196 CL. AROIDEE (BROWN). [Zamioculeas 
the very remarkable American genus Thaumatophyllum. The leaflets, after falling 
to the ground, have the property of forming a small tuber at their base, which 
ultimately developes into a young plant. This peculiarity was first discovered at 
Kew by Mr. R. J. Lynch in 1874 or earlier, according to a note in the Kew Her- 
barium, and as stated by him in the Gard. Chron., l.c. Subsequently the same thing 
was rediscovered by Herr Hild, of Kiel University Botanic Garden, as detailed by 
Prof. Engler (ll.cc.). 
20. GONATOPUS, Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 6026. 
Spathe convolute at the base ; limb horizontally reflexed, or revolute. 
Spadix free, sessile, monecious, stout, shorter than the spathe, con- 
stricted above the ovaries, without neuter organs or appendix ; female 
part short, cylindric, closely contiguous to the long cylindric male part, 
in which the lowest flowers are more or less imperfect. Perianth- 
segments 4, present in both sexes, free, somewhat thickened at the 
angular truncate apex. Female flowers: Staminodes none, Ovary 
ovoid, 2-celled ; style short, stout; stigma exserted just beyond the 
perianth, peltate, rather large; ovule solitary in each cell, erect, ana- 
tropous, with a very short funicle. Male flowers with 4 stamens, con- 
nate into a tube around an abortive ovary, included ; anthers short and 
broad, 2-celled ; cells opening by terminal introrse pores.—Tuberous- 
rooted herbs with the habit of an Amorphophallus. Leaf solitary, 
annual, tripinnate in the adult stage, pinnate or bipinnate in young 
plants; petiole with a thickened articulation at about the middle. 
Peduncles 1-2 to a tuber, shorter than the petiole, contemporary with 
the leaf. 
An endemic genus of 2 species. Very similar to Zamioculcas in floral structure, 
the only technical difference being that the filaments of the stamens are connate into 
Rtas in Gonatopus and free in Zamioculcas, the habit, however, is entirely dif- 
erent. 
Leaflets varying from lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 
not decurrent at the base . ‘ : . 1. @. Boivinii. 
Leaflets linear or linear-lanceolate, strongly deeurrent 
at the base : ; 3 : : . 2. G. angustus. 
_ 1. G. Boivinii, Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 6026. Tuber depressed 
3—5 in. in diam. Leaf solitary, erect, 2-3 ft. high, 3-4-pinnate in the 
adult state, glabrous; lowest branches 12-15 in. long, 7-8 in. broad ; 
leaflets 14-3 in. long, 7-15 lin. broad, varying from lanceolate to 
elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, rounded or cuneate at the base, shortly 
petiolulate or subsessile, not decurrent; petiole stout, with a swollen 
articulation at the middle, green, transversely banded with blackish- 
green ; in juvenile plants the leaf is simply pinnate, with a few large 
elliptic or suborbicular shortly cuspidate petiolulate leaflets. Peduncles 
1-2 to a tuber, produced with the leaf, 15-16 in. long, erect, moderately 
stout, glabrous, coloured like the petiole and, with the latter, enclosed 
at the base by 2 or 3 membranous acute sheaths. Spathe glabrous, 
dull green, striate with dark green outside, pale greenish-yellow inside ; 
tube about 1 in. long, ovoid or subglobose; limb 5-8 in. long, 1} in- 
