Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

1915-] H. N. Ridley: Botany of Gunong Tahan. 195
In slightly damp spots on the Padang bej-ond the 8th
Camp, local, but abundant. It also grows on Kedah Peak.
This was named by me 5c/. Neesii in the "Materials."
Mr. Clarke, to whom I had referred it, states that it appeared
to be a variety of that Ceylon species, but might be made a
new species. I obtained a better set of this curious plant on
Gunong Tahan, and find it differs markedly from the Ceylon
species, not only in habit, smaller panicle, and other such
points, but in the fruit, which in the Ceylon plant is described
as "very small, ^^ to ^^ inch, globose, echinate, disc obscure."
In our plant the nut is twice as large, pustular, with brown
hairs on the pustules, and seated on a large conspicuous disc.
The Kedah Peak plant is much less hairy than that from
Gunong Tahan, and more weak— probably these differences
are due to the surroundings. The Kedah Peak one was
growing in a grassy spot surrounded by forest, that of Tahan
on slightly damp exposed rocks and screes.
277. ScLERiA RADULA, i/a^^c^; a«/^a, p. 60. A tall plant,
often over 6 feet high; stem with a distinct but low wing,
stout, over ^ inch through. Leaf sheath-mouth with a
hemispheric rounded lobe opposite the leaf-blade; blade linearacuminate,
18 inches long, half an inch wide, margins and
midrib scabrid. Panicles spreading, two inches long and as
wide, lax, on peduncles two inches long; slender terminal
panicle larger and more lax. Bracts elongate, almost setaceous
from a broader hairy base, about ^ inch long. Spikelets deep
purple, one female at the base of the branch and 2 or 3 males
above, rather distant. Rachis triangular. Female spikelet
with ovate-acute glumes, | inch long. Males cj-lindric, terete,
^ inch long. Glumes lanceolate, all deep red. Nut globosely
ovoid, white, quite smooth, ^ inch long, base broad. Disc
conspicuous, white, three-lobed ; lobes subacute, margins
between decurved.
Wooded stream-banks on the Padang.
Near and much resembling S. elata, Nees, in habit, but
the nut is quite smooth and the disc large. The whole plant
has the purple colouring that all this set of mountain-form
Sclerias possess.
Distribution. Hongkong and Perak (Gunong Kerbau,
4,200 feet.)
278. Carhx rivulorum, n. sp.
A tufted plant, emitting stolons. Leaves linear-acuminate,
2 feet
scabrid
long, ^
on the
inch
back;
wide; base purplish brown,
midrib prominent. Culm 3
minutely
feet long,
very slender, weak, terete. Foliaceous bracts sheathing, very
narrow, longer than the lower spikes. Spikes 6, pedunculate,
very ^slender, cylindric, an inch long, ^^ inch through, lower
ones all female, or with male flowers at the tip; upper one
male only. Glumes ovate, lanceolate, keeled, with a long
mucro, as long as the utricle, pale brown, minutely pubescent,
edges and mucro scabrid. Utricle J inch long, fusiform,
October, 1915. 10