astrum. The latter characters are given by Schumann for his Actoplanes canniformis (based on Thalia canniformis Forst., type from the New Hebrides), and indeed Gagnepain gives A. canniformis as a synonym of D. arundastrum. If the species of Loureiro and of Forster are identical, canni- formis is the older name and should replace arundastrum. The largest Peninsula specimens have leaves strikingly larger and different in shape from any I have seen from outside Malaya, except a few from Sumatra, which agree exactly. It seems likely therefore that our species is found only in Malaya, Sumatra and perhaps in Borneo. It is however so nearly allied to D. canniformis (or D. arund- astrum) that some may prefer to unite the two and regard the species as distributed from Burma and Indo-China through Malaysia to the islands of the Pacific. The dimensions of flower-parts given above are from a living plant in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. 2. Donax parviflora Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 53: 59. 1910. Flora Oe Ay A Habit of D. canniformis but smaller. Leaf-blade c. 10 by 5-5 to 20 by 9 em., nearly elliptic, apex shortly acuminate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, lower surface with stiff hairs on either side of midrib: petiole 1:2-1:8 cm. long, with short stiff hairs on upper surface; sheaths to c. 12 em. long. Inflorescence with several branches; internodes bet- ween primary bracts c. 8-11 mm. long. Primary bracts Gardens Bulletin, S. / 271 ce. 1:7-2:1 cm. long. Common pedicel of pair of flowers. 15-2 cm. long. Individual pedicels c. 2 and 5 mm. Flower without ovary c. 1 cm. long. Ovary silky-hairy. Sepals 2:5. mm. long. Corolla-tube shorter than sepals, lobes 8-9 mm. long. Fruit c. 1 cm. diameter, nearly round, smooth with sparse hairs, 1l- or 2-seeded, seeds as in D. canniformis. This species is nearly related to D. canniformis but as. pointed out by Ridley differs in the much smaller flowers. as well as in smaller size of plants. The corolla-tube is also shorter than the calyx, not longer as in D. grandis. No good flowers are available, so that a comparison of the other parts is not possible. D. parviflora is only known from Malaya and Sumatra (specimens in Singapore herbarium). SPECIMENS. Pahang: K. Tembeling, Ridley 2402. Pulau Tawar, | Ridley 2401. Pasir Loyang, Ridley s.n. 7.7.1891. Kelantan: Kota Bahru, Ridley s.n. February 1917. Perak: Ipoh, Ridley 11931. Selangor: Batu Caves, Ridley 13393 (lectotype). SCHUMANNIANTHUS GAGNEP. Vegetative habit similar to that of Donax. Inflorescence simple or with one branch only. Corolla-tube much shorter than calyx (one lobe only is free almost to base of flower) ; lobes much longer than tube. Tube of staminodes much longer than corolla-tube. Fruit dehiscent, 3-celled. Seeds 1-3, arillate. The history of this genus is explained under Donax, as due to an error by Schumann in interpreting Loureiro’s Donax arundastrum. The type species of Schumannianthus is also the type species of Clinogyne Salisb., and if that genus should prove valid, then it is the correct one for our species. Schumannianthus has however been accepted by Merrill and other authors and is here accepted also, but I have not seen Salisbury’s publication. Schumannianthus is a genus of two species, S: dichotomus and S. virgatus. The latter occurs in Ceylon and southern India, the former in Burma, Indo-China and Malaysia. The main distinction between Schumannianthus and Donax is in the fruit, which is dehiscent in one but not in the other. This appears a valid generic distinction, though certainly the two genera are nearly allied. There is also a difference in the flowers, the stamen-tube being greatly elongated in Schumannianthus but not in Donax. Vol. XIII. (1951). i 242 As regards dehiscent and indehiscent fruits in Maranta- ceae, Schumann points out that in the former the seeds are arillate but not in the latter. The aril sometimes serves as a spring to aid the dehiscence of the fruit. In Schumanni- anthus dichotomus the aril is curiously coiled and flattened; | whether it can act as a spring in the same way as the aril — of Calathea figured by Schumann is unknown. Schumannianthus dichotomus (Roxb) Gagnep., Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 1904: 176. Fl. Gen. Indoch. 6: 122. Clinogyne dichotoma Salisb., Trans. Hort. Soc. 1: 276. 1812. Bak., F.B.I. 6: 258.1892. Phrynium dichotomum Roxb., Asiat. Res. 11: 324. 1810. Donax arundastrum sensu Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 33. 1902. et Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 177; Flora 4: 286; non Loureiro. Branching as in Donax arundastrum but main stems shorter; whole plant c. 1:5 to 2:5 m. tall. Leaf-blade ce. 10-15 cm. long and to 65 cm. wide, elliptic, apex acute (hardly acuminate), base rounded or broadly cuneate, both sur- faces glabrous; petiole 5-8 mm. long, short-hairy; ligule c. 2 mm. long; sheath 6-11 cm. long. Inflorescence to c. 30 cm. long, simple or sometimes with one branch near the base; internodes c. 1-5-2 em. long. Primary bracts ¢. 3-5—4:2 cm. long; 2-keeled bracts c. 2 cm. long. Common pedicel of pair of flowers c. 25 cm. long; individual pedicels c. 2-3 mm. and 8-12 mm., bracteoles fleshy, 3 mm. long. Total length of flower c. 4 em., the whole white except for yellow on staminodes. Sepals c. 6-7 mm. long, narrow, faintly pinkish. One corolla-lobe free almost to base of flower, the others joined together and to staminodes for a length of 10 mm., distal halves of all lobes spreading; free corolla-lobe ce. 2‘7-8 ecm. long and 5—7 mm. wide, widening from a narrow base, blunt. Tube of staminodes ce. 2:4 cm. long; outer staminodes c. 2:3 em. long and 10 mm. wide; inner much shorter; stamen c. 5 mm. long. Fruit more or less hairy, widening upwards from the base, 3-lobed, dehis- cent; c. 1:2 cm. long. Seeds 1-3; aril present, consisting of two long narrow lobes which are coiled and flattened to form a cup round the base of the seed. This species is distributed from Burma to Indo-China and widely in Malaysia. In Malaya it is found throughout the country in swamps and by rivers, ‘forming thickets in the water’ (Ridley). It has a habit similar to that of Donax grandis but is smaller, and is easily recognized by its smaller Gardens Bulletin, S. 273 leaves, inflorescences with longer bracts and larger flowers and its dehiscent fruits of distinctive shape. Malays recog- nize the similarity of the two species by calling the present one Bemban ayer (water Bemban). STACHYPHRYNIUM K. SCHUM. (Emend.) Erect shoots very short, bearing 2 or 3 leaves. Leaves small to large, on relatively long petioles. Inflorescence terminal on a leaf-shoot, sometimes with a leaf on the peduncle, or on a separate shoot bearing bladeless sheaths only at the base; peduncle short or long; flower-bearing portion a simple unbranched spike of few to many distichous bracts. Flowers 1-5 pairs in the axil of each bract, each pair of flowers with a 2-keeled prophyll, mesophylls some- times also present, apparently all 2-keeled. Sepals short and narrow, equal. Corolla-tube longer than the sepals. Outer staminodes 2, obovate from a narrow base, usually about as long as the petals. Inner staminodes shorter. Fruit dehiscent, usually 2-seeded; seeds with bilobed deflexed aril. This genus was founded by Schumann in his Pflanzenreich monograph, to comprise those species, formerly included in Phrynium, which had a simple spike, in constrast to the much-branched inflorescences usual in Phrynium. He fur- ther stated that Stachyphrynium had 2-ranked bracts (in Phrynium they are spirally arranged), one pair of flowers to each bract and no mesophylls. But examination of speci- mens show that the two latter characters are incorrect. Not only has S. Griffithii up to 5 pairs of flowers (as Schumann himself realized), but 2 pairs with a rudiment of a third occur in S. Jagorianum; and in S. Griffithvi there are quite large mesophylls present. The only real distinction from Phrynium then lies in the distichous bracts; for there are species of Phrynium which have a simple unbranched spike. Then we have also the consideration that S. Griffithi (and probably also S. latifoliwm from Java) has the in- florescence on a separate shoot, as well as possessing mesophylls, in both differing from S. Jagorianum. Should this constitute a generic distinction? If so, we have to divide Stachyphrynium into two parts, and make a new genus for S. Griffithii and its allies. In what genus then shall we place the unnamed species herein briefly described ? It has a terminal inflorescence with mesophylls present. Vol. XIII. (1951). 274 On the other hand, the genus Calathea includes species with distichous and with spiral bracts. If it is possible to include species-so differing in a single genus, why not re-unite Stachyphrynium to Phrynium? With the few species at my disposal, I do not feel able to.-come to a satisfactory decision on the matter, but my inclination is to revert to a large genus Phrynium. If this is not done, — I suggest that the present Stachyphrynium should be sub- divided. . | KEY TO MALAYAN SPECIES OF STACHYPHRYNIUM Inflorescence terminal on the leaf-shoots ; Peduncle without a leaf attached to it, usually short; inflorescence of about 4 bracts; no mesophylls 1. S. Jagorianum. Peduncle c. 18 em. tall with a leaf near the apex; spike with many more bracts; mesophylls present 2. Stachyphrynium sp. Inflorescence on separate shoots bearing bladeless sheaths only Bracts with spreading ends, forming -pouches; greatest width of inflorescence including bracts 3:5 cm. 3. S. Griffithu. Bracts with ends hardly spreading; inflorescence 1:2—1-5 cm. wide (wider when fruiting) 4. S. cylindricum. 1. Stachyphrynium Jagorianum (K. Koch) K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 48. 1902. Ridl., Flora 4: 288. Phry- nium Jagorianum K. Koch., Berl. Wochenschr. 6: 358. 1863. Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 179. Leafy shoots bearing 2 or 3 leaves and a terminal in- florescence. Leaf-blade commonly to about 17 by 5 ecm., sometimes to 20 by 8 cm. (or larger ?), nearly oblong with a broadly cuneate to rounded base and abruptly short pointed apex, usually short-hairy on lower surface of midrib and lamina, upper surface with oblique bars of darker green; petiole thickened part to about 1 cm. long, rest 10-20 cm. or more, slender ; sheath to about 10 em. long. Peduncle of inflorescence usually about 1 cm. long, ex- ceptionally to 15 cm. (?). Spike of about 4 distichous | bracts c. 2 em. long, glabrous, acute. Flowers small, white, 1 or 2 pairs to each bract, each pair with a 2-keeled brac- teole; no other bracteoles. Sepals 3 mm. long. Corolla-tube 1:7 cm. long, lobes 9 mm. long. Outer staminodes unequal, Gardens Bulletin, S. x Loe wie =, Pa eS Pee ee 275 the larger obovate, 9 mm. long. Inner staminodes ce. 5 mm. long, yellow at apex. Capsule about 1.2 cm. long, 2-seeded ;. seeds oblong, brown, smooth, rounded on one face and flat on the other, with 2-lobed red aril. This species was described from a plant cultivated in Germany, sent from Malaya. It appears to be locally abundant in half-shady places, not in primary forest, but does not flower freely (or the flowers have not been seen), which perhaps explains why it has been collected few times. The inflorescence is usually right at the base of the plant; but two specimens which otherwise seem similar have it on a slender peduncle, in one case 7 cm. in the other 16 cm. long. The dimensions of the parts of the flower are taken from Schumann. The dried flowers on Ridley’s Dusun Tua plants seem rather smaller, but this may be due to shrinkage on drying. Schumann states that there is only one pair of flowers to each bract; I have found two, with rudiments of a third, on the only two specimens showing good flowering material. SPECIMENS. Perak: Sungei Kulim, S.F.N. 13807 (Burkill and Haniff). Grik, S.F.N. 13626 (Burkill and Haniff; sterile). Penang: Pulau Boetong, Curtis 2523. Trengganu: Kuala Telu- mong, Holttum s.n. 13.5.1925. Pahang: Pelangai, S.FN. 16773. (Burkill and Haniff). Selangor: Dusun Tua, Ridley 7793. Batu Caves Estate, Ridley s.n. 1896. Negri Sembilan: Tampin-K. Pilah Rd., S.F.N, 2813 (Burkill). 2. Stachyphrynium sp. Erect shoots bearing 2 or 3 basal leaves and another leaf on the peduncle below the inflorescence. Leaf-blade about 30 by 12 em., base broadly rounded; petiole and sheath of leaf accompanying inflorescence 35 cm. long, the sheath 7-5 cm. Inflorescence a simple spike; peduncle 18 em. from base of plant, the leaf attached at a height of 14 cm., leaving a free peduncle of 4 cm. below the spike. Spike c. 10 em. long. Bracts c. 3 cm. long, short-hairy towards the tips, tips broad, shortly apiculate, not very soon breaking down to a fibrous condition. Flowers 2-3 pairs to each bract. Sepals apparently c. 8 mm. long. This species is represented by a single specimen collected by Ridley at Temango in Perak (s.n., July 1909). referred it to Phrynium Jagorianum but it is much lar si than that species and differs in the long-stalked inflorescence and the presence of mesophylls. Vol. XIII. (1951). 276 The flowers are not well enough preserved to show details and it is impossible to say whether one or two outer staminodes are present. In the distichous bracts and presence of mesophylls this Species agrees with Stachyphrynium Griffithii; but it has a terminal inflorescence on the leaf-shoot. It adds another combination of characters to the already rather heterogene- ous Stachyphrynium, but seems best placed in this genus pending further information, on account of its simple spike of distichous bracts. When a decision on the status of Stachyphrynium is made, it may be necessary to remove this species to another genus. 3. Stachyphrynium Griffithii (Bak.) K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 49. 1902. Ridl-, Flora 4: 287. Phrynium Griffithu Bak., F.B.I.. 6: 260. 1892. -Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S2 52 eee Phrynium spicatum Griff., Notul. 3: 408. 1851, (not of Roxb.). Hitchenia musacea Bak., F.B.I. 6: 225. 1892. Fig. 2. Habit tufted, 2-8 leaves to each shoot, stems of shoots very short. Leaf-blade 35 by 10-5 to 55 by 16 to 65 by 26 cm., narrowly ovate, the basal 2-3 cm. narrowly cuneate, widening abruptly to a broadly rounded base, then very gradually to the rounded and very shortly acuminate apex, surfaces glabrous, upper dark green with paler broadly channelled midrib, lower slightly glaucous with strongly raised yellow-green midrib; thickened apical part of petiole c. 7-9 cm. long, rest of petiole to c. 100 cm. long, not grooved; sheath to c. 45 cm. long; no evident ligule. Inflores- cence on a separate branch from base of plant, its base protected by several 2-ranked sheaths, the longest c. 10-15 cm. long. Scape 5-20 cm. long, glabrous, pale green and shining. Spike 12-20 cm. long with up to ce. 18 distichous bracts, total width including the spreading apices of the bracts c. 3-5 em. Bracts pale green to buff, c. 3:-5—4 cm. long (lowest often longer), 4 cm. wide when flattened, their sides closely overlapping, the apical 14, curved outwards and forming an open pouch, the apex broadly rounded and very shortly tipped. Flowers to 5 pairs in axil of each bract, each pair of flowers protected by a 2-keeled bract to 2 cm. long; broad mesophylls also present; flowers white, fragrant. Sepals 5-6 mm. long, narrow. Corolla-tube Slender, widened near top, nearly 3 cm. long; lobes rolled Gardens Bulletin, S. 2. Wa eachupieytcm Griffithii. A lowering plant; on the left, an old inflorescence. IL « (1952). 4 278 back, ec. 12 mm. long, 455 mm. wide near base, tapering to blunt apex. Outer staminodes broadly obovate, the larger one 12 mm. long, 9-5 mm. wide, the smaller 6-5 mm. wide. Fleshy staminode white, 7-5 mm. long, glabrous except for a hairy white keel near the base. Hooded staminode as long, white with yellow edge. Anther attached half-way down one edge of the fleshy staminode, the smaller outer staminode attached at the same place. Petaloid appendage attached only to the anther itself, for rest free, standing beside the hooded staminode and similar in form and colour but smaller (when flattened c. 7 by 2 mm.). Fruit c. 2:3 cm. long (Ridley), bilocular, seeds rugose with a white aril. This species is only known from Malaya. It has been collected at many localities in lowland forest from Singapore northwards to Perak and Pahang, and is often abundant. The floral details given by Schumann are copied from Ridley and are inaccurate. The petiole has six lacunae as seen in transverse section; these lacunae pass throughout the length of the petiole, being closed by thin transverse walls c. 8-10 mm. apart. Phrynium latifoliwm Bl. from Java is very closely allied. It is described by Schumann as having a ‘radical’ inflores- cence. Koorder’s rather crude figure shows the bracts some- what different in shape from S. Griffithi but may be inaccurate. I have seen no specimens. It is evident that Schumann never dissected an inflores- cence of S. Griffithii; nor I suspect one of S. latifolium. The mesophyllis are very large and conspicuous, whereas he stated that they were absent in this genus (and in Phrynium also!). The prophylls seen by me are all bicarinate; none showed signs of a middle keel. They appear not always to be in a strictly regular series, but lateral displacements are irregular and perhaps only due to unequal growth of pairs of flowers. 4. Stachyphrynium cylindricum (Ridl.) K. Schum., Pflanz- enr. Marant. 49. 1902. Ridley, Flora 4: 287. Phrynium cylindricum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 178. 1899. Habit of S. Griffithti, with leaves of similar size and shape. Inflorescence: scape to 28 cm. long, spike to 28 cm., similar to that of S. Griffithii but narrower, the tips of the bracts spreading very slightly, total width about 1-2-15 cm. except in fruiting specimens. Sepals c. 8 mm. long, tinged with red-brown. Corolla-tube slender, c. 2:5 em. long, ’ Gardens Bulletin, S. Sf T j 279 lobes shorter (2 cm. long ?). Outer staminodes with narrow base and broad more or less round blade of irregular shape, longer than the corolla-lobes. Inner staminodes and stamen about half as long as the outer staminodes, tipped with yellow. Fleshy staminode hairy on the thickened part. Fruit ellipsoid, flattened, 1:5 cm. long, 2-seeded: seeds with bilobed defiexed aril. This species appears to grow only on limestone in the north of Malaya: It was introduced to cultivation in Singa- pore and a coloured drawing was made, from which the above floral details are taken. Unfortunately there is no indication as to the size of the flower except Ridley’s state- ment that the corolla-tube is 1 inch long (14 inch in original description, but this probably applies to the sepals). Ridley’s dimensions are in all cases very uncertain. S. cylindricum is very closely related to S. Griffithii; to what extent the two differ in floral details is uncertain. SPECIMENS. Perak: Kuala Dipang, Ridley 9787. Ipoh, foot of limestone hill, Curtis, 3318. Tambun, limestone cliffs, S.F.N. 6296 (Burkill). Kelantan: Bukit Tumangan, S.F.N. 10258 oad and Nur). Kedah: G. Baling, on limestone, S.F.N. 35410 (Kiah). PHRYNIUM WILLD. Erect shoots close together, bearing about 1-4 long- petioled leaves close to the base and a terminal inflorescence, the inflorescence sometimes accompanied by a leaf attached to the axis of the shoot much higher than the others. Lear- blade more or less elliptic, sometimes variegated above and sometimes purple beneath, small to large. Peduncle of inflorescence either very short or of moderate length without a leaf; or nearly as long as the petioles of the basal leaves, bearing a similar leaf (but short-stalked) near its apex, the inflorescence protected when young by the sheath of this leaf, the petiole of the leaf in the same vertical line as the peduncle. Inflorescence consisting at first of a simple spike, bearing other spikes in the axils of its basal bracts, and then again often spikes of a second and third order, so that the whole is a compact group of many small spikes, usually spreading laterally or obliquely from the sheath of the accompanying leaf and thus appearing to arise on the side of the leaf-stalk; or sometimes the original spike remaining simple or with few secondary spikes. Bracts always spirally arranged, nearly always breaking down near the apex (and sometimes to the base when old) into Vol. XIII. (1951). 