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Pinanga (Local Malayan name ORD Palmae)

(a local Malayan name). ORD. Palmae. A genus comprising about twenty-five species of stove palms, usually low and slenderstemmed, natives of India and the Malayan Archipelago (one is found in the Deccan). Flowers in straight lines, in whorls, or in spirals composed of few turns, the male flowers having their sepals connected at the base, and scarcely overlapping, and containing a short, rudimentary pistil, or none at all; complete spathe solitary, twined or complicate-compressed, and two-winged; spadix usually small, sometimes very simple; peduncle short. Fruit usually yellow or blood-colour, ovoid or ellipsoid, the albumen of the seeds marked like a nutmeg. Leaves terminal, unequally cut or pinnatisect, or simply bifid at the apex, not thickened at margins, recurved at base; sheaths elongated. The species known to cultivation are described below. A compost of one part loam, two of peat, and a little sand, is most suitable; and an abundant supply of water is essential. Propagated by seeds.

P. coronata (crowned). fl., spadix at first erect, eventually nodding. Branches thick and rather straight; flowering ones distichous, fruiting ones coarctate-fasciculate. fr. ellipsoid, crowning the disk-like stigma. l. pinnatisect, with a glabrous rachis; segments thick, elongated, linear, acuminate, the upper ones truncately incised at the apex. Trunk 15ft. to 20ft. high. Java, 1848. SYN. Seaforthia coronata.

P. globosa (globose). A synonym of Calyptrocalyx spicatus. P. Kuhlii (Kuhl's). fl., spadix nodding, with straight, thick, fastigiate branches. fr. distichous, ellipsoid, obtuse, smooth. l. pinnatisect, with the rachis slightly scaly; segments ten to thirteen on each side, falcate-lanceolate, very acuminate, the upper ones truncately cut at the apex, and sub-equally cuneate at the base. Trunk mediocre or rather tall. Java, 1873. SYNS. Ptychosperma Kuhlii, Seaforthia Kuhlii.

P. latisecta (broadly cut). fl., spadix long-pedunculate, erectopatent, trifid. fr. (immature), according to Martius, oblong-ellipsoid, slightly acute, smooth. l. pinnatisect, with the rachis lepidote-punctate; segments falcate-lanceolate, very much acuminate, sometimes bifid, the terminal one very broad, truncate at apex, and incised-toothed. h. 15ft. Sumatra. SYN. Seaforthia latisecta.

P. maculata (spotted). l. pinnate; pinnae broad, sessile, pendent, bright green, blotched and spotted on the upper side with dark green. Stem slender, smooth. Philippines. A beautiful and rare species. (I. H. 1863. 361.) P. malaiana (Malayan). fl., male sepals lanceolate, acuminate, one-third as long as the broadly ovate, acuminate petals; females distichous, with a large, discoid stigma; spathe solitary; spadix refracted, three to five-branched. l. pinnate; pinnae almost alternate, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, glaucous beneath. Trunk 8ft. to 12ft. high. Penang and Malacca. SYN. Seaforthia malaiana.

P. patula (spreading). fl., spadix green when in flower, red when in fruit. fr. orange-yellow, ellipsoid, 2/3 in. long. l. 4ft. to 5ft. long, unequally pinnate, oblong in outline, sheathing at the base. Stem erect, 9ft. high, smooth, ringed, swollen at base. Sumatra. A beautiful, dwarf species. (B. M. 6581.) P. ternatensis (Ternate Island). fl., branches of spadix spirally disposed. l. 12ft. long, with thirty to forty, two-nerved, lanceolate, falciform segments, the largest of which are 3ft. long. Stem simple. SYN. Areca gigantea, of gardens.

P. Veitchii (Veitch's). l. oblong, tapering at the base, truncate, deeply two-lobed at the apex, mottled green above, with reddish nerves, rich claret-coloured beneath. Borneo, 1879. A highly ornamental species. (F. d. S. 2405-6; R. G. 1880, 264.)