" Iii 1888 the leaf was even larger, the spread of the 

 blade being twelve feet, the stalk eight feet high and nine 

 inches in diameter at the base. 



" The tuber was weighed in March, 1889, before being 

 repotted, it was fifty-seven pounds in weight, and measured 

 eighteen inches in diameter, by twelve inches in depth, 

 In the early stages of growth there was no perceptible 

 difference between the development of the flower-bud and 

 a leaf-bud, both being enclosed in a large sheath which 

 withers and falls off early. By June 5th, however, the top 

 of the spathe pushed through the sheath ; after which the 

 inflorescence grew in height about three inches per day, 

 and reached its full development on June 21st. Its 

 ultimate height was six feet nine inches. The peduncle 

 was eighteen inches high, the spathe three feet long and four 

 feet across the mouth, and the spadix five feet long by ten 

 inches in diameter at the thickest part above the flowers. 



" The spathe began to unfold at five p.m., was fully 

 expanded by half-past six; and at eight p.m. it had begun 

 to close again, and by eleven o'clock it had entirely 

 closed. The stench emitted by the flowers was very 

 powerful, and suggested a mixture of rotten fish and burnt 

 sugar. Many blue-bottle flies were attracted by it. The 

 smell had ceased within forty-eight hours after the spathe 

 unfolded. By fixing a wire crinoline inside the spathe it 

 was made to keep something like its natural appearance 

 until it began to wither. 



"All the roots died after the flower was over, and on 

 again weighing the tuber it was found to have lost nine 

 pounds in weight as a result of the production of the huge 

 inflorescence. 



" At the present time (November, 1890), the plant is in 

 full leaf, and although not quite so large as it was previous 

 to flowering, it is perfectly sound and promising. The 

 present leaf is nearly thirteen months old." 



It remains to indicate the position of A. Titanum in the 

 genus Amorphophallus, which contains about fifteen well 

 defined species, all tropical Asiatic and Malayan. Of 

 these, one, the common Indian A. campanulatus, is sup- 

 posed to extend to New Guinea and the Fiji Islands, and 

 to occur also in Madagascar ; but as it is not possible to 

 identify such plants without living specimens or good 