280 ! an irregular group of fibres; two to several pairs of flowers © in the axil of each bract, the flowers protected by prophylls and usually also mesophylls; first prophyll 2-keeled, subse- quent prophylls of the same partial inflorescence 3-keeled. Flowers white or partly purple, pedicelled or not. Sepals usually fairly long and persistent. Outer staminodes two, often unequal. Fruit dehiscent, usually 3-seeded, the peri- carp tough or woody, smooth or rough. Seeds with short or long 2-lobed basal aril. The type-species of Phrynium is P. capitatum Willd., with which I believe P. malaccense Ridl. to be identical, one of the commonest species of Marantaceae in Malaya. This has a very compound and compact, almost spherical inflorescence, of many separate short spikes, which projects almost horizontally, apparently from the axil of the leaf which stands erect on the end of the peduncle (for which reason the older books state ‘lateral on the side of a petiole’). The inflorescence itself is of course terminal, the leaf being lateral, but the leaf assumes an erect position, continuing the line of the axis, and the inflorescence which grows out from the protection of its sheath must turn to one side. This is the commonest type of inflorescence in Phrynium. A modification of it is found in Phrynium tristachyum, in which the individual spikes are fewer and longer, and in the unnamed species, which appear always to have a simple spike only. , If we reduce the length of the internode between the inflorescence-leaf and the basal leaves, and then extend the axis (peduncle) above that leaf, we have an apparently free-stalked inflorescence, which has room to spread in all directions equally and so looks very different from P. capitatum though essentially the same; such is P. terminale. Schumann makes a curious mistake in his diagnosis of the genus Phrynium. He states that there are no mesophylls; but they occur in all our species. He also states that 3-keeled prophylls only occur in Phacelophrynium and Calathea, not in Phrynium; but again they occur in all our species. The middle keel however varies much in development in different prophylls of the same inflorescence. In some species it is very broad. At present eight species of Phrynium are known in Malaya. Of these, two are here described for the first time, one of them only being named, material of the second being Gardens Bulletin, S. - : 231 insufficient for a full description. Details of the flower are still lacking in the case of two other species (P. parvum and P. tristachyum). The flowers of P. terminale are here described for the first time and new data given for the flowers of the other species also. KEY TO MALAYAN SPECIES OF PHRYNIUM Inflorescence apparently lateral, emerging from the sheath of an apparently terminal leaf Inflorescence of a single simple spike 1. Phrynium sp. Inflorescence with at least one, often many subsidiary spikes ) Small plants; inflorescence about 3 cm. long with one or two subsidiary spikes only ) Petiole of leaf accompanying inflorescence 25-5 cm. long; inflorescence sessile in the : leaf-sheath 2. P. gracile. : Petiole of leaf accompanying inflorescence 15 cm. or more long; inflorescence on a : stalk to 3 cm. or more long beyond the sheath 3. P. parvum. Larger plants; inflorescence longer, usually with many spikes Inflorescence of 2—4 spikes, the longest c. 10 cm. long 4. P. tristachyum. Inflorescence of many spikes forming a com- pact head Fruit marcon, shining; flowers partly purplish; basal sheath of inflorescence not very hairy; leaves pale silver-green beneath 5. P. capitatum. Fruit dull, not maroon; flowers white; basal sheath of inflorescence long and very hairy; leaf red beneath 6. P. hirtum. Inflorescence terminal on a short or long peduncle, not accompanied by a separate leaf Inflorescence nearly spherical, 7 cm. diameter, hairy, very near the ground, on a short peduncle, appearing among the bases of the leaf-sheaths 7. P. basiflorum. Inflorescence much smaller, not hairy, raised on a slender peduncle Vol. XIII. (1951). 282 “Peduncle 25-35 cm. long; inflorescence 6-7 cm. long, with about 7-8 spirally arranged broad bracts 8. P. terminale. Peduncle c. 8-16 cm. long; inflorescence c. 4 em. long, with first two (largest) bracts alternate 3. P. parvum. 1. Phrynium sp. Hrect shoots bearing 2-3 leaves and 2 long bladeless sheaths at the base, and one leaf accompanying the inflores- cence at the top of the peduncle. Leaf-blade 30 by 7 to 40 by 12 cm., elliptic but more narrowed to the acuminate apex than to the base, base rather broadly cuneate and slightly decurrent, surfaces glabrous, upper surface pale green with darker veins, lower surface pale silvery-green ; petiole of basal leaves to 100 em. long (including sheath) the thickened part 1:-5-3-5 em. long; petiole and sheath of leaf accompanying inflorescence 6-18 cm. long. Peduncle of inflorescence to c. 70 em. long. Inflorescence sessile at point of attachment of leaf, 6-8 cm. long, apparently always a simple unbranched spike with spirally arranged bracts. Bracts 2-25 em. long, green, the apical part soon turning brown and splitting into fibres, each with a few pairs of flowers in the axil; mesophylls present. Pedicels c. 1 mm. long. Ovary 3 mm. long, hairy. Sepals c. 1:3 cm. long. Rest of flower, and fruit, not seen. This species is only known from a single collection from Kemaman (Trengganu) where Corner saw it at two locali- ties and thought it probably common. It resembles P. tristachyum in the shape of the spikes, but these appear always to be quite simple. The leaf also has a much narrower apex than in P. tristachyum and is never large. It does not agree with any description I have seen, nor with any specimen in the Singapore herbarium. SPECIMENS. Trengganu: Bukit Kajang, Kemaman, 700-1,000 feet, S.F.N. 30397 (Corner). 2. Phrynium gracile Holtt., sp. nov. Laminae foliorum ad 18 cm. longae et 6 cm. latae (in- terdum 15 6 cm. interdum 18 X 3-5 cm.), lanceolatae, apicem versus sensim angustatae, basi rotundatae deinde cuneatae; supra atrovirides, lineis pallidis obliquis ornatae; infra pallide virides, prope costam leviter hirsutae; petioli foliorum basalium ad 45 em. longi (vagina inclusa), omnino breviter hirsuti, interdum glabrescentes; geniculum 1-2 cm. Gardens Bulletin, S. i hee ae 1936. 283 longum; vaginae Jatae, arcte imbricatae, ad 24 cm. longae. Inflorescentia sessilis, in juventute vagina folii proprii obtecta; petiolus cum vagina folii obtegentis 2-5-5 cm. longus. Inflorescentia simplex, ¢c. 3 cm. longa, vel spica altera in axilla bracteae infimae aucta. Bracteae 1-2-1:5 em. longae, apicem obtusum versus dense et breviter pilosae, apex demum leviter marcescens. Flores 1-3 pares in axilla _bracteae quaeque; prophyllum primum bracteam leviter superans; mesophylla adsunt. Pedicellus cum ovario 3 mm. longus; ovarium hirsutum. Sepala 7-8 mm. longa; tubus corollae 1 cm. longus, lobi 4-5 mm. longi, 2 mm. lati, oblong; staminodia exteriora inaequalia, majus fere lobos corollae aequans; staminodium carnosum c. 2 mm. longum (2:5 mm. ?); staminodium cucullatum c. 25 mm. longum; stamen ec. 25 mm. longum, appendiculus petaloideus angustus, adnatus. Fructus non visus. Typus: S.E. Johore, locus certus ignotus, S.F.N. 29981 (leg. Corner). ‘ This species is represented only by two collections from Johore. It is similar in size to P. parvum but diffefs (1) in the inflorescence always with an accompanying leaf, without peduncle above the leaf, (2) in the lower bracts being spirally arranged and not nearly as long as the whole inflorescence, (3) in the hairy bracts with blunt apex, (4) in the pale stripes on the upper surface of the leaf. There are no colour notes on the flowers, which are above described from a dried specimen only. The second specimen is an unnumbered one from Sungei Kayu Ara, Sedili, Johore, collected by Corner on 28th June, A specimen from Tiang Laju, Sarawak (Hewitt 24) is very similar vegetatively to the Johore specimens of P. gracile, but the inflorescences are in such poor condition that its identification with P. gracile is uncertain. It bears the note ‘flowers white with red markings near the throat. 3. Phrynium parvum (Ridl.) comb. noy. Stachyphrynium parvum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 54: 60. 1909. Flora 4: 288. Stachyphrynium minus Ridl., Mat. FI. M.P. 2: 59. 1907 ~ (non Schum.). Fig. 3. Erect shoots bearing about 3 leaves near the base and a terminal inflorescence on a slender peduncle, sometimes Vol. XIII? (1951). ~ ah th Saiey wi re 4 P ri k ae ie ee . ve 4) = eS, it 4 ' wy eye. , ‘F lem Rome STj 4 Fig. 3. Phrynium parvum. ali A, rhizome bearing a leafy shoot which has a sheath, 3 leaves and an_ B, inflorescence with flower on branch in axil of basal bract; flo petals and 2 erect outer staminodes. C, inflorescence of which the a has finished flowering; branch in axil of second bract (on right) r branch in axil of lowest bract not yet developed. D, shape of leaf E, leaf in natural position. | aS ae ee 285 (rarely ?) with a leaf at the apex of the peduncle. Leaf- blade c. 14 by 3-5 to 24 by 55 cm., widest about 14 from the broadly cuneate base, narrowed very gradually to the acuminate apex; upper surface dark green, shining, lower surface pale, with fine darker veins, finely hairy on the midrib; petioles to about 40 cm. long including sheath, thickened upper part of petioles ¢. 2 cm. long, sheath to about 15 cm. long (shorter on inner leaf), glabrous. Peduncle of inflorescence c. 8-16 cm. long. Inflorescence to about 4 cm. long; first bract almost as long as whole inflorescence, separated by an internode of 1-2 cm. from the second bract, and this by 4—5 mm. from the third; first and second bracts with axillary secondary inflorescences which develop after the terminal inflorescence. Bracts slightly reddish when young, apiculate, slightly hairy near the tip, thin and breaking when old, not producing groups of fibres; flowering bracts to about 1:7 cm. long (first two bracts longer), about 3 in each partial inflorescence, all reaching the same height. Flowers 2 pairs to each bract (members of a pair opening separately), with prophylls and mesophylls, the outer ones as long as the bract. Ovary 2 mm. long, hairy. Sepals 7 mm. long, very narrow. Corolla- tube white, 1:5 cm. long; lobes c. 6 by 25 mm., reflexed, blunt, slightly yellowish. Outer staminodes 2, erect, obovate, concave, white, about 5 by 3 mm. Fleshy staminode 2:5 mm. long, truncate. Hooded staminode 4 mm. long, yellow-tipped. Stamen 4 mm. long, appendage hardly longer than anther and connate with it almost throughout. This species was placed by Ridley in the genus Stachy- phrynium, but its branched inflorescence is like Phrynium, though the first three bracts appear to be alternate, not spirally arranged (the flowering bracts in each partial inflorescence are spirally arranged). The terminal part of the inflorescence flowers first, then the secondary inflores- cence in the axil of the second bract, then that in the axil of the first (basal) bract, and finally a tertiary inflorescence in the axil of the basal bract of the preceding. In Ridley’s type specimen, one inflorescence has a foliage leaf (with petiole 15 cm. long) replacing the basal bract, but this seems rare. No fruits are known. P. parvum is abundant in the Reservoir Jungle in Singapore Island, but seems not to flower very freely. It 286 has also been collected in Johore (Ridley reports it from Sedenak as well as the specimen quoted below). SPECIMENS. Singapore: Reservoir, Ridley 12565 (type); Cor- ner s.n. 1944. Johore: North of G. Belumut, S.F.N. 10294 (Holttum). | 4. Phrynium tristachyum Ridl., Flora Mal. Penin. 4: 290. 1924. Hrect shoots with single leaf only (?). Leaf-blade to about 60 by 25 cm., almost evenly elliptic with very shortly pointed apex and cuneate base, glabrous; petiole and sheath of leaf accompanying inflorescence 25—50 cm. long (of other leaves not seen), thickened upper part of petiole to 12 cm. long; sheath glabrous. Peduncle to 1:5 m. tall. Inflorescence sessile or nearly so at the base of the leaf-sheath, consisting of 2-4 separate spikes all radiating from the base of the inflorescence, the longest spike to 11 cm. long. Bracts about 3 cm. long, glabrous, soon breaking down in the apical half to a group of fibres and later split to the base in many segments. Flowers white, 3 pairs or more to each bract. Prophylls and mesophylls present. Pedicel of flower 2 mm. long. Ovary 4 mm. long, silky-hairy. Sepals c. 1:2 em. long, narrow. Corolla-tube c. 8 mm. long. Fruit broadly ovoid, apex not retuse, surface rough and more or less hairy, slightly 3-lobed, c. 15 em. long, dehiscent, with 1-8 seeds. Seeds ovate as seen from the back, narrowing to the apex (always ?), the surface mottled with red and black; aril 2-lobed, the lobes 7 mm. long or more (nearly as long as the seed when straightened). Unfortunately no good flowers of this species are avail- able. It is distinct in the rather few long spikes of the inflorescence, in the ovoid fruit with long aril-lobes of the seed, and in the large elliptic shortly tipped leaf. In the original collection are three long spikes and a short, fourth one, the four together spread in one plane, forming a fan- shaped arrangement. Other specimens have very old spikes which have the bracts so shredded that the inflorescence hardly has a definite shape, but even here the few rather long separate spikes (in constrast to the usual mass of small ones) are conspicuous. No leaves except those bearing inflorescences have been collected. This may be because collectors thought other leaves unnecessary; but one sheet bears the note ‘single leaf on each shoot’, and another specimen, rather doubtfully of Gardens Bulletin, S. “ep a A 287 this species, certainly has only one leaf on the erect shoot. This may therefore be a distinctive character of the species. The species has been collected in Selangor, Negri Sem- bilan and Johore. Two field notes record it as abundant. SPECIMENS. Selangor: Bukit Lagong, 11th mile Rawang Road from Kuala Lumpur, Foxworthy and Burkill s.n. 30.11.1921 (type). Dusun Tua, Ridley 7793 (p.p., rest being Stachyphry- mum Jagorianum). Negri Sembilan: Ulu Bendul, S.F.N. 9995 (Holttum). Johore: Ulu Kahang, S.F.N. 10917 (Holttum). 5. Phrynium capitatum Willd., Spec. Pl. 1: 17. 1797. Schum.., Pflanzenr. Marant. 53. Phrynium malaccense Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 180. 1899. Flora 4: 290. Phrynium hir- tum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 181; Flora 4: 289, p.p. Fig. 4. Erect shoots bearing c. 3-6 leaves from the base and a terminal inflorescence at the apex of a long stem, with a short-stalked erect leaf just below the inflorescence. Leaf- blade from about 30 by 8-14 cm. to 60 by 15-25 cm. or even larger, elliptic with broad rounded base and very shortly acuminate apex, dark green and shining above with slightly prominent main veins, dull pale green (hardly glaucous) below, the fine evenly spaced veins darker, glabrous except for pale silky hairs on either side of midrib. Petiole: thick- ened part 5-10 cm. long, rest 100-200 cm. tall (in basal leaves) including sheath; sheath to 75 cm., its back more or less hairy, the two edges meeting at a narrow angle at the top, not forming a ligule. Petiole and sheath of leaf accompanying inflorescence c. 10-80 cm. long. Pedunele of inflorescence about same length as petioles of basal leaves, not prolonged beyond base of the leaf which it bears; sheath of leaf short and broad, usually hairy at least at the base and sometimes throughout, partly enclosing the inflorescence. Inflorescence spreading laterally from the base of the leaf-sheath, with many branches, ultimately forming an almost round head 5-10 cm. in diameter ; first basal sheath of inflorescence 3-5 cm. long. Branches of inflorescence each with about 3-5 bracts; bracts + hairy towards apex, green, ovate, acute, the apex soon turning brown and decomposing to a group of fibres, 2-5-3 cm. long, each enclosing 2—5 pairs of flowers: flowers of same pair not opening together. First prophyll 2-keeled, 2nd and 3rd 3-keeled, keels sometimes hairy. First mesophyll always present, later ones sometimes absent (?). Pedicels of indi- vidual flowers to about 6 mm. long. Ovary more or less densely silky-hairy, 3-4 mm. long. Sepals narrow, more or Vol. XIII. (1951). Fig. 4. Phrynium capitatum. % A, an inflorescence emerging from the sheath of its leaf. B, same. C, a single inflorescence-branch, showing prophyll on right, mesophyll on left, one flowe open and one faded: flower shows narrow erect sepal, reflexed petals (dotted), — outer staminodes and fleshy staminode (on right). D, transverse section of at tricarinate prophyll. E, a pair of flowers, one open and one faded; ovaries and tips of sepals are hairy; petals are reflexed; fleshy staminode is in middle of flower with outer staminodes behind it. F, a single flower with petals and sepals pulled down to show the longer stamen-tube. G, hooded staminode afte: removal of style and stigma. H, stamen, with petaloid appendage on left. I stigma after release from hooded staminode; receptive surface faces dov wn wards, pollen deposited from anther is on back of stigma. J, fleshy s: stamineg K, fruit. L, axile view of seed, with aril at base. M, longitidinal ect mn nla 289 less densely hairy, 1-1:5 cm. long. Corolla-tube a little over half as long as sepals, flushed slightly with pink; lobes c. 10 by 3-5-4 mm., reflexed and rolled back in distal halves only, flushed with dull purple. Tube of stamen and stami- node c. 3 mm. longer than corolla-tube. Outer staminodes white or very pale pink, unequal, obovate from a narrow base, the larger as long as the petals, 6-8 mm. wide, the smaller about half as wide and shorter. Fleshy staminode 5 mm. long, pink with a transverse line of deeper colour, the callus glabrous and white or yellowish. Hooded stami- node a little shorter, pale yellow with darker tip, with a short deflexed triangular lobe. Stamen cream, with narrow petaloid appendage a little longer than the anther, adnate laterally throughout. Stigma pale pink. Fruit short-stalked, deep maroon, surface smooth and shining bearing scattered fine hairs, c. 1:2 cm. long and wide, somewhat 3-lobed, the apex broad with a slight depression, bearing the persistent sepals, 3-locular, 1-3-seeded. Seeds 9 mm. long, black when ripe, oblong as seen from the back, the back slightly grooved, with a fleshy bilobed basal aril, the lobes short and deflexed, 2-5 mm. wide, hardly seen in dried specimens. This species is common throughout Malaya, and varies much in size. The larger plants have larger inflorescences with larger bracts and larger flowers; but I can see no other clear distinction. Some of the smaller plants, espe- cially from the north of Malaya, look very different from the largest, and have proportionately narrow leaves with very hairy sheaths; but the structure of their inflorescences and their fruits are the same and also the flower-colour. S.F.N. 31635, from Grik (coll. Corner) is one of these small specimens; a flower in alcohol is identical in struc- ture with others except that the outer staminodes are small, the largest being apparently about 4 mm. wide (it is not quite perfect). Some mountain plants from the Taiping Hills have bracts and sepals unusually hairy, the hairy sepals especially being conspicuous when the bracts are reduced to a mass of fibres. These plants vary much in size of leaf and inflorescence. In the field, the plain green leaves (slightly drooping, not erect) with pale lower surface, the shining maroon fruits and pinkish flowers are characters by which the species is easily recognised. The largest plants appear to be those growing in swamp-forest; those on hill-slopes being smaller; further observations on this are needed and 290 comparisons of the flowers of large and small plants to see © whether there are differences other than those of size. Ridley included the largest specimens of this species with his P. hirtum (as-is evident from his citation of specimens) but his description of the leaves and fruits of P. hirtum indi- cates that he was mistaken in so doing. I can see no dis- tinction between P. malaccense Ridl. (of which I have examined living plants as well as many dried specimens) and P. capitatum as described by Schumann and Gagne- pain, and therefore reduce Ridley’s species. P. capitatum is very widely distributed from India and southern China through Malaysia. 