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Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

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11<br />

I<br />

li<br />

H. N. Ridley: Botany <strong>of</strong> Giinong Tahan. 191<br />

all angles, 20 feet or more long. The capitulum is large and<br />

showed signs <strong>of</strong> turning red or orange; <strong>the</strong> drupes are separate<br />

till <strong>the</strong> fruit is nearly ripe, when from 6 to 7 become adnate<br />

and remain so as <strong>the</strong> whole fruit breaks up.<br />

I do not know any pandan like this in <strong>the</strong> Peninsula.<br />

The fruit when ripe has <strong>the</strong> appearance <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong> P. fascicular is,<br />

but it has thorn-like stigmas belonging to a different section.<br />

The stigmas are <strong>of</strong>ten simple, acute, thorn-like processes, but<br />

frequently also on <strong>the</strong> same head are broad, fiat, and bifurcate<br />

at <strong>the</strong> lip, with recurved points like those <strong>of</strong> P. bicornis, Ridl.<br />

No trace <strong>of</strong> male flowers could be seen anywhere. The<br />

plant is very abundant, almost filling up <strong>the</strong> woods in some<br />

places.<br />

264. Freycinetia sp. A large and stout species <strong>of</strong><br />

Freycinetia is abundant in <strong>the</strong> Teku woods. No signs <strong>of</strong><br />

inflorescence were seen, but it resembled F. valida, Ridl.<br />

ERIOCAULACEiE.<br />

*265. Eriocaulon Hookerianum, Stapf.<br />

Eriocaulon macrophyllwn, Ridl. op. cit. p. 332.<br />

Dry spots on Gunong Riam, 6,000 feet altitude, and on<br />

summit <strong>of</strong> Gunong Tahan, 7,100 feet. This exactly resembles<br />

<strong>the</strong> type-plants <strong>of</strong> Kinabalu collected by Haviland. I find <strong>the</strong><br />

petals <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> male flower very unequal, one being considerably<br />

longer than <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> lower-lying and damper parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Padang <strong>the</strong>re<br />

is ano<strong>the</strong>r plant which differs from this species in having a less<br />

distinct stem and thin long flaccid leaves, but <strong>of</strong> which<br />

<strong>the</strong> flowers bear a very close resemblance to those <strong>of</strong><br />

E. Hookerianum, and it is possible that it is a lowland<br />

form <strong>of</strong> that species. In <strong>the</strong> previous paper I named this<br />

E. inacrophylliim, Ruhl., only known from a Javan specimen<br />

collected by Warburg, but closely resembling a Javanese plant<br />

collected by Horsfield and now in <strong>the</strong> British Museum. (It is<br />

always regrettable that so many authors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ' Pflanzenreich'<br />

volumes appear to have omitted to inspect <strong>the</strong> largest and<br />

most important herbaria <strong>of</strong> Kew and <strong>the</strong> British Museum.)<br />

I think, however, this plant is probably not <strong>the</strong> plant<br />

intended by Ruhland for his macrophylhim, and I cannot find<br />

any description to exactly suit this lowland species. I will<br />

describe it herewith, and give it a name:<br />

266. Eriocaulon silicicolum, n. sp.<br />

Stem very short, herbaceous, covered by <strong>the</strong> bases <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

leaves. Leaves linear, flaccid, herbaceous, acute, 5 to 8 inches<br />

long, g^ to ^ inch wide, with a few sparse hairs soon disappear-<br />

ing. Scapes I to 3 in a tuft, slender, erect, 12-18 inches tall,<br />

glabrous, ribbed. Spa<strong>the</strong> at base tubular, 4 inches long, with<br />

lanceolate elongate limb. Capitulum \ to nearly J inch across.<br />

Involucral bracts oblong, rounded at <strong>the</strong> tip, pubescent. Male<br />

flowers: bracts cuneate, apex rounded, pale translucent, apex<br />

thickly covered with white hairs. Perianth stalked. Sepals<br />

oblong, cuneate, tipped with white hairs and black-dotted,

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