Tas. 6008. 
BOWENIA spEcTABILIS ; FEMALE PLANT. 
Native of Iropical Australia. 
Nat. Ord. CrcapEa&.—Tribe ZAMIEZ. 
Genus Bowens, Hook.; (Bot. Mag. t. 5398). 
BoweEnta spectabilis; amentis foemineis masculis multoties majoribus et 
crassioribus subsessilibus oblongo-globosis apice rotundatis, squamis 
sub-6-seriatis fere superpositis crassis transverse elongatis hexagonis 
peltatis vertice depresso rugoso, subtus utrinque 1-ovulatis, ovulo 
recto ellipsoideo apice mammillato, semina ovoideo-globosa, testa 
crasse crustacea, albumine duro, embryone albumine circiter triente 
breviore, radicula in  filum contortissimum prelongum tenuissimum 
contracta, cotyledonibus 2 brevissimis. 
Bowenta spectabilis, Hook. l.c.; F. Muller, Fragm. Phyt. Austral. vol. v. 
pp. 171 and 215. 
The first account of this most remarkable plant, the only 
known Cycad with bipinnate fronds, was that given in 
this work in the year 1863, when the male cone alone was 
known. Since that period specimens have at various times 
been received from Mr. Hill, the energetic superintendent of 
the Brisbane Botanic Garden, and amongst them female 
plants, of which one flowered at Messrs. Veitch’s and another 
at Kew, during the present year. Unfortunately, no male 
flowers were procurable at the same time, so that there was 
no chance of fertilization ; the ripe seed has, however, been 
well described by F. Miiller, whose description I find to be 
correct. 
The tuberous stem of Bowenia has the property of remain- 
ing dormant for years, and resisting all excitements to growth. 
A small cylindrical specimen, about three inches by about 
two-thirds of an inch in diameter, received at Kew in the 
year 1864, and which arrived with a healthy leaf, soon lost 
it, and remained for four years leafless, making very little 
root, and developing no bud; it was plunged into strong 
DECEMBER 1st, 1872. 