6. Phrynium hirtum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 181. 1899. Flora 4: 289. Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 54 (copied from Ridley). Phrynium inflatum Merr., J.S.B.R.A.S. 85: 164. cS es age Bai Erect shoots with few basal leaves and another leaf attached close below the inflorescence on a long terminal stem. Leaf-blade c. 30 by 7 to 65 by 20 cm., elliptic, apex acuminate, base rounded and then slightly decurrent to the petiole, lower surface purple (at least when young, sometimes throughout), hairy on sides of midrib; petiole together with sheath to 1:5 m. long, the swollen apical part to 10 cm. long, the sheath very hairy when young, some- times glabrescent later, yellowish; leaf on flower-stem with petiole and sheath c. 30-70 cm. long, sheath long-hairy when young. Peduncle to c. 100 cm. long, hairy. Inflores- cence on a stalk 1-6 cm. long beyond the base of the leaf- sheath, subtended by a deflexed very hairy sheath 5-10 em. long (hairs tawny, 3-4 mm. long, falling when old) ; diameter of flowering inflorescence to about 5 cm. All bracts densely hairy, soon decomposing near the tips to groups of fibres; primary bracts of individual spikes c. 2-5 c.m. long; flowers 2 pairs or more. Prophylls hairy on the keels, 2nd one 3-keeled. Mesophylls present, the first one broad. Ovary densely covered with spreading silky hairs. Sepals 1-5 em. long, hairy towards the tips. Corolla-tube c. 9 mm. long; lobes ¢. 1:0 by 0:3 em. Outer staminodes unequal, one about 1:4 by 0:3 cm., the other 1-0 by 0-2 cm., both with long narrow base, widest near apex. Fleshy staminode about 8 mm. long. Cucullate staminode about 7 mm. long. Stamen c. 7 mm. long with no distinct petaloid appendage. Frwits c. 1:3 cm. long and 1-6 cm. wide, dull ochre (Corner), hairy when young, almost glabrescent when old with rough Gardens Bulletin, S. ar ee 291 surface, somewhat 3-lobed, the apex not depressed, dehis- cent; pericarp tough and woody when dry. Seeds 3, about 8 mm. long and wide, nearly round as seen from the back, with 2-lobed deflexed basal aril. Ridley’s list of specimens under the original descrip- tion of P. hirtum includes two distinct species. Most of the specimens are large plants of P. malaccense; but the des- cription applies almost exclusively to the others (two only). The significant points in the description are: (1) young leaves with the backs red, (2) stout sheath near the inflo- rescence woolly, (3) seeds large, the backs rounded; none of these apply to P. malaccense. The large very hairy deflexed sheath below the inflorescence is the most conspi- cuous distinguishing feature of plants with young inflores- cences; in fruiting plants the fruits are distinctive. The details of the flower given above are taken from a dried specimen (Ridley’s from Bujong Malacca) and may not be very accurate. ‘In Ridley’s list of specimens, the two representing the true P. hirtum (G. Panti and Perhentian Tinggi) are not very good. I therefore have chosen another to serve as the type of the species. It was collected by Ridley before 1899 and must have been in his herbarium when he described the species, though he does not mention it. It is the only _ sheet which bears the information ‘flowers white’, which is mentioned in the description. This species is allied to P. basiflorum, having very simi- lar fruits, but differs in the inflorescence much raised above the ground, in the large deflexed hairy basal sheath, in the leaves not being variegated, and in the flowers, which are said to be white (Ridley) smaller than in P. basiflorum but with longer outer staminodes. In contrast to P. basiflorum, P. hirtum has been collected many times and is evidently locally abundant in swampy forest in the lowlands and at moderate elevations on the hills. The species is distributed to Sumatra (Mentawi Islands, Kloss 14807 ) and Borneo (Sarawak, Hewitt 31). Merrill’s P. inflatum from North Borneo is perhaps also the same. SPECIMENS. Perak: Bujong Malacca, Ridley 9817 (p.p., the flowering specimen, Type). Ulu Temango, Ridley s.n. J uly 1909. Trengganu: Ulu Ayam Swamp, Kemaman, S.F.N. 30265 (Corner). Selangor: Kwang, Ridley s.n. August 1908. 15th mile Pahang Track, Ridley 8460. Negri Sembilan: Perhentian Tinggi, Ridley 10,001. Without locality Alvins 2277. Johore: Sungei En- dau, S.F.N. 24945 (Holttum). Kukub, Ridley 13272. G. Panti, 1,000 feet, Ridley, sn. December 1892. Ulu Segun, G. Panti, Corner s.n. 10.4.1936. Vol. XIII. (1951). 292 7. Phrynium basiflorum Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 182. 1899. Flora 4: 289. Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 56 (copied from Ridley). var. nobile Ridl., Journ. F.M.S. Mus. 4: 79. 1909. Erect shoots bearing 2 or 3 leaves and a terminal inflo- rescence close to the ground. Leaf-blade drooping, purplish beneath when young, above rather light green with dark green oblique stripes from midrib to edge (sometimes unstriped ?), to about 55 by 20 cm., ovate, base broadly rounded, apex very shortly pointed, hairy on either side of the midrib beneath. Petiole with sheath to 2 m. long, base very stout, densely silky-hairy (hairs 5 mm. long), apical thickened part c. 10 cm. long. Inflorescence nearly spherical, c. 7 cm. diameter, on a scape 3-4 cm. long covered with densely hairy sheaths. Bracts c. 2-5 cm. long, hairy when young, when old disintegrating into fibres; each bract with 2 or more pairs of flowers. Prophylls hairy on the keels, second prophyll 3-keeled. Mesophylls present. Ovary densely hairy. Sepals c. 2-2:2 cm. long, hairy at tips, narrow. Corolla-tube 1-5 cm. long; lobes c. 1:3 by 0-4 cm., reflexed and curled, pink to rose-red. Outer staminodes joined at base to stamen, unequal; free parts c. 9 by 1 mm. and 5 by less than 1 mm. Fleshy staminode broadly obo- vate; white, c. 1-6 by 0-9 em., with large 2-lobed callus, one lobe hairy. Hooded staminode yellowish, c. 9 mm. long. Stamen 9 mm. long with narrow petaloid appendage free half-way to the base. Fruit pinkish purple, then blackening, glabrescent when old, when dried with a rough dull sur- face, c. 15 em. long and wide, 3-lobed, apex retuse, often 2-seeded. In Ridley’s orignal description of this species, he did not mention the colour of the leaves; later he described var. nobile, with leaves purple beneath and bearing dark stripes above. The only other collections, from G. Panti, Johore, have striped leaves purple beneath; and the dried leaf of Ridley’s original specimen appears as if it also was purple beneath. The details of the flower are taken from a specimen preserved in formalin. Ridley did not describe the very narrow outer staminodes. This is a large handsome species, which is very conspi- cuous, but has only been collected at three rather widely separated localities, G. Panti (Johore), Perhentian Tinggi (N. Sembilan) and Tapah (Perak). Corner reports that it Gardens Bulletin, S. 293 is common in granite valleys round G. Panti, especially in swampy places. It is closely allied to P. hirtum, but differs in being usually larger, in the variegated leaves and the basal inflorescence; also in the absence of the long hairy downward-pointing sheath of P. hirtum. In its very narrow outer staminodes and very large fleshy staminode it is strikingly different from P. capita- tum. The colour of the fruit is reported by Corner only. SPECIMENS. Johore: S. Segun, G. Panti, S.F.N. 30680 eee G. Panti, west, low elevation, in Dryobalanops forest, S.F.N 30957 (Corner). Negri Sembilan: Perhentian Tinggi, Ridley 10,000 (Type). Perak: Bidor, near Tapah, Ridley 14036 (form- ing huge clumps in forest swamps). 8. Phrynium terminale Ridl., J.S.B.R.A.S. 57: 105. 1910. Flora 4: 290. Erect shoots each bearing 2 leaves with several bladeless sheaths (one sheath much longer than the others, c. 20-30 cm. long) and a terminal inflorescence on a slender pedun- cle, without any accompanying leaf. Leaf-blade c. 30 by 10 to 50 by 16 cm., nearly elliptic, widest a little above the middle, apex shortly acuminate, base rounded and then slightly decurrent to the petiole, texture thin, glabrous, lower surface of young leaves purplish (?); petiole with sheath to about 50 cm. long, thickened part 4—5 cm. long, sheath to about 20 cm., glabrous. Pedunele 25—35 cm. long, slender. Inflorescence erect, 6-7 cm. long, with about 8 spirally arranged broad bracts, the lowest one 5-6 cm. long, all soon decaying at the apex to a group of fibres, the lower ones with axillary spikes, glabrous. Basal azillary spike with about 7 bracts, bracts c. 3-5 em. long. Flowers white, 2-3 pairs in axil of each bract, flowers of a pair not open- ing simultaneously. Prophylls after the first 3-keeled. Mesophylls not seen. Pedicels of flowers c. 5-7 mm. long. Ovary 3 mm. long, covered with appressed silky hairs. Sepals 2:3-2-5 cm. long, nearly 4 mm. wide, ends blunt, glabrous. Corolla-tube 1-0 cm. long; lobes c. 1:6 cm. long and 0-6 ecm. wide, not reflexed, ends broadly rounded. Sta- men-tube c. T mm. longer than corolla-tube. Other stami- nodes 2, subequal, narrow at the base and joined for some distance to the back of the stamen, about as long as the petals, their blades c. 5 mm. wide. Fleshy staminode a little longer than the petals, c. 9 mm. wide. Hooded staminode and stamen about same length, much shorter than fleshy staminode; stamen with adnate lateral narrow petaloid Vol. XII. (1951). 294 appendage a little shorter than the anther. Fruits on pedi- cels 5 mm. or more long, oblong in outline as seen laterally, about 1:4 cm. long and 1:0 cm. diameter, surface dull and slightly hairy, dehiscent, 3-seeded. Seeds c. 1:1 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, oblong in outline as seen from the back, outer face slightly roughened, inner faces smooth, aril 2-lobed, the lobes 3—4 by 1-5 mm. This interesting species, peculiar in its erect inflores- cence without an accompanying leaf, has only been found three times, in the north of Malaya. The flowers are now described for the first time, from the collection S.F.N. 35005 (alcohol and dried material). Ridley only saw the fruiting inflorescence. The pedicelled very oblong dull fruits with oblong seeds are distinctive among known Malayan species. Sometimes the inflorescence has a large sterile basal sheathing bract a few centimetres below the others, but this is unusual. A specimen from Sumatra named Phrynium obscurum T. et B. (Lampong, Forbes 1043A) agrees closely with Peninsula specimens of P. terminale. The description of the species also agrees (so far as it goes, including sepals 25 cm. long) except that the corolla-tube is said to be 3 cm. long and the lobes violet-spotted. A study of fresh material from Sumatra is desirable. | SPECIMENS. Kedah: Ulu Lugong, S.F.N. 35005 (Kiah). Perak: Ulu Temango, Ridley 14416 (Type). Ulu Luat, Lenggong, F.D. 10372 (F. Ranger Hamid). PHACELOPHRYNIUM K. SCHUM. Vegetative habit of Phrynium. Inflorescence a compound spike with distichous main bracts, and a group of subsi- diary spikes in the axil of each of the lower bracts, which are widely spaced. Prophylls with 2 and 3 keels, and meso- phylls, present in the partial inflorescences; bracteoles not seen. Flowers as in Phrynium but only one outer staminode present. This genus is very nearly allied to Phrynium and Cala- thea. It differs from Phrynium in the 2-ranked bracts and the single outer staminode; and from Calathea in the very compound inflorescence. Schumann was much impressed with its resemblance to Calathea in the presence of tricar- niate prophylls and also mesophylls; but he did not know that these occurred also in Phrynium. Gardens Bulletin, S. > z . a. ” —. P 4 “_-”"* -_ =¥ 295 I have stated that the bracts are distichous in Phacelo- phrynium maximum; but in the young subsidiary spikes they are not clearly so, and I suspect that the basal bracts of these spikes are in fact not distichous, as the basal leaves of a vegetative shoot are not always so. The main bracts of the inflorescence are however certainly distichous, and also those of the well-developed subsidiary spikes, and I believe this distinction from Phrynium to be a good one, Phrynium being limited as it is at present. If the genus Phrynium is again extended to include Stachyphrynium, then probably Phacelophrynium should also be included, as it would only be distinct in its single outer staminode. This character is however so constant in the large genus Calathea that it may be regarded as of sufficient importance to warrant the maintenance of Phace- lophrynium as a separate genus. Phacelophrynium maximum (BI.) K. Schum., Pflanzenr. Marant. 122. 1902. Phrynium maximum BI., Enum. PI. Jav. 1: 37. 1827. Phacelophrynium tapirorum K. Schum. le. Ridley, Flora 4: 289. Phrynium tapirorum Ridl., Trans. Lin. Soc. 3: 382. 1893. J.S.B.R.A.S. 32: 180. 1899. Erect shoots close together, each bearing 2-4 leaves at the base, with broad bladeless sheaths outside, and a ter- minal long-peduncled inflorescence usually without a leaf accompanying it. Leaf-blade to 60 by 25 cm., nearly elliptic, apex very shortly pointed, base rounded and slightly decur- rent, glabrous, light green above, pale greenish beneath (not glaucous, never purple) ; petiole with sheath 100-150 cm. long, sparsely hairy towards the base, thickened part of petiole to about 10 em. long, olive green, rest light green ; sheath pale yellowish. Peduncle of inflorescence to 70 cm. long, hairy near the apex. Inflorescence c. 18-25 cm. long, the basal three bracts widely spaced with axillary spikes, the upper bracts forming a simple spike; lowest bract 5-10 em. long, with 1-3 spikes in its axil and separated by an internode of 35-10 cm. from the next; second bract with 1-2 axillary spikes and separated by a shorter dis- tance from the third. Longest axillary spike c. 11 cm. long with distichous bracts c. 3 cm. long. Bracts pale brown, their apices only soon decomposing, never rotted and fibr- ous to the base; about 3 pairs of flowers to a bract. Flowers white, the two of a pair not opening on the same day. Vol. XII. (1951). 296 Ovary with pedicel c. 5 mm. long, the ovary with appressed. silky hairs. Sepals 1:1 cm. long. Corolla-tube 1 cm. long; lobes 1:0 by 0-4 em., bluntly rounded, not reflexed. Stami- node-tube 3 mm. longer than corolla-tube. Outer staminode 1:0 by 0-5 em., obovate. Fleshy staminode 1:2 by 0-8 cm., obovate, with 2 glabrous fleshy calli. Hooded staminode 9 mm. long, with triangular lateral lobe. Stamen 8 mm. long with no distinct petaloid appendage. Frwt c. 8 mm. long as seen from the side and somewhat flattened, outer surface smooth and sparsely hairy, apex not retuse, usually 2- seeded. Seeds oblong as seen from the back, c. 7 by 3:5 mm., the rounded back shining and finely wrinkled; aril of two narrow lobes about half as long as the seed. Ridley described the inflorescence of his P. tapirorum as arising from a petiole, by which he meant that it had a leaf attached to the peduncle just below the inflorescence; but his specimens do not show this, and later collections show that the peduncle is normally leafless to the base of the plant. Corner reports that sometimes a leaf may be borne between the base of the plant and the base of the inflorescence, but this is exceptional. The subsidiary inflorescences subtended by the basal bract are usually of unequal length, and have an arrange- ment exactly like the whole inflorescence of Phrynium tristachyum Ridl. The species has been collected in four widely separated localities and no doubt occurs elsewhere in Malaya. It grows in large dense clumps, probably in wet ground near streams. Corner reports it ‘common in all the stream swamps’ in the Kemaman area in which he collected. Schumann’s description of Phacelophrynium maximum (Bl.) agrees well with the specimens of P. tapirorum (except that the bracts of the Peninsula plants are not much over 3 ecm. long, whereas in P. maximum they are 4 cm.), and I think it almost certain that the two should be united. P. maximum occurs in Java, Sumatra and Borneo. There are Bornean specimens in the Singapore herbarium. SPECIMENS. Pahang: Tahan River, Ridley 2398 (Type of P. tapirorum). Selangor: Ginting Bidai, Ridley 7793. Trengganu: Ulu Bendong swamp, Kemaman, S.F.N. 30292 (Corner). Johore: Bukit Tinjau Laut (Sedili), S.F.N. 37084 (Ngadiman). Sungei Kayu, in swamp, Kiah s.n. 13.3.37. Gardens Bulletin, S. ~~ -_ A New Species of Knema By JAMES SINCLAIR B.Sc. Knema meridionalis J. Sinclair, sp. nov. Fig. 1. K. furfuraceae (Hk. f. et Th.) Warb. similis sed foliis non cordatis, minoribus, nervis paucioribus, fructibus minoribus. Frutex vel arbor parva 5-7 m. alta, dioicea. Ramuli folia- que novelli cum tomento stellato floccoso ferrugineo tecti, mox glabri. Folia adulta coriacea, lanceolata, supra viri- dissima, subtus. albido-viridia, apice et basi acuta, circiter 18-19 cm. longa, circiter 5 cm. lata; petioli 7 mm.