bracteoles very small or obsolete. Flowers glabrous, 

 sessile, in two rows, clustered in threes in the lower part 

 of the branches, the lateral male, the central female, in 

 pairs in the upper part of the branches, both male. Male 

 flowers ivory-white, one-quarter to one-third of an inch 

 long, the lower ones opening before the spathe; calyx 

 minute, three-toothed ; petals three, valvate, thick, oblong- 

 ovate, obtuse ; stamens six, shorter than the petals ; pistil- 

 lode oblong, trifurcate. Female flowers larger, green, or 

 yellow-green ; sepals three, thick, coriaceous, broadly 

 ovate, obtuse, about one-third of an inch long, closely im- 

 bricate; petals three, similar to the sepals but thinner, 

 closely imbricate ; staminodes six, minute, broad at the 

 base, and abruptly acuminate; ovary oblong, glabrous, 

 one-celled ; stigma sessile ; ovule solitary, basal. Fruit 

 unknown. — W. B. H. 



Fig. 1, a female flower and two lateral male flowers ; 2, a male flower ; 3, a 

 section of the Bame, showing the pistillode and some of the stamens; 4, a 

 female flower in a more advanced stage attached to the branch; 5, section of 

 a female flower showing three staminodes ; 6, gynasceum, with a portion 

 of the wall of the ovaiy removed, showing the solitary basal ovule: — all 

 enlarged. 



