the tuber (from which it springs almost directly), form 

 together so ponderous a mass, that for the purpose of 

 transporting it, it had to be lashed to along pole, the ends 

 of which were placed on the shoulders of two men. To 

 give an idea of the size of this gigantic flower, it is enough 

 to say that a man standing upright can barely reach the 

 top of the spadix with his hand, which occupies the centre 

 of the flower, and that with open arms he can scarcely 

 reach half way round the circumference of the funnel- 

 shaped spathe from the bottom of which the spadix 

 arises." 



Signor Beccari then proceeds to describe the flowering, 

 &c, of the Amorphophallus at Kew, but as Mr. Watson, to 

 whom the honour of growing and flowering the plant is due, 

 has been so good as to furnish me with a more detailed 

 account of the same, I pass over that part of the narrative, 

 and proceed to Signor Beccari's description of the fruiting 

 plant. " The spadix in this condition is another wonder 

 of the vegetable kingdom. It forms a cylindric column 

 more than three feet three inches in height and six 

 inches in diameter, green marbled with white, and bearing 

 in its upper part (the male and sterile part (appendage). 

 having decayed and fallen away), a mass of berries pressed 

 together, the whole forming a stout cylindric body, nearly 

 two feet long. But for its size the fruiting spadix resembles 

 that of Arum itallcum. Each fruit is as large as a small 

 cherry, rather elongate, smooth and carmine red in 

 colour ; it encloses one to three seeds, each enveloped in a 

 copious pulp." 



The Sumatran name of this Amorphojihalliis is Grrubi, 

 Krubi, and Krubut, names which the natives give to other 

 aroids. The tubers are said to be edible, but it is not known 

 how they are prepared for food. With regard to its con- 

 ditions of growth, the position of Ajer Mantcior, on the 

 west coast of Sumatra, is 364 metr. (1183 feet), and of 

 Kaju Tanam, 135 metr. (440 feet) above the sea; the 

 atmosphere is perennially humid ; the mean highest and 

 lowest temperatures at the former locality are 25° and 32° 

 cent, (77°— 89° Fahrt.) in the shade, rarely falling to 22° 

 and rising to 35° (71° and 95° Fahrt.). The plant courts a 

 deep shade, and a light soil. 



Unimpeachable as is Dr. Beccari's character for scientific 