—1 cm. longi, pubescentes ; nervi per pares 19-21 dispositi, curvati, in marginibus anastomosantes, omnes costaque elevati; reticulationes subtus praecipue in sicco visibiles, supra vix visibiles. Flores masculi 3-5, in tuberculis lignosis axillares vel in axillis foliorum delapsorum orti. Pedicell1 3-4 mm. longi, ferrugineo-tomentosi, bractea minuta truncata prope basin praediti. Perianthii segmenta 3-4, circiter 5 mm. longa, coriacea, ovato-rotunda, a basi conjuncta, extus fer- rugineo-stellato-tomentosa, intus punicea, apice acutiuscula vel obtusa, erecta vel leviter incurva. Discus staminalis triangularis vel peltatus, stipite circiter 1 mm. longo rubro; anthera 11-12, brevissime stipitata, sub-erecta. Flores feminei sessiles, 7-10, in tuberculis lignosis axillaribus orti. Perianthui segmenta ut in masculo, sed magis coriacea et rigida. Stigmata viridia, infundibuliformia, apice multi- lobata. Ovarium hemisphericum, atro-fusco-stellato-pubes- ens, ovulo solitario. Fructus ec. 1-7 em. longus, obovatus; sessilis, ferrugineo-stellato-tomentosus, apice obtusus, ad basin sensim angustatus, pyriformis. Semen basale, car- pellum implens, arillo pallido-aurantiaco apice laciniato tectum. JOHORE: Sungei Sedili, Mawai, Corner S.F.N. 29277; Sungei Berassau, Mawai-Jemaluang Road, Corner S.F.N. 28975; 514 mile, Kota Tinggi—Mawai Road, Corner, date 10: 5: 1935; 8th mile Kota Tinggi—Mawai Road, Corner S.F.N. 28711; 1314 mile Mawai-Jemaluang Road, Corner S.F.N. 29420; Sungei Tementang, Mawai-Jemaluang Road, Corner S.F.N. 29290; North of Gunong Blumut, Holttum Vol. XIII. (1951). é x SS WN SSS SSS EEA ar SE a5" | we hae oe eee: MY ~~ EZ LS = ga Na / f pie ~ a 7 y \\) 5 ’ \\\ AN Ju RAIMI Det Fig. 1. Knema meridionalis J. Sinclair, sp. nov. A, Portion with leaves and male flowers. B, Twig with female flowers. C an acne flowers top and side views. E and F, Male flowers top and side vi , Fruit. Sia Oe wT ee f 299 S.F.N. 10606; Bukit Tanah Alang, Lake and Kelsall 4012; Bukit Abu Bakar, Nur and Kiah S.F.N. 7757; Mt. Austin, Ridley, date 1906. SINGAPORE: South side of MacRitchie Reservoir near golf course, Sinclair S.F.N. 38561; Maranta Avenue, Bota- nic Gardens, Sinclair S.F.N. 38914; Lawn 0, Botanic Gardens, Sinclair S.F.N. 28915; Bukit Timah, Ngadiman S.F.N. 274957; Chan Chu Kang, Goodenough, date 27: 11: 1890 and Ridley 6737; Kranji, Ridley 2.43; Bukit Pan- jang, Ridley 12541; Sungei Morai, Ridley 6440. This species appears to be confined to the south of the Peninsula. It is not uncommon in the MacRitchie Reservoir forest in Singapore. The description of the male flowers is taken from Sinclair S.F.N. 34914, the female from Sinclair S.F.N. 38915 and that of the fruit from Sinclmr S.F.N. 38561. The midrib and the veins are red and they are cons- picuously raised on the upper side of the leaf as well as the under. This species is near K. furfuracea (Hk. f. et Th.) Warb. but the latter has more veins, larger leaves and a larger fruit. The leaf base is never cordate in mevi- dionalis. It is nearly always acute but occasionally slightly rounded. PALMAE MALESICAE—XI The Malayan Species of Korthalsia By C. X. FURTADO Botanic Gardens, Singapore 1. Introduction KORTHALSIAS form a small group of clump-forming rattans, the species of which are inadequately known. This inade- quacy of our systematic knowledge is due primarily to the ‘inadequacy of herbarium specimens obtained by collectors not well conversant with the needs of the systematist. The one thing that the collector should notice in Korthal- sias is the great deal of variation not only in the different parts of an individual stem, but often also in the different individual stems of the same clump at different stages. Thus the ocrea of the first leaves on a new stem is some- what different in texture and in dimensions, and sometimes also in armature, from its condition on the later leaves; after the first few leaves, it soon acquires its definitive form, which is retained by all leaves on the stem except the reduced leaves which are associated with the terminal inflorescence. Similarly in some species the first leaves on a stem are flabellate (undivided, fan-shaped), and are sometimes of a peculiar colour and indumentum (special covering on the surface). On later leaves the leaflets begin to separate but the terminal two leafiets may remain connate or united. Subsequent leaves may show a gradation of change in shape, size, indumentum, and colour of leaflets and of their stalk- like bases (ansae), and the two terminal leaflets may be separate; in still later stages the leaves have a clawed whip-like end (cirrus). As the stem approaches its maximal growth and terminates in an inflorescence, the changes in the leaves continue. The main branches of the inflorescence are produced in the axils of leaves showing various grada- tions in reduction, so that some of the terminal leaves consist each of a leaf-sheath surmounted by a small cirrus, with no leaflets. Side by side with these changes, there will be noticed variations in the thickness of the stem, the size of the petiole, and in the armature on sheaths, ocreae, etc. Gardens Bulletin, S. a01 However, since the ocrea early acquires a definitive form and changes but very little except in the terminal leaves, it has been found that Malayan Korthalsias can be separated from other rattans both generically and specifically on the adult leaves having ocreae. No other rattan genus has leaves which produce both leaflets which are rhomboidal in shape or have premorse lips (as if bitten off), and long ring-like ocreae at the junction of sheath and petiole. Since leaf- sheaths and petioles are also essential for the correct specific identification of most rattans collectors should therefore be instructed to include a sufficient number of representative bits of stems to show the petioles, sheaths and ocreae. In order to clarify accurately the status of many species based on juvenile material only, or on material without leaf-sheath and ocrea, it would be useful if sets carefully numbered in the field were made to show all the important variations noticeable in a clump. This should not be taken to mean that the flowering parts are unimportant for a systematic study of Korthalsia; they are useful especially to give an additional confirmation that the identifications made on the vegetative characters are correct and also to show their affinities; but it is extremely difficult to identify species on specimens having no ocreae and petioles. Of the inflorescence, spikes and fruits are of very great importance in separating species, but these parts are rarely represented in most specimens. 2. The Inflorescence Each individual stem in a clump produces flowers and fruits once in its life in a terminal inflorescence of short branches, and then dies. This monocarpic habit causes the collector difficulties not only to see whether a certain indivi- dual stem has produced spadices, but also to collect the spadices when seen. Further the jungle folk cut Korthalsia stems long before they flower, for the stems are very useful long before they flower and it is believed that they lose their durability and strength after flowering and fruiting. Such cutting of stems in their sterile stages may therefore be an additional reason why collectors do not easily find flowers and fruits of the species of this genus. - As said above, the primary branches of the inflorescence are produced in the axils of reduced leaves; but as in Salacca, they emerge usually by puncturing the leaf-sheaths Vol. XIII. (1951). 302 in their dorsal side below the petiole. The spikes are amenti- form in all Malayan species, that is, they are cylindrical, having their membranous spathels closely packed together. Each spathel shields one small hermaphrodite flower, which is attended by two or more woolly bracteoles. On the length of these bracteoles depends the glabrous or tomentose appearance of the spikes. Because of this amentiform character of the spikes—a character found also in the genus Metroxylon (Sago Palms, formerly also known as Sagus), a genus that has scaly fruits lke Korthalsia and other rattans—and because of the calamoid appearance of the stem, GRIFFITH named the genus Calamosagus, being un- aware that it had already been named Korthalsia a few years earlier by BLUME, in honour of the Dutch naturalist Dr. P. W. KORTHALS, well-known for his Indonesian plant collections made between 1831-37. There are some non- Malayan species in which the spikes have loosely-packed spathels as in Salacca and so are not amentiform. The perianth of the flower consists of a cupular 3-lobed calyx, and of a deeply 3-parted corolla which is usually much longer than, but sometimes as long as, the calyx. Stamens are six, borne on filaments adnate to the corolla tube, slightly united at their bases to form a small ring. The ovary is incompletely three-celled, terminated by three punctiform stigmas, each cell having an ovule. The fruit is one-seeded, the pericarp being covered with imbricating scales; the number of vertical rows and the colour of the scales form important diagnostic characters for specific differentiation. The seed is covered with scanty flesh (integument) and the endosperm is more or less ruminate, with a deep chalazal cavity in the middle of one side, and with the embryo placed on the other side opposite the cavity. (A few non-Malayan species have a homogeneous endosperm). 3. Geographical Distribution So far only 26 species are known, of which 18 are found in a region occupied by Malaya, Borneo and Sumatra—-a region which appears to be the centre of the generic develop- ment. Of these 18, six are endemic in Borneo, four in Malaya (K. grandis, K. paludosa, K. Scortechinti and K. tenuis- sima), and two in Sumatra. One Sumatran species (K. Teysmannii) has been recorded in Java, the only other Javanese species (K. Junghunii) being endemic there. K. Gardens Bulletin, S. ~~. : 303 laciniosa is widely distributed in the region north of Malaya, being found in the Andamans, the Nicobars, Lower Burma, Indo-China and also in Sumatra. The other six species are endemic in the following regions: the Andamans (K. Rogersi), the Philippines (K. Merrilli, K. scaphigerot- des and K. squarrosa), Celebes (K. celebica) and New Guinea and Aru Islands (K. Zippelii). This high endemism plus its wide distribution, its mono- carpic habit, cylindrical spikes and hermaphrodite flowers seem to suggest that the genus is much more ancient phylo- genetically than the other calamoid genera, and that it has long lost its ability to produce variations and new species. The absence of sufficient flesh in the integument of the seed fails no doubt to attract birds to distribute the seed, and may therefore be a probable cause of much local endemism. The usefulness of the stems is an inducement to man to cut them before they produce flowers and fruits and thereby to contribute to their extermination in easily accessible areas. The Sago palm which is also monocarpic and soboli- ferous and much cut for its sago in the stem before it fruits is a palm now extinct in the wild state, and has numerous endemic varieties in different areas where they have been long cultivated. 4. The Malayan Species The following eight species have been definitely recorded in Malaya: echinometra, flagellaris, grandis, paludosa, rigida, scaphigera, Scortechinii and tenuissima. The only new species described here is K. paludosa which is closely allied to K. rigida. RIDLEY (1907 and 1925) records eleven species for Malaya. Of these the following reductions have been made: K. rubiginosa (to K. flagellaris) , K. polystachya (to K. rigida) and K. ferox var. malayana (to K. rigida). K. Wallichiaefolia, as described by GRIFFITH (1844), appears to be a mixture consisting of the leaves of K. rigida and of the spikes of K. echinometra or K. Scortechini, and so it is excluded from this account. K. Machadonis was based by RIDLEY entirely on a juvenile form of which no specimens are available, but which, from the description, appears to be a non-cirriferous juvenile form of K. scaphi- gera. The Bornean K. horrida, based on a juvenile form, has been reduced to K. echinometra. Korthalsia grandis was based by RIDLEY on two distinct specimens, one of which has been transferred to K. Scortechinii; thus restricted the Vol. XIH. (1951). 504 species appears to be closely related to K. Teysmanni, to which K. grandis was reduced by BECCARI. The spadix and the fruit of K. grandis are described here for the first time. K. Scortechinii,-which RIDLEY considered as a doubtful species, has been found to be very widely distributed and its spadix is also described; RIDLEY had confused the specimens of this species with K. echinometra and K. grandis. Good collections of K. Scortechinui are required in order to study the variation of the leaflets and also of the ocreae. K. tenuissima is a distinct species known only from the type collection, which I have not seen, though I have seen the published photograph. 5. A Nomenclatural Problem According to Art. 60 of the 19385 Rules, K. scaphigera is a ‘superfluous’ name, because MARTIUS in publishing its brief diagnosis as communicated by GRIFFITH, mistakenly quoted Calamosagus Wallichiaefolius as its synonym. From the citations made in Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) it is obvious that GRIFFITH wanted to adopt the name K. scaphigera only for that specimen which he had tentatively mentioned in the notes under C. Wallichiaefolius; but MARTIUS un- fortunately thought K. scaphigera was a new name for the old species. However, since the rule of ‘superfluous’ names, if rigidly applied, would cause many changes not foreseen in the Rules, I have retained K. scaphigera not as a synonym to K. Wallichiaefolius, but as the correct name for the — Species represented by the specimen indicated by GRIFFITH ; this is also the interpretation adopted by BECCARI and by all subsequent botanists. 6. Key to the Species OCREA INFLATED Ocrea ovate or oblong, 25-6 cm. long, not more than two times as long as broad, armed with short spines. (Leaf- lets eiongate-rhomboidal, smooth) K. scaphigera Griff. et Mart. Ocrea elongate, elliptical, 10-18 cm. long, two, three or more times longer than broad, armed or not Leaflets elongate-lanceolate or ensiform, narrowed at apex, sometimes spiny in the nerves above. Ocrea with spines 3-8 cm. long K. echinometra Becc. Gardens Bulletin, S. 305 Leaflets rhomboidally elongate, unarmed on both surfaces. Ocrea armed with spines less than 1 em. long Kk. Scortechinii Bece. OCREA CLOSELY SHEATHING Ocrea 15-20 mm. long, smooth. Leaflets 2-3 on each side on a leaf. Sheathed stem 4—5 mm. thick. Inflores- cence of 2-3 spikes directly borne on the main axis | Kk. tenuissima Bece. ~ Ocrea much longer, in some up to 30 em. long, often prickly. Leaflets many on each side. Sheathed stems 1—2:5 cm. in diam. or more. Inflorescence with several spike-bearing branches produced in the axils of reduced leaves Ocrea almost horizontally truncate above the petiole, about 1-3 cm. long. Spikes thin, 5 mm. in diam,, glabrous outside | Ocrea conspicuously fibrous and often split on ventral side, nearly smooth. Leaf-sheaths thin and split ventrally, unarmed or armed with 2—4 mm. long prickles on the ventral side, and rarely also on the dorsal side in a vertical line below the petiole. The sheath and the petiole dry yellowish. Axillas of the petioles conspicuously callused or swollen in adult leaves kK. rigida Bl. Ocrea and leaf-sheaths coriaceous, almost uni- form in texture, not split ventrally, armed ventrally and in vertical line below the petiole with many laminar, 6-10 mm. long, often approximate spines. Axillas of petioles not swollen. The sheath and the petiole dry dull brown K. paludosa Furtado. Ocrea much longer, 15-30 cm. long, obliquely marces- cent and deciduous from the base of the petiole. Spikes thick, tomentose outside (no callus in the axillas of petioles) Leaflets long-rhomboidal, first glaucous beneath, later almost equally green. Sheathed stem 3-5 em. thick, straw-colour when dry K. grandis Ridl. Leaflets cuneately or lanceolately elongate, ab- ruptly and irregularly premorse and toothed, covered at first with tobacco-brown scurf Vol. XIII. (1951). 306 gi,” underneath, later nearly glaucous. Sheathed stem 2-8 cm. thick, dull yellow covered with deciduous whitish powder K. flagellaris Miq. 7. The Species 1. Korthalsia echinometra Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 66, t. 7 et (1886) 276; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (18938) 474; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 215; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 38 (1918) 115 tt. 68 and 69; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 68 pp. (Fig. 1). kK. horrida Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 66 t. 6, et in Ann. eit.. XT; ° 3.441998) “1a7 1. 70 Wier aan Enum. Born. PE = (1921) 72: syn. nov: Stem scandent slender, when sheathed 1-2 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths short, slightly longer than the ocreae, more or less spinous in exposed parts, covered with deciduous dark brown scurf. Ocrea elliptical, inflated-cymbiform, 10-18 cm. long, shortly pedicelliform at base, thinly coriaceous, deciduously scurfy, armed all round with spreading, slender, elastic, distant, 3-8 cm. long spines. Leaves elongate; petiole flattened, prickly along edges and sometimes on dorsum also, 30-60 cm. long, shorter in the upper leaves; rachis in the middle leaves about 1 m. long, armed with 1—3-nate claws, terminating with a cirrus as long, or longer than, the rachis. Leaflets 12-16 on each side, opposite to alter- nate, whitish beneath, plicately 3—5-costate, elongate lanceolate, papyraceous, acute at base, toothed or indented at apex; 30-50 cm. long, 2-25-3-5 em. broad, upper ones gradually smaller, more or less spinulous above in the main nerves. Inflorescence a ter- minal diffuse panicle; primary branches solitary in the axils of reduced leaves; secondary branches many; spathes tubular, smooth, obliquely truncate at apex; spikes cylindrical 15-20 cm. long, 12-15 mm. in diam.; spathels suborbicular, striately veined; bracteoles small, woolly; flowers 8 mm. long; calyx 3-lobed; corolla deciduous. Fruit oblong to obovoid, slightly narrowed to- wards the base, suddenly rostrate at apex, about 2-5 cm. long, 10-13 mm. broad; scales arranged in 18-21 vertical series, cin- ammon coloured with darker margins; seed 15 mm. long, 10-11 mm. in diam., oblong, with a slight groove on the raphal side running from the base to the chalazal cavity; the last is deep and broadly expanding in the centre; albumen deeply ruminate, embryo seated slightly above the middle opposite to the chalazal cavity. 3 MaLayA: Kemaman, Bukit Kajang (Corner, 30,467, sub. vern. nom. Rotan Udang). Johore, Kuala Sembrong (Lake and Kel- sall). Singapore, Bukit Timah (Ridley in 1894, 1903 and in 1907); Chan Chu Kang (Ridley 3,521); cult. in Hort. Bot. Singaporense (Furtado 37,946). BORNEO: British North Borneo, cult. in Hort. Bot. Bogor. (Furtado 30,91la); Sandakan (Enggoh 7,432 as Rotan Wakau — Mevak). DISTRIBUTION: Sumatra and Bangka. From the descriptions and plates given by BECCARI and from study of the material quoted above, I have reduced — ! | : : | | | Wp = : Vita aa , UM Cb ad AUTY, ’ 0 Fon ty Aan 1. Korthalsia echinometra (A-E: Furtado 37,946; F-H: Corner ae ). ay A, Fragmentum inflorescentiae terminale. B1, Pars superior caudicis : — podem folioque instructa. B2, Pars caudicis juvenilis. C, Spathella. D, Bracte , Semen verticaliter 3 ciliata. E, Bracteola barbata. F, Fructus. G, Semen. H _ discissum. = Ss + Piet eretoe HL SEC Ooh ean. , Bracteola barbata discissum. ‘\ i AP ET Precag a teS EDs gmentum spadicis terminale. C, Seeti SUR Nt , Bracteola ciliata. F H, Alabastrum 9 verticaliter pathella. E yy iy , i by \ | flagellaris (Nur 34,007). eg NS > Fragmentum caudicis cum fronde. B, Fra spicae transversa. D, S Alabastrum femineum. 1 cw Korthalsia C Fig. 2. A, 309 K. horrida to K. echinometra. Variations mentioned by BECCARI also occur in the same species. RIDLEY confused with this species several flowering and fruiting specimens of K. Scortechinit, and so he was not able to recognize K. Scortechinit. According to ENGGOH’S field notes, the stems of K. echi- nometra are used in Borneo for binding purposes and the leaves for making mats. It is possible that the spadix described by GRIFFITH for K. Wallichieafolia is of this species; the spike collected by LAKE and KELSALL at Kuala Sembrong, Johore, and cited by RIDLEY under K. Wallichiae- folia also belongs here. 2. Korthalsia flagellaris Mig. in Journ. Neerl. (1855) 15 et Prodr. Fl. Sum. (1860) 255 et 591; Bece. in Malesia II (1886) 276 t. 64 f. 3; Becc. et Hook. f. in FI. