the Glasgow Botanic Garden, the stem, or caudex, is full 
six feet high, the petioles springing from the top of this are 
not less than two feet long, and then bear a blade measuring 
three feet or more in length. The whole appearance of the 
plant is truly tropical. It is a native of Pegu, and was first 
described by Dr. Roxsuren, and introduced to the stoves of 
this country, by Lord Carrnarvon, at Highclere. The 
juice is powerfully acrid ; but whether the foliage and roots 
are eaten like those of other species of the same Genus, 
Corocas1a Antiquorum (Catapium Colocasia) C. esculenta, 
&c., I have no means of ascertaining. 
It has been long known that plants of this natural family 
(Arowez) evolve a considerable degree of heat at certain 
intervals during the flowering state. Lamarck appears first 
to have made this discovery in 1777, upon the Arum Itali- 
cum. Other observations were made by Senesier, Desron- 
TAINES, GMELIN, Bory de St. Vincent, Hersert, THEODORE 
de Saussure, and Scuuures, and the result of their remarks 
was, at different periods, laid before the public. But M. 
Apotpre Broneniarr, in the third volume of the Nouvelles 
Ann. du Muséum d’Hist. Nat., has detailed the most exact 
experiments, instituted upon the species of Conocasia now 
before us. These were made in the spring of 1834 on a 
finely developed plant, grown in the earth of the stove, 
and which had produced four flowers in the space of a 
month. © 
“The first flower began to expand on the 4th of March ; 
but it was not till the 6th that the escape of pollen from its 
anthers commenced, and the increase of temperature on the 
spadix was perceptible to the touch. A very small ther- 
mometer, when applied to the flower, indicated a tempera- 
ture in the air of 23° centigrade, while the spadix, close to 
the fertile stamens, was 26°, and the club, formed by the 
abortive stamens, was 30°, the difference being seven de- 
ey The heat of the flower gradually diminished, and in 
oatiog oF its temperature was the same as that of the 
. = It is remarkable, however, that while all the other Aroi- 
vem that have been examined on this point, appear, when 
the heat has once disappeared, never to regain it, the plant 
under consideration exhibited the same increase of tempe- 
rature at the same hour (two p. m.) of the following day, 
and for four days: it continued, though with salisidby 
diminishing intensity, to present a similar phenomenon, 
when ‘the flower finally faded. Another blossom having 
appeared 
all 