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 476; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Malayan Pen. (1907) 219; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 3 (1918) 143 t. 94-96; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 70. (Fig. 2). K. rubiginosa Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 72; Ridl., Mat. om Tl (1907) 219 et Fl. cit. V (1925) 70. Stems tufted, climbing, up to 20 m. long, 2-4 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths smooth or sparingly armed, mostly on the dorsal side in line with the petiole, with short scattered prickles 5-10 mm. long, covered when young with deciduous cinnamon-brown seurf. Ocrea 20-30 cm. long, membranous, closely sheathing, covered with similar scurf, unarmed, tubular at first, split ven- trally later and finally dissolved into fibres. Leaves in very young plants undivided, 50-100 cm. long, 10-12 cm. broad, cuneate at base; the subsequent ones divided and longer, becoming cirrifer- ous from the middle of the stem upwards; petiole deciduously rusty furfuraceous, 20-35 cm. long, clawed along the margin, or considerably shorter and unarmed in apical leaves; in juvenile leaves armed also on ventral and dorsal surfaces; rachis bearing leaflets 1-1-5 m. or slightly longer in the leaves of the middle stem, with stout 1—3-nate claws beneath. Leaflets numerous, 8-18 on each side, ansate, broadly linear and shortly cuneate at base or oblanceolate-cuneate, irregularly truncate at apex and sharply dentate, pluricostulate-plicate, 20-35 cm. long, 1-3-5 cm. broad, ferrugineous-scurfy or whitish beneath, the leaflets in, apical leaves considerably smaller and sometimes abortive or absent. Inflorescence a terminal diffuse panicle the primary branches being in the axils of reduced leaves; spathes closely sheathing, tubular, unarmed, those subtending the spikes 3-5 cm. long; spikes on secondary or tertiary branches, 5-18 cm. long, cylind- rical, reddish-tomentose outside; spathels almost immersed in the wool of the flower bracteoles; flowers hermaphrodite. F'ruit obovate-oblong, gradually narrowed towards base, suddenly beaked at apex, 17-20 mm. long, 10-11 mm. broad; scales yellow- ish-brown with reddish-brown margins, arranged in 19-21 ver- tical series; seed 11-12 mm. long, 7-9 mm. in diam., deeply ruminate, with chalazal cavity expanding in the centre of the Sees z , Turmory Der oe Fig. 3. Korthalsia grandis (Furtado 37,945). Al, Pars caudicis juvenilis. A2, Particula rhacheos, folio instructa. 511 seed; embryo slightly above the middle on the side opposite to, the chalazal cavity. MaLaya: Perak, Asam Kumbang (Wray 3,127). Selangor, Bukit Changgas, Klang (Nur 34,007). Johore, Soga (Ridley 11,214); Tempayan River (Ridley, 13,294); Mount Austen (Rid- ley 12,591). BORNEO: Mapat River at Semporna (Puasa 7,404, as Rotan Asas and Rotan Merah). DISTRIBUTION: Sumatra (type locality) and Billiton. According to RIDLEY and BECCARI this species appears to be very common but not collected because it is seldom found in flower or fruit. BECCARI has rightly reduced K. rubiginosa to K. flagel- laris; the former was described from the long furfuraceous reddish leaves growing in the early stages of the stem, whereas K. flagellaris was based on leaves taken from the apical parts of the plant. RIDLEY has ignored this reduction made by BECCARI, and listed the two names as representing two species. 5. Korthalsia grandis Ridl., Mat. Fl. Malayan Pen. II (1907) 217 partim; Becc. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 3 (1918) 154 t. 88; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 69 partim (ex altera parte = K. Scortechinii). (Fig. 3 and 2). K. Teysmannii Mig. sensu Bece. op. cit. p. 136 t. 88 as to Singapore specimen only. Stem stout, long, with sheaths 3-5 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths yellowish when dry, somewhat marcescent and less firm along ventral side, unarmed except slightly below the base of ocrea on ventral side. Ocrea about 13 cm. long, truncate, thinly coriaceous, obliquely marcescent, decidously scurfy when young, finally longitudinally split on ventral side, and partially disintegrated above, armed with a few but short flattened spines usually on ventral side. Leaves large, in the adult stages ending with a robust cirrus; petiole in the specimens cited below 8-15 cm. long, hardly callused in the axilla; rachis with 8-9 leaflets on each side, 130 cm. long in the type, armed beneath with solitary robust claws along the margins in the lower half, and with 2-3-nate claws in a semi-whorl in the upper half. Leaflets 17 in all in the type, strongly ansate at base, oblong-cuneately rhomboidal, 20-30 cm. long, 6-13 cm. wide, 9-13-nerved, the apical margins double- toothed with a slight depression at each main nerve, whitish or paler beneath. Inflorescence terminal, the main branches in the axils of reduced leaves; spathes tubular, unarmed; spikes inserted at the base of the secondary spathes, 15-25 cm. long, 8-10 mm. broad, tomentose outside. Fruit 10-12 mm. long, 7-8 mm. broad, oblong, slightly narrowed at base, suddenly apiculate above; scales in 12 series, yellow with brownish tips; seed 8-9 mm. long, 6-7 mm. broad, oblong-obovate, deeply ruminate, with a deep chalazal cavity on one side in the middle; embryo seated a little below the middle on the anti-raphal side. MALAYA: Singapore, Selitar (Ridley in 1894, lectotype) ; Bukit Panjang (Ridley on 1907); cult. in Hort. Bot. Singap. (Furtado 37,945, apotypus). - \| Juanes a | 1 2 cm Pig. 4. Korthalsia grandis (Furtado 27,945). ‘a A, Fragmentum caudicis adulti, cum fronde. B, Pars spadicis fructiferi. C, Spi sectio transversa. D, Spathella. E-F, Bracteolae. G, Fructus. H, grum. I, Semen verticaliter discissum. 515 This species is closely allied to K. Teysmannii to which it was tentatively reduced by BECCARI: but the latter differs from K. grandis in having its leaf-sheaths and ocreae conspicuously spiny, more vertical series of fruit-scales, and a sort of subulae at ends of the nerves of the leaflets. RIDLEY’S K. grandis was a mixtum compositum, being based on the sterile specimen of K. grandis as restricted here and fertile specimens from Bukit Mandai belonging to K. Scor- techinu. The apotype that enabled me to identify the species, to amend it, and to supply the description of its spikes and fruits is taken from a clump that was growing without a name in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore. Its origin is unknown and duplicates have been made for distribution to many herbaria. 4. Korthalsia paludosa Furtado spec. nov. (Fig. 5). A. K. rigida cui valde affinis, ocreis et foliorum vaginis ventre coriaceis, integris, aculeis valide majoribus pluri- busque, petiol axilla vix callosa, vaginis et racheis foliorum siccis brunnescentibus, facile distinguenda. Caulis cum vaginis 2-2-5 cm. in diam. Vagina frondis coriacea dorso per linean infra petiolum et ventre aculeis pluribus 6-10 mm. longis, triangularibus, saepe approximatis praedita, deciduo glaucescens. Ocrea 2-3 cm. alta, coriacea, fere horizontaliter truncata, ventre paulo altior et magis aculeata. Petiolus circa 8-10 cm. aut magis longus, in axilla vix callosus, inferne ungui- bus solitariis interdum approximatis armatus, deciduo fusco lep- rosus. Rachis circa 60 cm. longa, utrinsecus foliolis rhomboideis 5-7, longe ansatis, subtus glaucis praedita. Cirrus cirea 60 cm. longus, unguibus 3—4-natis. Inflorescentia terminalis, ramis pre- mariis pluribus; spathae inermes, spicis infra spathae apicem insertis, circa 10 cm. longis, 4 mm. in diam., exteriore glabris. Fructus ignotus. Stem tufted, scandent, with the sheaths 2-2-5 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths coriaceous throughout, drying dark brown, not split on ventral side, covered with a whitish deciduous subs- tance, armed dorsally in line with petiole and on ventral side with many triangular, 6-10 mm. long spines often approxi- mate at base. Ocrea 2-3 cm. long, horizontally truncate, entire, coriaceous, of the same texture and colour as the sheath, armed more on the ventral side than on the side nearest to the petiole with spines similar to those on the sheath. Leaves long-cirrifer- ous in adult stages; petiole 8-10 cm. long, or longer, not swollen in axilla, often deciduously scurfy, armed dorsally with remote, solitary, sometimes laterally approximate, claws; rachis about 6 em. long, with 5-7 leaflets on each side, armed beneath with 2-3- nate claws; cirrus long, strongly clawed. Leaflets coriaceous, rhomboidal, whitish or glaucous beneath, 15-20 cm. long, 9-lo em. broad, at base each with an ansa 1-5 cm. long, alternate or subopposite, upper margins irregularly undulate and erose- toothed, 9-10-nerved. Inflorescence terminal, with many main 2mm 4mm - ) ga Fig. 5. Korthalsia paludosa (Holotypus: Kiah 32,344). a Al, Fragmentum caudicis juvenilis cum fronde. A2, Pars superior caudicis, | florenti instructa. B, Particula caudicis adulti. C, Spica. D, Pist. anthesim. E, Sectio transversa ex spicae medio. . ras “5 oe . a wi -~ aur ee en a " 7 O15 branches, each emerging by puncturing the sheath of a reduced leaf; spathes unarmed, elongate, tubular, somewhat withered at apex, obliquely truncate; spikes borne on secondary branches, inserted much below the mouth of the spathe, amentiform, 10 cm. long, 4 mm. in diam., glabrous outside; flowers small, sub- tended by small bracteoles; fruit unknown. MALAYA: Johore, juxta ripas Sungai Kayu (Kiah, S.F.N. 32,344, Holotypus). Negri Sembilan, Bukit Senaling in Kuala Pilah (Moorhouse sub. nom. vern. Rotan Dahan). _ This species is easily confused with K. rigida, from which it is distinguished by the dark brownish sheaths, ocreae and leaf-rachis, by the petiole-axillas not being conspicuously swollen, by its longer and conspicuous armature on the sheaths and ocreae, and by the coriaceous texture of sheaths and ocreae which also remain entire and unsplit on the development of the stem. The Negri Sembilan specimen is sterile and my identification of it has been made by com- parison with the Johore one. 5. Korthalsia rigida Bl., Rumphia II (1836) 167 t. 157; Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. III (1849) 211; Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XVIII (1874) 207; Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 73 et in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calc. XII, 3 (1918) 124 tt. 77 et 78. (Fig. 6). K. ferox Becc. var. malayana Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 476; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 218; Bece. in Ann. cit. XII, 3 (1918) 140 t. 91; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 69 (syn. nov.). K. polystachya Mart., Hist. cit. III (1849) 210 t. 172 fig. 1 et ZXIII; Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 74; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 476; Ridl., Mat. cit. IT (1907) 218 et Fl. cit. V (1925) 69. K. Wallichiaefolia (Griff.) H. Wendl. in Kerch. Palm. (1855) 248; Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 75; Hook. f., Fi. cit. VI (1893) 475; Ridl., Mat. cit. II (1907) 217 p. p.; Bece. in Ann. cit. XII, 3 (1918) 141 t. 92; Ridl., Fl. cit. V (1925) 69 p.p. (quoad folia tantum) : syn. nov. Calamosagus Harinaefolius Griff. ex M’Clelland in Griff., Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) 29 t. 184 (quoad foliolum). C. ochriger Griff., Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) 31 t. 216 fig. 1. C. Wallichiaefolius Griff. in Cale. Journ. Nat. Hist. V (1844) 25 (quoad folium). Stem climbing, with sheaths 12-25 mm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths smooth or armed with small, short, 2-4 mm. long, ascendent or reflexed prickles, (which are fewer or often absent on the dorsal side), coriaceous but thinner and soon fibrous and split on the hy ww ‘ p ——— P, soit-ts a AER) RY IY Hed SY Fig. 6. Korthalsia rigida (Furtado 37,947). ( A, Fragmentum caudicis, fronde instructum. B, Pars superior caudicis cum spadi cibus. C, Sectio spicae transversa. D, Flos ©. E, Flos apertus ut staminodia | pistillumque appareant. F, Spathella. G—-H, Bracteolae. I, Fructus. J, Semen K, Semen verticaliter discissum. 517 ventral side. Ocrea 2-5 cm. long, or more, but upper, part mem- branous deciduous, about 1-5 cm. or less long in the persistent base, horizontally truncate, ventrally thinner and split, sometimes also armed with short prickles. Leaves in the middle of the stem about 40-50 cm. long, cirriferous; petiole 2-5 cm. long, or almost absent, armed dorsally with a few short prickles conspicuously swollen in the axilla; rachis armed with 1-3-nate claws; upper leaves smaller, lower leaves often longer. Leaflets in the inter- mediary leaves 5-6 on each side of the rachis, alternate, almost glossy above, pale or glaucous beneath, cuneate-rhomboidal, 12— 18 cm. long, 5-7 cm. or more wide, 6-7 or more nerved, upper margins erose-toothed, conspicously ansate at base. Inflorescence a diffuse terminal panicle; primary branches emerging usually by puncturing the sheath of the reduced axillant leaf, 50-60 cm. long, sub-divided again into several spike-bearing secondary branches; spathes elongate-tubular, unarmed, obliquely truncate at apex; spikes pedicelled, inserted at the bottom of secondary spathes, slender, somewhat flexuous, 8-15 cm. long, 3-5 mm. in diam., glabrous outside; spathels broadly triangular, striate, free; bracteoles small; reduced to tufts of woolly hair; flowers hermaphrodite, seated in the midst of the woolly bracteoles, 4 mm. long in buds; calyx cyathiform, strongly striate, 3-fid up to the middle; corolla twice or three times as long as the calyx, divided into deeply tripartite striate segments; stamens 6; ovary ovoid, narrowed at apex into the 3-fid stigma. Fruit 8-12 mm. long, 8-10 mm. in diam., oblong, depressed or flattened and muc- ronate at apex, slightly narrowed or rounded at base; scales arranged in 12-15 vertical series, uniformly brown, polished, grooved; seed oblong, 8-11 mm. long, 5-9 mm. in diam., rumi- nate with a deep broad chalazal cavity in the centre on the raphal side and embryo seated on the side opposite the cavity in an area which is scarcely ruminate. Mauaya: Pahang, Kota Glanggi, at base (Henderson 22,480). Trengganu, Brang, Tersat, about 800 m. (Moysey and Kiah 33,397). Penang, Penang Hill (Ridley in XII, 1895). Perak, Larut Hills (Kunstler 6,563, type of K. ferox var. malayana, seen plate only). Selangor, Rotan Tungal Reserve at Rantau (Burn-Murdoch sub Ridley num. 13,298 as Rotan Hudang). Negri Sembilan, Bukit Senaling (Moorhouse as Rotan Dahan). Johore, Batu Pahat (Ridley 11,208). Singapore, Bukit Timah (Ridley: 6,674; 8,782 and 10,407); cult. Hort. Bot. Sing. ef. un- known origin (Furtado 26,051, 32,344, et 37,947). BoRNEO: Timbun Mata Isle (Keith 6,257). DISTRIBUTION: Sumatra, Billiton and Bangka. There is a good deal of variation in the thickness of the stem, the armature of leaf-sheaths, the size of leaflets, etc. depending upon the age of the individual stem, the position of the stem in the clump and also perhaps upon soil condi- tions. The specimen depicted as K. ferowx var. malayand._1s exactly like some of the specimens taken from K. rigida, where armed and unarmed leaf-sheaths may be obtained on stems of the same clump. Further, spikes with partly exserted pedicels are also found in typical K. rigida, especially in more distal parts of the plants. Turret: Des. Fig. 7. Korthalsia scaphigera (Furtado 30,926). Al, Fragmentum caudicis cum fronde et vagina, A2, Pars su ~ Dd ( & » -aaate s 4 f ‘ ¥ j I * ot ¥i VLD “ isover iT! ’ 519 As described by GRIFFITH and subsequently identified by BECCARI and by RIDLEY, K. Wallichiaefolia appears to be K. rigida as to leaves. The type material was collected by a Malay in the jungle near Malacca, and was a mixture. The spadix, as depicted by GRIFFITH, appears to belong either to K. echinometra or to K. Scortechinii. I have not seen KEHEDING’S specimen cited by BECCARI first (1884) under K. laciniosa and then (1918) under K. Wallichiaefolia; but I have no doubt that several specimens RIDLEY cited under the latter species, and the specimen which formed the subject of BECCARI’S plate 92, represent true K. rigida, and show the characteristic swellings in the axillas of the petioles. The Kuala Sembrong specimen collected by LAKE and KELSALL and cited by RIDLEY under K. Wallichiaefolia consists of a solitary spike which belongs to K. echinometra; and the Sumatran material referred to K. Wallichiaefolia by BECCARI appears to be K. rigida. 6. Korthalsia scaphigera Griff. et Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. III (1849) 211 t. z. viii f. IJ-iv et (1850) 343; Migq., FI. Ind. Bat. III (1860) 750; Becc. in Malesia II (1884) 67 t. 5; Becc. et Hook. f. in Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 475; Ridl., Mat Fl. Malayan Pen. II (1907) 216; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 3 (1918) 112 tt. 64 et 65; Ridl., F!. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 68. (Figs. 7 and 8). Kk. Lobbiana H. Wendl. in Bot. Zeit. XVII (1859) 174. Calamosagus scaphiger Griff., Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) t. 184-A. Stem monocarpic, tufted, climbing, slender, 7-12 mm. in diam. with sheaths. Leaf-sheaths armed with short horizontal spines. Ocrea inflated, elliptic-cymbiform, closely sheathing, frequently a non-inflated ring at base (pedicel) interposing between the petiole and the inflated portion, 2-5-6 cm. long, 10-25 mm. through, shorter in apical leaves. Leaves cirriferous in the mid- dle of the stem and upwards; petiole 3-15 cm. long, armed along the margins and the dorsum with short hooked spines; the rachis usually with 4, but rarely with 5-7, leaflets on each side, 35—50 em. long, armed irregularly with short solitary or 2-3-nate claws. Leaflets sub-opposite or nearly alternate, more or less rhomboi- dal cuneate towards the base, premorse in the margins of the upper half, caudate at apex, paler beneath; those in the, basal leaves usually longest, whitish or sometimes ferrugineous beneath. Inflorescence in a diffuse terminal panicle; each primary branch 30-50 cm. or less long, emerging by puncturing the sheath of a reduced leaf; spikes borne on primary, secondary or on ter- tiary branches, 10-15 cm. long, 5-8 mm. in diam., cylindrical, yellowish-tomentose; flowers hermaphrodite, solitary at the base of each spathel, but accompanied by more than two different- 7. pe Sc SP = i aN \ \\ \ ed, 7cm. Fig. 8. Korthalsia scaphigera (Furtado 30,847). Al and A2, Partes caudicis cum frondibus. B florigerentibus. , Pars caudicis cum spadici 321 sized, hairy-paleaceous bracteoles; spathel free, bracteiform, con- cave, broader than long, ciliolate, often split; calyx small, short, 1 mm. long, 3-lobed; corolla much longer, lobed in upper two- thirds; stamens 6; ovary oblong narrowed upwards into a trifid style. Fruit ovoid- elliptical or slightly obovoid; mucronate, 15-18 mm. long, 9-11 mm. in diam.; seales in 15 longitudinal series; seed erect, ovoid-elliptical, 9 mm. long, 7 mm. in diam., veined; albumen deeply ruminate; embryo large, seated in the middle on one side opposite the chalazal cavity. MALAYA: Perak, Larut (Kunstler 3,722); Assam Kumbang (Wray 1,917). Malacca, Sungai Udang (Goodenough 1,704). Negri Sembilan, Bukit Sutu (Alvins 2,078 as Rotan Sumut). Johore, Ulu Kahang (Holttum, 10,916). Singapore, Selitar (Rid- ley in August 1892 and September 1904); Woodlands (Ridley in 1903); Bukit Timah (Ridley 6,272 as Rotan Simut); Botanic Gardens wild and cult. (Ridley 11,217 and 9,217; Furtado). BORNEO: Sandakan (Matusop 7,427, as Rotan Lagi-Lagt) ; Semawang River (Pascual 1,089); Pettotan (Boden-Kloss 19,031); Tawao (Elmer 20,476); Baram (Hewitt n.F); West Borneo, cult. in Hort. Bot. Bogor. (Furtado 30,847). SUMATRA: Palembang, cult. Hort. Bot. Bogor. (Furtado 30,926). This species was based on a specimen collected by GRIFFITH in Malacca. In 1844 it was described without a name in the observations made under Calamosagus Walli- chiaefolius in Cale. Journ. Nat. Hist. V. However in 1845, GRIFFITH decided to separate it as a new species and give it the name K. scaphigera, and communicated its brief diagnosis to MArTIUS. Apparently MARTIUS understood that GRIFFITH wished to adopt the latter name in place of the former, and so in addition to giving the diagnosis, he also quoted C. Wallichiaefolius as a synonym of the species. Under Art. 60 of the 1935 Rules, K. scaphigera has to be rejected as a superfluous name. However, in view of the fact that many strong objections have been raised to that provision, and since botanists in general have ignored the rule, I have retained for the species the name K. scaphigera as interpreted on GRIFFITH’S specimens quoted under Cala- mosagus scaphiger Griff. (1850), an interpretation also adopted by BECCARI (1884). Thus interpreted, this species is not synonymous with K. Wallichiaefolius (Griff.) Wendl. 7. Korthalsia Scortechinii Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 475; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 216; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 3 (1918) 118 t. 72; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 68. (Fig. 9). K. echinometra sensu Ridl., Mat. cit. IJ (1907) 215 et FI. cit. V (1925) 68 (partim). ; i \ Si ibis. G H lcm ] i, . % ; ' othe > GIA ff Wn Cee | Pe ll S re eer . a 7 2 ~ oo ~ ‘ —_ ‘ “« P ee _ * ee ee ee ee eee eee 33cm TU Wein, atc “3 Fig. 9. Korthalsia Scortechiniti (A: Moorhouse sn.: B-I: Alvins 1,065), = A, Fragmentum caudicis, fronde cum vagina et ocrea instructum. B, Fragm ent spadicis fructiferentis. C, Sectio spicae transversa. D, Spathella, E-F, B teolae. G, Fructus. H, Semen, I, Semen transversaliter liscissum. ai ; > py. e . 4 A ® & ete 323 K. flagellaris sensu Ridl. in Journ. Roy. Asiat. Soc. Straits Branch 33 (1900) 176 partim. K. grandis Ridl., Mat. cit. II (1907) 217 et Fl. cit. V (1925) 69 partim. Stem climbing, 12-17 mm. in diam. or probably more in adult stages. Leaf-sheaths slightly longer than the ocrea, armed with a few, short, almost tuberculiform spines. Ocrea up to 18 cm. long, inflated, 2-5-3-5 ecm. broad, with a short, closely sheathing, pedicelliform base, armed with a few, scattered, 5 mm. long spines. Leaves cirriferous in adult plant; petiole 8-35 cm. long, armed with small spines on the edges and also on the dorsum, and on the ventral side of its younger leaves also; rachis 50-60 cm. long, armed beneath with a few 1-3-nate claws. Leaflets 10- 14 on each side of the rachis, almost equidistant, opposite in the basal half, alternate or sub-opposite in the upper, whitish beneath, cuneately elongate, 35-40 cm. long 4—5 cm. broad, 5—7 nerved, very irregularly toothed at apex. Inflorescence a terminal panicle with primary branches in the axils of reduced leaves; secondary branches with their pedicellar part more or less en- closed in the primary spathes, and bearing each 2-4 spikes; spathes tubular at the base, somewhat enlarged and marcescent upwards, ligulate at apex, slightly split on one side; spikes soli- tary, pedicelled, each inserted at the base of a secondary spathe, flower axis often also partly enclosed by the spathe, 20-25 cm. long, 10-15 mm. in diam., tomentose outside, but with spathels clearly visible or considerably produced beyond the wool of the bracteoles. Fruit obovate, abruptly beaked at apex, slightly attenuate towards the base, about 20 mm. long including 2 mm. beak, 9-11 mm. in diam.; scales cinnamon brown with paler margins, grooved in the middle, arranged in 16—18 vertical series; seed 12 mm. long, 7 mm. in diam., elliptical, deeply ruminate; embryo in the middle on the side opposite to the deep chalazal cavity. MALAYA: Perak, Maxwell Hill, alt. 1,000 m. (Burkill and Haniff, 12,787); Taiping Hills (Ridley in 1903). Malacca, loc. incert. (Alvins). Negri Sembilan, Bukit Senaling in Kuala Pilah (Moorhouse as Rotan Hudang); Bukit Kandang (Alvins 1,065 as Rotan Udang). Singapore, loc. incert. (Mat. IA); Bukit Timah (Ridley in 1890—syntype of K. grandis). RIDLEY (1925) stated that he had not seen any specimens of this species and that it might be a form of K. scaphigera; this was due to the fact that he had transferred the speci- mens of this species either to K. echinometra or to K. grandis. Though K. Scortechinii is widely distributed in Malaya, good specimens are yet wanting to indicate its variation. Leaf-sheaths with ocrea of an adult stem are not yet known. K. angustifolia as depicted by BECCARI (1918) has an ocrea very like that of K. Scortechinii and its leaflets come very near to this species. 324 8. Korthalsia tenuissima Becc. in Malesia II (1886) 275; Bece. et Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 476; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II Be: 218; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 3 (132 t. 84; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. VV C1925) 69. Stem slender up to 30 m. long, with sheaths 4-5 mm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths glabrous, finely striate, armed with a few scattered claws. Ocrea cylindrical, very closely sheathing, glabrous, un- armed, 15-20 mm. long, upper part deciduous. Leaves 20-30 cm. long including the cirrus; petiole short, much callused in the axilla. Leaflets 4-6 in all, alternate, inequidistant, cuneately rhomboidal, undulately and obsoletely erose-toothed in the upper margins, chalky white beneath, the largest leaflets being 10-12 mm. long, 3-4 cm. broad, about 7-nerved. Inflorescence terminal, with 2-3 spikes; spathes smooth, dilated in a broad acuminate limb; spike 8-10 cm. long, 6 mm. in diam. without flowers, slightly tomentose; spathels concave, longer than the woolly bracteoles; flowers arranged in 12 longitudinal series; calyx campanulate, obsoletely 3-toothed, striate; corolla longer than, or as long as, the calyx, deeply divided into 3 striate segments. Fruit unknown. MALAYA: Perak, Larut in low swampy ground, in dense forest at 100 m. altitude (Kunstler 4,057). This distinct species is easily recognized by its small leaves bearing a few chalky white rhomboidal leaflets, small unarmed closely sheathing ocreae, and by its inflores- cence which produces a few spikes directly on the main axis. The species is known only from the type collection in the Calcutta Herbarium, of which I have seen only the photo- graphic plate cited above. Gardens Bulletin, S.- PALMAE MALESICAE—XII The Malayan Species of Plectocomiopsis By C. X. FURTADO, Botanic Gardens, Singapore 1. General Characters PLECTOCOMIOPSIS is a genus consisting of a group of tufted, climbing palms characterized by the following :— The inflorescence is a terminal panicle (monocarpic plants) with its primary branches issuing out of the leaf- axils through the mouth of the tubular sheaths of reduced leaves; the male and the female flowers occur in different plants (dioecious) ; all the spathes including the secondary ones are tubular; the fruits have small scales which are arranged in distinct vertical rows; the seed globose com- pressed at apex and at base, so as to make it look almost cylindrical; albumen is homogeneous; and the embryo is basilar. The female flowers are borne either directly on secondary branches, or, like the male flowers, on a small tertiary axis which either remains almost included within its axillant spathel or is developed up to 1-3 cm. long. 2. General Remarks Without the fruits, this genus is separated with difficulty from Myrialepis, the fruit scales of which are very minute and irregularly arranged. In view of this, the generic sta- tus of the two species that occur exclusively in the regions outside Malaya, is yet uncertain, although Beccari has tentatively placed them under Plectocomiopsis. Both these are known from male specimens only, which are moreover very imperfect. P. ferox described by Ridley, was based on scrappy material collected in Langkawi Island. It certainly belongs to the genus Calamus, though I am not able to determine it specifically. P. Corneri, a new species described here, is the only species of the genus so far known to have a conspicuous ocrea. Vol. XIII. (1951). 526 3. Distribution vi So far only six species are known, of which two are not found in Malaya: P. paradoxus from Pegu in Burma and P. floribundus from Indo-China. The other four are P. geminiflorus, P. Wrayi, P. dubius and P. Corneri. Of these the first mentioned is very polymorphous and widely distri- ; buted, being known to occur either in the type or in its 4 varietal form, also in Lower Burma, Sumatra, Billiton and Borneo. The remaining three are exclusively Malayan. 4. Specific Key Leaf sheaths armed with many, irregularly spread spines, truncate at the base of the petiole so that ocrea is absent or obsolete. Leaflets often setose in the midrib and some- times also in the margins, narrow lanceolate. (Female flowers borne either on long spikelets, or on special short, abbreviated spikelets almost included in the axillant spathel) Petiole up to 6 cm. long. Leaf-sheaths obliquely trun- cate from petiole-base down. (Female flowers 1-3 congested on small axis at the mouth of the spathel) P. geminiflorus (Griff.) Becce. Petiole much longer. Leaf-sheaths horizontally trun- cate at the base of the petiole Male calyx not striate. (Female flowers solitary at each spathel on a long spikelet axis) P. Wray? Becc. Male calyx strongly striate. (Female flowers not known) P. dubius Bece. - Leaf-sheaths unarmed, or armed with 1-5 rigid spines arranged in one vertical row below the petiole; ocrea 2— 55 em. long. Leaflets smooth, broadly elliptic lanceolate. (Petiole obsolete or long. Female flowers on short, 1-2 cm. long horizontally spreading spikelets) P. Corneri Furtado. 5. Enumeration of the Species Plectocomiospsis geminiflorus (Griff.) Becc. in Hook. f.. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1898) 479; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. IT (1907) 214 pp.; Beee. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XI (1908) 507 et XII. 2 (1918) 48 tt. 30, 31, et IITA fig. 1-8; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 65. (Fig. 10). em, | 4 7 iy ‘Fe _ 7 _ —_— , “ - - a re ig. 10. Plectocomiopsis geminiflorus (Nur 21,748). A, Fragmentum frondis basale. B, Fragmentum frondis apicale. C, Pars spadicis cum spicis. D, Particula spicae ut spathella et insertio spiculae distincte appareant. E, Spicula, spathella axillante abscissa. f, Fructus maturus. G Semen integrum. H, Semen verticaliter discissum. 328 Calamus geminifiorus Griff. apud Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. Jit (1850) 338 tt. 175 fig. xiii, Z xviii fig. xviii ett. Z xxii fig. xivl; Griff., Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) 70 t. 199A. C. turbinatus Ridl., Mat. cit. I] (1907) 212. P. Wrayi Becce. in Ann. cit. Suppl. (1913) iii quoad syn. C. turbinatus tantum. Stem tufted, climbing with sheaths, 3-4 cm. in diam. Leaf- sheaths striate, obliquely truncate, with thin, scariose and lace- rate margins at the mouth, light straw-coloured when dry, deciduously scurfy when young, armed with scattered or approxi- mate, ascendent or horizontal spines up to 2 cm. long, but gradually shorter or almost tuberculiform or absent in the upper parts of the stem. Leaves about 2 m. long in the pinniferous part, considerably reduced in the parts bearing floriferous branches; petiole of varying length, almost absent or obsolete in the upper leaves; rachis armed with short, solitary or digitate spines along the margins and on the dorsum, and sometimes also in the upper surface of the basal part; cirrus elongate, armed at regular intervals with half-whorled claws. Leaflets numerous, very closely set in the upper leaves, more remote in lower leaves produced early in the life of the plant, sub-opposite, equidistant, 4-9 cm. apart, lanceolate, acute at base, bristly acuminate at apex, glossy above, paler and minutely lepidote beneath, thick- ened and remotely spinulose along the margins, occasionally armed with remote bristles on midcosta above. Female inflores- cence a large terminal leafy panicle, each primary branch 25-50 em. long issuing from the axil of a reduced leaf and divided in 3-5 secondary branches; primary spathes borne on primary branches, 3-5 cm. long, straw coloured, tubular, funnel-shaped, considerably narrowed towards the base, obliquely truncate with an ear-shaped ligule produced on one side; each secondary branch seated in the axil of the primary spathe, 25-40 cm. long; secon- dary spathes short, up to 10 mm. long, funnel-shaped, partly sculptured on one side by the pressure on it from the young spikelet in the unopened spadix branch, obliquely truncate, the apex being on a higher level than the other part; spikelets com- posed of a short porrect stalk, bearing 2—4 female flowers, each flower being furnished with a cupular, truncate involucre, quite deep in some specimens, shallow or disciform, entire or even formed at times of two imbricate bracts in others; calyx 3- toothed, deciduously hairy with obtuse apex; corolla twice as long as the calyx, 3-parted, covered with deciduous adpressed hairs; staminodes united into a cup, with 6 free teeth, adnate at base to the corolla. Fruiting perianth callous and hard at base, sub-pedicelliform, broadly campanulate, the lobes alter- nating with the three, ridged, staminodal lobes. Fruit obovate turbinate to broadly fusiform; scales numerous, arranged in 29, 35 and 42 series, according to the form; seed compressed at the top and at the base so as to appear almost cylindrical, broader than tall, 15-18 mm. in diam., 5-6 mm. high, slightly depressed at apex; albumen yellowish-brown with dark layer all round in the margin, with no chalazal cavity at apex; embryo basal. MALAYA: Pahang, Pulau Tioman on Bukit Sukak (Nur 21,748). Perak, Temango River (Ridley sn. in July 1909). Negri Sembilan, Kuala Pilah (Moorhouse, the holotype of C. turbi- natus). Gardens Bulletin, S. 529 From the plate given by Griffith, Nur 21,748 and Moor- house’s specimens appear to be typical in the characters of the secondary spathes and the secondary branches. Perhaps Moorhouse’s specimen must be considered as representing the type form of the species; it has shallow or disciform involucre made of two imbricating bracts and an obovate- turbinate fruit with scales arranged in 29 vertical series. ‘Nur 21,748. differs from this by its involucres being entire (one-bract), and deeply cup-shaped, and by its fruit being fusiform and having the scales arranged in 42 vertical series. Scortechint 283 (from Perak), which is depicted in Beccari’s plate 31 cited above, is very like Ridley’s speci- mens from Temango; both these differ from the type form depicted by Griffith on the following characters: secondary branches are borne often far apart, each with a short pedi- cel; primary spathes are shorter, broader and less obliquely truncate; the secondary spathes sculptured fully on one side (not partly as in the other); and the spikelets are almost horizontal (not porrect as in other varieties) so as to push the apex of the axillant spathe below the margin on its opposite side. Plectocomiopsis Wrayi Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 480 et in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 2 (1918) 55 tt. 35 and 36; Ridl., Fl., Mal. Pen. V (1925) 65. (Fig. 11). P. geminiflorus sensu Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 214 partim. Myrialepis Scortechinii Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 480 quoad specimen Scortechini 457° citatum. Stem tufted, slender, scandent, with sheaths 18-22 mm. In _ diam. Leaf-sheaths horizontally truncate at the mouth almost at the same level as the petiole base with indistinct or obsolete ocrea, deciduously scurfy, eventually glabrescent, almost smooth or ‘armed with a few short, conical, scattered prickles. Leaves ap- parently very long, but only the reduced leaves towards the apex so far known; petiole short, armed along the margins with short spines; rachis armed on the dorsum with solitary or digitate spines; cirrus long, with semi-whorled claws. Leaflets, numerous, equidistant, linear-lanceolate, unicostate, glabrous, tapering into a long fine apex; the largest leaflets seen 30-35 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. Female inflorescence a terminal panicle, with primary branches in the axils of reduced leaves; one primary branch seen, 20 em. long with 5 secondary branches on each side of its sinu- ous axis; primary spathes_ tubular, funnel-shaped, closely- sheathing; secondary branches 8-13 cm. long, sinuous, each in the axil of a primary spathe and bearing 8-10 alternate spikelets on Vol. XIII, (1951). psis picae ut spathella , Particula s 421; D: Kunstler 3,282). , Fructus maturus. padicis ¢.C Wrayi (A-C: Wray 2, superior. B, Pars s spicula distincte appareant D Fig. 11. Plectocomio A, Pars frondis dol each side; secondary spathes about 5 mm. long, tubular, sud- denly expanded into a spreading, triangular spikelet-supporting limb; spikelet one at each secondary spathe, with only a pair of flowers seated on a considerably reduced axis; involucre flat, with 3 acute lobes; female flowers about 1 cm. long, ovoid-ellip- tic; calyx broadly 3-lobed, cupular-campanulate; corolla about twice as long as the calyx, 3-lobed, thick and very hard, striately veined, minutely papillose outside; staminodal cup 6 lobes (3 long and 3 short), adnate at base to the corolla; ovary 3-celled, terminating by 3 conical stigmas. Fruiting perianth somewhat woody, splitting together with the staminal cup into 5-8 thick lobes, no staminal segments being visible between the lobes. Fruit globular turbinate, shortly beaked; scales in 24-25 vertical series, cinnamon-brown colour with a darker intramarginal line; seed not developed in the fruits seen. Male inflorescence some- what similar to the female but with longer branches and spike- lets; primary branch 50 cm. or less long; primary spathes 15-20 mm. in the upper half, up to 4 cm. long in the basal half of primary branch, almost horizontally truncate with a triangular ligule on one side; secondary branches inserted each at the bot- tom of the axil of a primary spathe, 8-30 cm. long, bearing numerous distichous spikelets; secondary spathes funnel-shaped, enlarged at the mouth, ligulate on one side, rusty furfuraceous and slightly puberulous, about 10 mm. long; male spikelets the largest 10-12 mm. long, bearing flowers in two series, each of 7-8 flowers; spathels bracteiform, striate, scurfy, puberulous, with a long acute lobe on one side; involucre shallow, concave, bidentate, striate, puberulous, scurfy; male flowers terete, 5 mm. long, 1 mm. thick; calyx urceolate, glabrous, not striate; corolla twice as long, much narrower than the calyx; stamens biseriate; ovary rudimentary. MALAYA: Perak, Sungai Larut (Wray 2,421; Kunstler 5,282). Wray 3,086 (male) from Perak, has been distributed from Calcutta under P. Wrayi to which it resembles in some respect; but the specimen is too young for a conclu- sive comparison; from the indumentum and the shape of the secondary spathes it looks more like P. geminiflorus. The collection Scortechini 457° which is a sterile young plant, has been identified by Beccari as young stages of P. Wrayi; Hooker had cited it under Myrialepis Scortechinu, of which species the type was not available to Hooker ; I have not seen any material of this Scortechini’s collection, nor any drawing. Plectocomiopsis dubius Becc. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calc. XII, 2 (1918) 56 t. 37; Ridl., Fi. Mal. Pen. V (1925) -—-©666. (Fig. 12). | P. geminiflorus sensu Ridl., Mat. FI. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 214 p.p. Stem tufted, 20 m. or more long, with sheaths 3-5 cm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths horizontally truncate at the mouth, deciduously scurfy, light straw coloured, armed densely with small, sharp, JuRMme B, Fragmentun picis spiculisqu Fig. 12. Plectocomiopsis dubius g (Ridley: 12,119). : gmentu Fra , Spicula cum fl K, parte petioli. frondis medianum, C, Fragmentum spadicis terminalis cum s Fragmentum caudicis cum spadice laterale. spiculae, floribus valde diffusis instructum. F Db, approximatis. A, Fragmentum caudicis cum vagina frondis et diffusis. Ly sy | r oribus | ’ —=t 303 upturned or horizontal, scattered prickles. Leaves large, cirrifer- ous; petiole in one specimen more than 13 cm. long, armed on the dorsum and on the margins with distant small spines; rachis armed on the dorsum with 1-3-nate claws. Leaflets numerous equidistant, linear-lanceolate, minutely dotted with scales in the lower surface, narrowed into a long fine bristly point, the midrib slightly armed above with 1-3 mm. long setae; the largest leaf- lets seen 38-45 cm. long, 3-4 cm. broad. Male inflorescence a terminal panicle with primary branches issuing from the axilla of reduced leaves; primary branches 45-65 cm. long, bearing many pendulous secondary branches; primary spathes tubular closely sheathing, 15-30 mm. long, striate, almost horizontally truncate, produced on one side into a triangular ligule; secondary branches inserted each at the base of a primary spathe, 30-45 cm. Jong, or much shorter in the terminal parts of the branch; secondary spathes puberulous scurfy, striate, funnel-shaped, expanded at the mouth, truncate, ligulate on one side, ciliate in the margins; male spikelets inserted within the axil of the secondary spathe, the largest being 10-12 mm. long and bearing flowers in 2 series consisting each of 8-10 flowers; spathels one- sided, bracteiform, acuminate, puberulous scurfy, striate; involucre shallow concave, bidentate, single or formed of 2 con- nate bracts, puberulous, scurfy, striate; male flowers 2 mm. long, ovoid, immature; calyx 3-toothed, striate; corolla 3-parted, ovate lobed; stamens connate at their bases. Female plants unknown. . MaLayaA: Selangor, Rantau Panjang (Ridley 12,119, isotype). This species is known only from an imperfectly deve- loped male specimen collected under the number cited above. Beccari suggests the possibility of this being a juve- nile form of P. Wrayi; however he indicates the following differences : Leaflets of P. dubius have more secondary nerves and are more distinctly lepidote underneath than those of P. Wray. In P. dubius the calyx is striately veined and the corolla is deeply parted having ovate lobes. Further study is needed to see whether these characters noticed in underdeveloped flowers disappear as the fiowers become older, and whether the leaflets produced in the early stages of the plant of P. Wrayi would show the same characters as shown in the leaflets described under P. dubius, There is some error in the remarks made by Ridley (1925) about his confusing this species with P. Wrayi; for previously Ridley (1907) had confused P. dubius and P. Wrayi with P. geminiflorus. Plectocomiopsis Corneri Furtado sp. nov. (Fig. 13). Ab omnibus hujus generis speciebus adhuc cognitis differt: frondium vaginis inermibus vel secus dorsum tan- tum armatis, spinis vaginalibus 1-5, per seriem verticalem - x P “ — . or = y " 9 ‘ 2 a . i : a e * a. * 2 oy th ¢ anh - 2 ee eR ie 9 a en or fre ttl fe te a ee Tine gly ny ei i pice tn cattle ~ - anes - a ~ —— —- . . —— . TuRMa DEL Fig. 13. Plectocomiopsis Corneri (Holotypus: Corner 30,562). A, Fragmentum caudicis, cum petiolo, vagina frondis, et ocrea. B, ; superius caudicis cum petiolo longiore et spadice f ifer integrum. D, Semen verticaliter discissum. — x Steet 997 009 unicam dispositis; ocreis 2-3-5 em. longis tubularibus, truncatis, inermibus; foliolis latis elliptico-lanceolatis; spi- culis vel ramulis tertiariis 1-2 em. longis, rarissime usque 4 cm. longis; fructus squamis per series verticales 31-35 dispositis. Caulis soboliferus, 30 m. usque longus, scandens, cum vaginis 3-4 cm. in diam. Vaginae frondium in juventute furfuraceae, dein glabrae, longitudinaliter striatae, inermes vel infra petiolum secus dorsum per seriem unicam spinis 1-5 rigidis, 1-1-5 em. longis, reflexis, basi tumescentibus, armatae. Ocrea 2-3-5 ecm. longa, coriacea, striis obliquis validis et striis verticalibus tenuis- simis praedita, inermis, tubularis, fere horizontaliter truncata. Frondes magni; petioli in dimensione variabiles, in frondibus basin caulis versus et apud basin inflorescentiae 10-15 cm. longi, alteri breviores 6 cm. usque longi, vel obsoleti, basi spinis utrin- secus 1-2 rigidis, 5-10 mm. longis, armati; rachidi basin versus inermes, apicem versus unguibus in dorso 2-3-natis, utrinsecus foliolis 5-9 praediti, in cirrum unguiculatum terminati. Foliola alternantia, lanceolato-elliptica, utrinque fere pariter angustata, apice acuta, basi nonnihil oblique plicato-acuta, utrinque et secus margines inermia, supra nitida, infra opaca pallidiora, unicos- tata, nervis primariis sub-primariisque 15-17 longitudinaliter percursa, 25-30 cm. longa, 6-5-8-5 cm. lata. Inflorescentia feminea terminalis, paniculata, ramis primariis in frondium axillis reductorum orientibus; ramuli secundarii in spatharum axillis primariarum siti, spathas secundarias et in earum axillis ramulos tertiarios vel spicas 1-4 cm. longos gerentes; spathae secundariae tertiariaeque, spathellae et involucra furfuracei puberuli; flores feminei ignoti. Perianthium fructiferwm sub- pedicellatum; calyx callosus, 3-lobatus; corolla 3-partita calyce duplo longior; segmenta staminodialia inter corollae lobos visi- bilia. Fructus late-fusiformis, 30 mm. altus, 22-25 mm. in diam., squamis cinnamomeis, secus margines albescentibus scariosis, per series verticales 31-35 dispositis; semen globoso-cylindricum, crassum, 20 mm. latus, 5-7 mm. altus; embryo basilaris; albumen homogeneum. Stems in a rosette, each about 30 m. long, climbing, with sheaths 3-4 ecm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths when young covered with tobacco coloured scurf, later glabrous, striate longitudi- nally, completely unarmed or sometimes armed with 1-5 short rigid, reflexed spines arranged in one row below the petiole. Ocrea coriaceous like the sheath, 2-3-5 cm. long, tubular, un- armed, almost horizontally truncate, striate, the oblique striae being large and conspicuous and the vertical ones being minute. Leaves large, long cirriferous; petiole variable in dimensions, in leaves produced at the base of the stem and at the base of the inflorescence 10-15 cm. long, in other leaves much smaller or obsolete, armed laterally towards the base with one or two pairs of short rigid spines 5-10 mm. long; rachis unarmed towards the base, but armed otherwise with 2-3-nate claws on the dorsum, provided with 5-9 leaflets on each side. Leaflets alternate, lanceo- late elliptic, narrowed equally on both sides, acute at both ends, plicate at base, unarmed on both surfaces and on margins, 25-30 em. long 6-5-8-5 em. broad, provided with one primary and with 14-16 sub-primary nerves, the upper surface shining, the lower paler and dull. Female inflorescence a terminal panicle with pri- mary branches issuing each from the mouth of the axil of a 336 reduced leaves; the primary spathes glabrous, 2-3-5 cm. long, closely sheathing, truncate, striate; secondary branches in axils of the primary spathes, 10-20 cm. long; secondary spathes 7-10 mm. long, closely sheathing, slightly ligulate on one side, fur- furaceous, puberulous; the tertiary branches (spikelets) 1-2 cm. long, occasionally longer at the base of the secondary branches, arising slightly above the apex of secondary spathe, having flowers arranged in two series; spathels tubular, puberulo-fur- furaceous; involucrophore invisible, sunk above the mouth of the spathel; involucre one on each involucrophore, shallow, discoid with irregular margins, furfuraceous; flowers not seen. Fruiting perianth sub-pedicelliform; calyx callous at base, 3-lobed; corolla 3-partite, twice as long as the calyx; the tips of the staminodal lobes visible between the corolla lobes. Fruit broadly fusiform, almost equally narrowed towards both ends, from the middle, 30 mm. long, 22-25 mm. in diam.; the scales disposed .in 31-35 vertical series, cinnamon brown in colour, with whitish scarious margins; seed globose-cylindrical, flattened on both sides, 20 mm. broad, 5-7 mm. thick; embryo seated in the centre at b&se; albumen homogeneous with no chalazal cavity. MALAYA: Kemaman, Sungai Nipah (Corner 30,562 sub nom. vern. Rotan Geylang Telor). In this specimen there is only one leaf which has an almost obsolete petiole having two lateral spines at its base; the other leaves have longer petioles. The very long spike- let that occurs at the base of the secondary branch bears occasionally a conspicuous involucrophore at base with two or three flowers; obviously this is an abbreviated quarte- nary branch. Corner records that this species occurs frequently at the sides of rivers and streams, and notes the following mor- phological characters for this species;: ‘Leaves (without whip) 1-1-5 m. long, those of old stem more or less sessile, those of the younger stem with a petiole up to 15 cm. long; whip (cirrus) 1-15 m. long. Leaflets 5-9 pairs, alternate. Sheaths and rachis white powdery. The top of each sheath (above petiole) and the base of the petiole bright ochre, especially on young stems. Leaflets sage-green. The spines on rachis and sheath pale yellow ochre becoming deep brownish ochre; sheaths with a single row of 1-5 spines extending along it and on the base of petiole; some sheaths whether on young or old stem, without any spines. Petiole with 1-2 pairs of lateral spines, or no spines at all on the upper subsessile leaves. ‘A very fine very easily recognized species from the smooth, almost spineless, pale green sheaths with abrupt “circumscissile” bright ochraceous top; stems up to 30 m. long, several from one rosette.’ WN Nea) SE wn Fugen! De} Calamus sp. 7,087) = ig. 14. Plectocomiopsis ferox (Holotypus: Haniff and Nur 338 . 6. Excluded Species Plectocomiopsis ferox Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 66 (Fig. 14). f This was based by Ridley on a very imperfect specimen of a Calamus collected by Haniff and Nur 7,087 at Telok Apan, Langkawi. The portion of the rachis containing leaf- lets and a detached leaf-sheath are obviously from a stem at non-scandent stages, (if is a scandent species). The sheath which is open on ventral side and without any geniculum, is armed with broad laminar spines as in C. ornatus, and show in the margins vestiges of a fallen ocrea. (Open sheaths and similarly deciduous ocrea are not known to occur in Plectocomiopsis). A primary branch of a male spadix* has been mistaken for an entire terminal panicle or for an entire primary branch of a Plectocomiopsis; and with this false assumption the primary spathe axillant to the primary branch of the spadix and the secondary branch bearing the spikelets has been described respectively as a basal spathe of the spadix and the secondary branch in © respect to the stem axis so that the spikelets which are really quartenary branches in respect to stem axis become - tertiary in Ridley’s description. Thus because of the im- perfect description given and because of the erroneous terminology used by Ridley, it is extremely difficult to state from the description alone whether or not the specimen has been wrongly named generically. However the specimen has still a portion of the spadix axis to show that the branch mistaken for a spadix is really primary branch of a spadix, (secondary in relation to the stem axis). The primary spathe has a long ear- shaped limb and bears flexible thorns outside, both of which characters are not known to occur in Plectocomiopsis species. The portion of the spadix axis to which the branch is still attached does not show any claws and so the spadix may not be flagelliferous. The material is insufficient for its specific determination. *In Calamus the inflorescence is a lateral spadix formed in the axil of a leaf, whereas in Plectocomiopsis the inflorescence is a ter- minal panicle with its primary branches growing each in the axil of a reduced leaf. Gardens Bulletin, S. PALMAE MALESICAE—XxIII The Genus Myrialepis By C. X. FURTADO, Botanic Gardens, Singapore THE name MYRIALEPIS was coined by Beccari to show that the fruits of this genus are distinguished in having in- numerable minute, irregularly set scales, a character suffi- cient to distinguish this genus at once from all other rattans. Its affinities are very close to Plectocomiopsis whose fruit scales are comparatively also very small for rattans, but are much larger than those in Myrialepis, and are arranged in regular rows. The Myrialepis plants, like those of Korthalsia and Plectocomiopsis, are scandent and tufted, each individual stem terminating its growth with an in- florescence (monocarpic). The inflorescence is either male or female, the plants being dioecious. The side branches of the inflorescence are produced each in the axils of reduced leaves, and emerge each by the mouth of the axillant leaf- sheath; these branches are divided again once in female plants and twice in male, before they produce spikelets. Leaves are large having no trace of an ocrea at the transi- tion of the sheath into the petiole; they bear a cirrus at the end except when they are produced in the early stages of the stem. Leaflets are linear-lanceolate, provided with a single midrib and many sub-primary ones on both sides of the midrib, punctulate with minute scales in the lower surface. Female flowers are solitary at each spathel, with no male or neuter flower attending; each flower has a 3- lobed calyx, a longer 3-parted corolla, a membranous 6-lobed staminodal cup adnate at base to the corolla, and a 3-locular globose ovary. The fruit is one-seeded, globose, and covered with innumerable minute, irregularly set scales. The seed is slightly broader than long, having a homogeneous albu- men and a basal embryo; this last is seated exactly opposite to the chalazal cavity which is punctiform in the cross section of the fruit, and short linear in length. Male inflores- cences are more divided than the female, but almost similar ; _ male flowers not seen. Vol, XIII. (1951). 340 The genus is monotypic and was based on specimens collected by Scortechini in Perak. The syntypes which have been reproduced by Beccari (1918) by photographic plates, are from Beccari’s herbarium in Florence (Scortechini 513° and sn.). Hooker f. (FI. Brit. Ind. VI, 1893 p. 480) who had no access to Beccari’s herbarium, quoted Scortechini 457» in Kew Herbarium and failed to make any mention of the actual syntypes on which Beccari had based the genus and the species. A specimen bearing this Scortechini’s collection number (preserved in Beccari’s herbarium) has been tentatively identified by Beccari (1918) as being a sterile stage of Plectocomiopsis Wrayt. Apparently the genus is widely distributed in Malaya and was at one time very common in Singapore. Beccari (1918) referred tentatively to this genus some sterile speci- mens collected from Sumatra, and stated that Plectocomi- opsis paradoxus from Burma and P. floribundus from Indo- China might prove to be the species of Myrialepis; of these two species, however, female flowers and fruit are not known. Myrialepis Scortechinii Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 480; Ridl. in Journ. Roy. Asiat. Soc. Str. Br. 33 (1900) 176; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calc, XI (1908) 29 et XII, 2 (1918) 64 tt. 40, 41 et IIB fig. 1-7. (Figs. 15 and 16). Plectocomiopsis annulatus Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 213 et Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 66. P. Scortechinu (Becc.) Ridl., Mal. cit. II (1907) 213 et Flora cit. V (1925) 66. Stem tufted, scandent, about 30 m. long, when in sheath 5-6 em. in diam. Leaf-sheaths non-gibbous above, obliquely truncate at the apex, gradually passing into petiole without any trace of an ocrea at the mouth, strongly striate vertically, armed in young plants with 3-4 cm. long spines confluent at base and arranged in oblique rings or series; in adult plants the spines on the sheaths arranged in groups of 4—5 or less in each series. Leaves large, cirriferous; petiole almost absent in upper leaves, of varying dimensions in the lower leaves, armed on the dorsum with solitary or digitate claws; the pinniferous part about 2 m. or more long; the leaves axillant to the inflorescence branches reduced, subsessible, 20-40 cm. long, terminating in a cirrus usually slightly longer than the rachis. Leaflets numerous, in alternate or opposite groups of 2—4 on each, almost equidistant in each group, lanceolate, acute at base, acuminate at apex; unarmed except somewhat ciliate in the margins of the upper half, minutely lepidote in the lower surface, provided with a mid- costa and 5-7 fine sub-primary costae; the largest 35-45 cm. long, 3-5-5 ecm. wide; upper ones gradually smaller; leaflets on : : J Tukniets DEL. Fig. 15. Myrialepis Scortechinii 9 (Furtado 33,135). _ A, Particula frondis mediana. B, Foliolum mesiale. C, Fragmentum caudicis apicale cum spadicibus et frondibus axillantibus. D, Flos o. E, Flos © apertus ut insertio pistilli staminumque appareat. F. Semen. G, Semen longitudinaliter discissum. H, Frondis vagina. Cong ; fj fh y ‘ - a | ; | '» f | s if Ro ff | MQ AR ! | fi S | , i AES | WA SX 3¢m QQ Cc Jumpin DEL. Fig. 16. Myrialepis Scortechini 2 (Furtado 37,948). . 4 : - A, Vagina frondis cum petiolo ex caudice juvenili. B, Vagina frondis ex ca adulto. C, Fragmentum caudicis apicale cum spadice et fronde axillan Particula spicae ut insertio spathellae et spiculae appareat, floribus om delapsis. N oe i / f Va 343 the reduced leaves borne in flowering portion of the axis 7-10 cm. long, linear. Female inflorescence a terminal panicle, with 30-40 cm. long branches in the axils of reduced leaves; primary spathes tubular, unarmed, slightly apiculate on one side; secondary branches 5-30 cm. long flexuous, bearing distichously short alter- nate spikelets 4-10 on each side; secondary spathes similar to the primary, but considerably shorter; spikelets scorpioid, 1-3 em. long, with 3-5 flowers; spathes infundibuliform, striate, tri- angular-ligulate on one side; involucre concave or shallow cupu- lar, almost explanate, 3-toothed, 2-keeled; flowers solitary with no male or neuter attendant, 5-7 mm. long, ovoid; calyx striate parted into broad acute segments; corolla nearly twice as long as the calyx; staminodes 6, alternipetalous, united at base into a membranous cup round the ovary, adnate to the corolla at base; ovary globose, 3-locular, densely covered with minute scales. Fruit one-seeded, globular, 24-30 mm. in diam., covered with in- numberable, minute irregularly imbricate scales, each less than 1 mm. in width; perianth persistent; calyx subcallous at base, somewhat cupular; corolla almost explanate; seed oblong, some- what depressed at base, 22 mm. in transverse length, 13 mm. in transverse breadth, and 12-15 mm. in height; albumen homo- geneous with brownish tinges arranged radiately to make the albumen appear like a large light brown centre surrounded by a darker coloured layer in the periphery; embryo seated at base opposite the linear, almost occluded chalazal cavity having a punctiform opening at apex. Male inflorescence larger than the female, out similarly branched; the secondary branches provided one each side with 8-12 spikelet bearing branchlets, each 3—7 cm. long; tertiary spathes broadly funnel-shaped, producing on one side a long triangular ligule; spikelets up to 10 mm. long, some- what scorpioid, gradually decreasing in length towards the apex, carrying flowers in two collateral series, each series with 4-6 flowers; spathels on spikelets short, approximate, concave brac- teolate; involucre shallow cupular, 3-toothed; flowers not seen. MaLayA: Kemaman, Bukit Kajang (Corner 30,576 as Rotan Geylang). Pahang Termeloh (Hamid 10,695 as Rotan Sengka- lor). Selangor, Sungei Buluh (Ridley 13,449). Singapore, Garden (Ridley 12,500 syntype of P. annulatus; cult.: Kiah sn; Furtado 37,948; 36,502; and 33,135); Bukit Mandai (Ridley sn. on 22—V-1900, syntype of P. annulatus; Ridley 5,860); Chan Chu Kang (Ridley 3,503 as Rotan Gajah); Kranji (Ridley 5,860 as Rotan Bulan); Bukit Timah (Ridley 11,457, syntype of P. annulatus). After studying the syntypes of P. annulatus in the Singapore herbarium and the available duplicates in the Berlin and Beccari’s herbaria (my notes about these were made in 1933 when I had visited these herbaria), I came to the conclusion that this material was not mixed in any way and that Beccari was right in reducing P. annulatus to M. Scortechinii. Ridley has referred the specimens with small leaflets to M. Scortechinti, separating those with larger leaflets to P. annulatus; but he has overlooked the reduced leaves (less than 30 cm. long in the pinniferous part) which are found in one of the sheaths (Ridley 12,500) in the Singapore herbarium. This conclusion is further 044 supported by Ridley’s treatment of the two species in the Materials II (1907), both in the key and in the text. Further under-P. Scortechinu (M. Scortechinii) Ridley stated as follows: “In habit, armature and foliage this much resembles Plectocomiopsis annulatus and the fruit is quite similar.’ In his Flora V (1925), however, Ridley did not accept Beccari’s reduction and thought that “owing to an accidental transference of a label in the Kew Herbarium Beccari mistook a male specimen for the male inflorescence of his Myrialepis Scortechinii and reduced my P. annulatus to this species, describing and figuring the male flowers as those of Myrialepis.”” Apart from the fact that he uses the term ‘male flowers’ to mean male inflorescence in which not a single flower was available, Ridley is very misleading in this his statement. In reducing’ P. annulatus to M. Scorte- chinui, Beccari did not consider the Kew specimens at all, but only the specimens from his own personal herbarium and one from the Calcutta herbarium; and so whatever mistake that might have been made in mounting the speci- mens in the Kew herbarium, it was immaterial to the point. Moreover, Beccari considered not only the male duplicate of the syntype (Ridley 11,457) of P. annulatus, but also of the female syntype (Ridley 12,500) which bears fruit. In his Flora, Ridley has keyed P. annulatus and P. Scorte- chinuvi to have ‘regular small’ and ‘quite irregular minute’ scales to the fruit respectively, but has overlooked the fact that in the text the word ‘minute’ is applied to the scales of the both the species, as it was done also in the Materials. In view of this therefore it appears that the Kew dupli- cates of the syntypes of P. annulatus were correctly labelled until Ridley altered their determinations for his Flora. In Singapore herbarium there are two of Ridley’s collec- tions both of which bear the same number 5,860, one from Bukit Mandai, and the other from Kranji. However from the duplicates in Florence and Calcutta cited by Beccari, it appears that the Bukit Mandai collection should have been numbered 5,680 in the Singapore herbarium. Ridley gives the vernacular name as Rotan Rajah, but the name has been entered on the two Singapore sheets as Rotan Gajah; probably the latter name is the correct one. Gardens Bulletin, S. PALMAE MALESICAE—XIV The Species of Plectocomia in Malaya By C. X. FURTADO, Botanic Gardens, Singapore THE genus PLECTOCOMIA, like Korthalsia, Plectocomiopsis and Myrialepis, comprises a group of climbing palms which end their vegetative growth by producing flowers and fruit borne in a terminal panicle. In the flowering-stages, how- ever, Plectocomia species are easily separated generically by their large, non-tubular, cymbiform, spathels which cover the spikelets; in young stages of the inflorescence, these spathels are conspicuously imbricate and curl round the axis so as to make the spikes resemble tail-like struc- tures. The side branches of the whole panicle are in the axils of somewhat reduced leaves, and each branch may bear several secondary branches. The spikelets which are produced in the axils of the spathels, represent tertiary branches, and are shorter than the respective spathels. Male and female flowers are always produced on separate plants; while the flowers in the female are solitary at each notch or pedicel on the spikelet, the flowers in the male plant are always in pairs. The fruit scales are comparatively small and in some species including the one that occurs in Malaya, these scales have a free soft end which makes the fruit squarrose. The seed albumen is homogeneous and the embryo is basal. Sterile plants might be easily confused with those of Plectomiopsis and Myrialepis, since the leaves in all these genera have a petiole which is neither gibbose, nor flagel- late, and which do not usually produce a conspicuous ocrea (ocrea is present in P. Corneri) ; the leaflets too are some- what similar and have thickened margins. However, the small scales which are present in the lower surface of the leaflets in the other two genera, are absent in the leaflets. of Plectocomia. Further the stems which are apparently tufted in all the species of Myrialepis and Plectocomiopsis, appear to be solitary. in Plectocomia; sometimes the stems in the last mentioned genus produce bulbils or branches near the base, but these apparently do not grow so as to Vol. XIII. (1951). 346 make the plant tufted. Further observations are however necessary to see whether this phenomenon which has been observed on plants growing in the Botanic Gardens, Singa- pore, is true also in the wild state. Herbarium specimens of this genus are not well repre- sented in many herbaria, and so collectors should be warned to collect as complete material as possible, together with the notes about the habit of the plant in the field. Distribution and Sections Beccari in his monograph (1918) describes twelve spe- cies of this genus, and divides them into two groups. An examination shows that these groups are valid as sections. Hence I have named these as follows: Campanulatae and Explanatae, according to whether the fruiting perianth is companulate or explanate. The following are the diagnostic characters: I. CAMPANULATAE Furtado sectio nov. Calyx masculus campanulatus vel cyathiformis; calyx femineus in floribus ovoideo campanulatus, coriaceus, basin versus obconicus, solidus, incrassatus. Perianthium fructi- ferum obconicum, subpedicellatum vel conspicue pedicella- tum. Species of this section are found in the Lower Burma, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines. The only species that occurs in Malaya belongs to this section. II. EXPLANATAE Furtado sectio nov. Calyx masculus minimus, trigonus vel 3-dentatus; calyx femineus gracilis, cartilagineus, cupularis, haud basi in- crassatus. Perianthium fructiferum explanatum. Members of this section are found apparently in colder and less damp regions than those of the Campanulatae: viz, Sikkim, Khasia, Upper Assam, Siam, and Indo-China, Species Plectocomia Griffithii Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 478; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 220; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 2 (1918) 27; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1025) 70. (Figs. 17 and 18). P. elongata Mart. et Bl. sensu Griff. in Cale. Journ. Nat. Hist. V (1844) 96 et in Palms Brit. Ind. (1850) 104 ft. 217 A, B, and C; Hook. f., Fl. cit. VI (1893) 479; Ridl., Mat. cit. (1907) 220 omnino pro parte, Gardens Bulletin, S. 7 | O47 : Stem solitary, about 30 m. long, with sheaths 5-7 em. in diam. Leaf-sheaths without any trace of ocrea, obliquely truncate, covered with white powder when young, armed along the dorsum with a line of groups of spines laterally confluent at base, with fine brittle points. Leaves large, and end in a large long clawed cirrus; claws stout with a swollen base; petiole short stout, nearly 30 cm. long or less (very much longer in juvenile leaves), armed dorsally with binate claws; pinniferous part 2-3 m. long, armed with 1-2-nate claws in the lower half, and more digitate claws disposed in a half-whorl in the upper half. Leaflets in distant groups of 2-4 on each side of the rachis, all in one plane, narrow lanceolate, gradually acuminate, subulate at apex, callused in the axils, green above, paler or whitish beneath, 3- costate, provided with many slender nerves between the costae, smooth or spinulose in the margins; the largest leaflets mesial, 50-70 cm. long, 3-6 cm. broad. Inflorescence a terminal panicle with side branches arising from the axils of reduced leaves; male and female, though similar, produced on different plants, but spathels in female spadices slightly longer than in the male; each primary branch 1-2 m. long, composed of several pendul- ous secondary branches (spikes), each arising from the axil of a primary spathe; this last tubular, funnel-shaped, obliquely truncate at apex, 5-10 cm. long; spikes about 60-90 cm. long with its axis terete, 3-4 mm. in diam., rusty pubescent, bearing alternately and distichously numerous spathels (secondary spathes), about 8-10 mm. apart; when young, spathels are imbricate and folded round the axis so as to appear tubular, later spreading or porrect, cymbiform, 3-6 cm. long, 3-4-5 cm. wide, from the broadest in the middle narrowed on both sides concavely towards the apex and convexly towards the base where they are almost amplexicaul, striately veined, glabrous, sprinkled with minute reddish scales more in the upper half than in the | lower. Female spikelets 5-9 flowered with rusty scabrid axis, each flower provided with a short rusty scabrid, 5 mm. pedicel having a 5-6 mm. triangular subulate bracteole at the base; 2 calyx campanulate, slightly narrowed at base, 8 mm. long, 5—6 mm. wide, shallowly divided into 3 acute teeth; corolla twice as long as the calyx, lobes 2-3 mm. broad; staminodes shorter than the corolla. Fruits 3-5 on each spikelet, globular, 15-16 mm. in diam. (fide Beccari), bearing stigma bases at apex, densely vil- lous with narrow, upturned or spreading, rufous, membranous - scale tips; scales small dark chestnut brown in colour, arranged in numerous vertical series; seed globular-depressed, 11 mm. long, 9 mm. broad, 7-5 mm. thick (fide Beccari); fruiting peri- anth subpedicelliform. Male spikelets 2-3 cm. long, with hairy scabrid axis, bearing alternately 5-6 pairs of flowers on each side, the lowest pair or two being pedicellate, others sessile; - flowers both male in each pair, 5-6 mm. long, 4 mm. broad. i MALAYA: Penang, Government Hill (Curtis 1669 and 2436) ; Penang Hill (Ridley 7,098). Malacca, loc. incert. (Alvins 656 and 695). Singapore, Selitar (Ridley 1,665; sn.) ; Kranji (Ridley in 1906); Bukit Mandai (Ridley 3,470, as Rotan Dahan). I have not seen any fully matured fruit of the species, so that the size given for fruits and the description of the seed are quoted from Beccari (1918). Vol. XIII. (1951). Fig. 17. Plectocomia Griffithii 4 (Curtis 2,436). ; ae A, Fragmentum ponds B, Spadicis ramus. C, Spathella. D, Spicula g ex spathellae. E, Flos %, segmenta perianthii resecta ut staminum AD DArTCA : ; No 38cm icm 4 TURP DE! Fig. 18. Plectocomia Griffithii Q (Alvins 656). A, Frondis pars. B, Ramus spadicis 9°. C, Spicula 9, spathella axillante abscissa. D, Juvenilis perianthium fructus. E, Fructus juvenilis, SA ERS TON 2 RA as ae ae r . ai et: pe ; ~ » et fs, a SSE Bu a “i tee SE a ad SA On aie oo = . ‘ eo Pag oe O " 2 ao réx TRS ow is 4 Hitoe ty a a Pe is ats r - A A & ay? ea Ti / He —.¥ "y ex. ‘xt. ; we ‘ ' ber. . * = = 4 ye “Aas ot ae ~~ ” “4 2 t itn J 4-83 : ~- ' ee er nae = X pe Ct — “ “ hee thd tne > ~~ ey Le ™ = 850 7S an The Singapore specimens cited nbare and ‘Cartes 2346 and 1669 from Penang are all male specimens and have _ male flowers which are much smaller than the flowers Bes found on plants growing in Gardens Jungle, Singapore, of — which Beceari (1918) gave a description in the remarka- under P. Griffithii. The Gardens’ plant may be an escape of — one of the introduced plants or may be a hybrid. I have excluded the Gardens’ plants from this species. The stem in this species is solitary, though one notices occasionally small bulbils or branches near the base which grow to a certain extent, but never big enough to make a stem tufted; apparently these branches die off when the species flowers and dies. PALMAE MALESICAE—XV The Genus Ceratolobus in Malaya By C. X. FURTADO, Botanic Gardens, Singapore CERATOLOBUS is a peculiar genus among the Indo-Malay- asian palms which have scaly fruits (Lepidocaryeae) and rotan-like stems. As in Calamus and Daemonorops, the spikes are not cylindrical, and the stems do not stop their vegetative growth to produce flowers and fruits and then die, but continue to produce the reproductive parts without ceasing their vegetative growth; that is, the stem is always polycarpic in this genus. But the character that distin- guishes a Ceratolobus species readily from other rotans generically is the peculiar structure of the spadices; for apart from its being very short and porrect, each panicle of spadix is enclosed in only one external, flattened, lanceo- late-fusiform, usually unarmed spathe. Though the external spathe has a small slit along the margins of the beak, it never fully exposes the panicle, so that the female flowers get fertilized and the fruits mature when they are yet enclosed within the spathe, the external pollinating agents (if any) being allowed access to the flowers through the slits of the external spathe. All the other spathes in the spadix are very short, tubular and closely sheathing. The male and the female (the latter polygamous?) spadices are produced on different plants; however, at each spathel the female flower is always accompanied by a neuter (or male?) flower, while the flowers on the male spadix are solitary at each spathel. In all flowers the calyx is very small, and the corolla very much longer than the calyx, The fruit is one-seeded, having a ruminate albumen and basilar embryo. The stems are apparently always tufted, and the leaves are cirriferous; the leaf-sheaths are never flagelliferous and the ocrea consists of a thin, mem- braneous, deciduous rim at the mouth of the leaf-sheath. The leaflets are either rhomboidal in the section Fu- Ceratalobus or linear-lanceolate in the section Cryptocladus Sterile plants of the Eu-Ceratolobus can be easily distin- guished from Korthalsias having rhomboidal leaflets by the Vol. XIII. (1951). 352 \ absence of a prominent ocrea on the leaf-sheath, and the ansae (little stalks) at the base of the leaflets, and from Calamus spp., which have rhomboidal leaflets, by the absence of flagellae (whips) on the leaf-sheaths and the by the presence of a long cirrus at the end of each leaf. Ceratolobus appears to represent a transitional stage in the evolutionary history of Daemonorops and Calamus. The species of the section Eu-Ceratolobus are distributed as fol- lows: C. glaucescens in Java, C. concolor in Sumatra, C. discolor and C. rostratus in Borneo, and C. Kingianus in Malaya. The section Cryptocladus consists of only one spe- cies, C. laevigatus, which is very polymorphous and which occurs in Malaya, Borneo and Sumatra, but not in Java. A study of the variations in this species has obliged me to reduce the varieties major and sub-angulatus respectively to varieties angustifolius and regularis of the same species. I. Eu-Ceratolobus. Ceratolobus Kingianus Becc. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 477; Ridl., Mat. FI. Malayan Pen. II. (1907) 187; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 2 (1918) 9 et (1921) tt. 5 and 6; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 46. (Fig. 19). Stem 6-8 m. long, with sheaths 2-3 cm. in diam., Leaf-sheaths gibbous above; when young covered with deciduous, minute, erect hairs and mealy furfur, later scabrid with imbricate horizontal ridges minutely punctate with black vestiges of fallen hairs; obliquely truncate; ocrea reduced to a brittle membranous rim, liguiate in the axils and callused at the base on the petiole. Leaves about 1 m. long including the 40-50 ecm. long cirrus; petiole 12-20 cm. long, up to 10 mm. broad, slightly flattened with rounded margins, shortly prickled all round, or scabrid as in the sheath on the basal part of the dorsum; rachis sub- terate, armed all round in the lower part with short claws, but higher up only dorsally with ternate claws. Leaflets about 3-5 on each side of rachis, cuneately rhomboidal, paler or glau- cescent beneath, with non-ansate bases, upper margins irregu- larly or sub-duplicately lobulate, and erosely toothed, the largest at the base of rachis, 20-30 cm. long, 10-13 cm. broad, the upper one gradually smaller. Inflorescences dioecious, sessile, male and female externally similar; the enclosing spathe persis- tent, strongly flattened, two-edged, unarmed, except with a few teeth along the margins at base, elliptic-fusiform, cinnamon brown in colour, 20-28 cm. long, 4-7 em. broad. Female panicle twice branched, enclosed within one external (primary) spathe even after the anthesis; the lowermost internal (secondary) spathe the next largest, lanceolate-acuminate; other secondary and tertiary spathes tubular, closely sheathing, obliquely trun- cate at the mouth, subulate at apex; the primary branches short, alternately and fastigiately borne on the main axis, each branch bearing a few flowering branchlets; spathels (quartenary x. 19. Ceratolobus Kingianus (Wray 2,869). A, Caudicis fragmentum, spadice et parte frondis basali instructum. B, Fructus ' maturus. C, Semen verticaliter discissum. 304 spathes) short, funnel-shaped, ligulate on one side; involucro- phore and involucre shallow cupular, latter 3-toothed; areola of neuter flower punctiform. Female flowers 2-3 on each branchlet, all seated more or less on one side; each flower subglobose, 3 mm. in diam.; calyx membranous, very short, cupular, 3-toothed; corolla much longer than the calyx, 3-partite; staminodes united at their bases with the corolla, having triangular filaments and sagittate sterile anthers; ovary globose. Neuter flowers very much like the male but slightly larger, 6 mm. long, having sterile, sagittate anthers (fide Beccari). Fruit globose, 15 mm. in diam., shortly beaked, having its perianth explanate; scales in 12 longitudinal series, uniform dark brown; seed globular, 1 cm. in diam.; chalazal cavity deep, lateral; albumen slightly rumi- nate; embryo basal. Male panicle thrice divided; the tertiary branches short, bearing alternately 3-6 flowers; spathes and spathels as in female spadix; involucre shallow, cupular, 3- toothed. Male flowers oblong, trigonous, 5 mm. long; calyx short, cupular, 3-toothed; corolla many times as long as the calyx, coriaceous, deeply 3-partite; stamens with subulate filaments inserted near the base of petals, inflexed at apex; anthers linear; ovary rudimentary, small, papilliform. MALAYA: Perak, Larut Hills (Wray 2,869). I have not seen the other syntypes of this species except from their photographic plates given by Beccari. II. Cryptocladus. Ceratolobus laevigatus (Mart.) Bece. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. VI (1893) 477; Ridl., Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. II (1907) 187; Bece. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Cale. XII, 2 (1918) 13 tt. 9-11; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Pen. V (1925) 46. C. subangulatus Bece. in Ann. cit. XI Suppl. (1918) iii. Calamus laevigatus Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. III (1850) 339; Miq., Fl. Ind. Bat. III (1855) 129. C. subangulatus Miq., Prodr. Fl. Sum. (1860) 256. Stems tufted, 3-4 m. long, slender, with sheaths 8-15 mm. in diam. Leaf-sheaths strongly gibbous above, obscurely ridged longitudinally, armed with scattered, flattened, triangular, de- flexed, 5-10 mm. long spines, at the mouth obliquely truncate and bordered by a perishable, brittle membranous ligulate ocrea. Leaves 60-75 em. long including the cirrus, 35-45 cm. long in the pinniferous part, sometimes much shorter; petiole very small, almost absent; rachis armed along the dorsum with 1-3-nate claws. Leaflets 10-12 on each side of the rachis, rarely a few more, frequently in opposite groups of 2—3 on each side, or equi- distant or inequidistant; those at apex ascendent, those towards the base reflexed, and those in groups divergent; all papyraceous, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, at times tapering below to an acute base; acuminate, suddenly or gradually narrowed into a long filiform bristly tip; the midnerve smooth or setulose above, or at times below also, remotely setulose in the margins, otherwise smooth, 10-18 cm. long, 15-25 mm. broad, sometimes much longer and narrower, especially those that are strongly grouped. Spadi- ces male and female externally alike, each enclosed in a flattened, edged. external (primary) spathe, shortly pedicelled, 12-15 cm. ~ surRAm DEL: Fig. 20. 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