a curious modification of the flower of a Javan species, 
A. elatior, Blume, which has the stigma of 4. punctata. 
In this the inner walls of the tube of the perianth are 
perfectly smooth till the stigma has attained its greatest 
diameter, when folds are formed on the inner walls, 
that fit into the spaces between the marginal teeth of 
the stigma, thus enclosing the mature anthers in a 
sealed chamber, requiring force to open it. Referring to 
the enlarged view of a flower of A. punctata laid open, at 
fig. 1 of t. 53886, it appears to me possible that access to 
the closed chamber in this species may be provided by the 
reflexion of the folds between the teeth of the stigma, - 
after the maturation of the anthers, for the admission to 
these of insects or their organs. And if, as I suspect, the 
stigmatic surfaces, which are punctiform, occupy the tips 
of the reflected lobes, the arrangement would be adapted 
for cross-fertilization of the plant, because any insect 
seeking access to the anthers must brush past a stigmatic 
surface. It remains to be observed during its next flower- 
ing, whether the perianth-tube and stigma of A. typica 
undergo modifications analogous to those of A. elatior. 
A. typica was obtained by the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
from the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, in 1895, and it 
flowered in a stove in September of the same year. 
_Deser.—footstock stout, creeping. Leaves twelve to 
eighteen inches long, long-petioled, elliptic-lanceolate, 
nerves about 7, with many cross nervules, base acute, 
unequal; petiole longer than the blade, channelled in 
front. Flowers very many, radical; peduncles two to 
two and a half inches long, stout, flexuous, prostrate 
or geniculately decurved, purple with darker blotches; _ 
sheaths few, distant, oblong, obtuse. Flowers two-thirds 
of an inch in diameter, thickly coriaceous, globose, six- 
cleft, base closely embraced by two ovate spreading 
purple bracts, dirty white or greenish speckled with red, 
dark purple within ; lobes one-third to one half the length 
of the perianth, biseriate, ovate, subacute, erect, then 
spreading. Stamens six; anthers reniform, sessile on the 
base of the perianth. Ovary very short, crowned with an 
umbrella-like six-lobed stigma.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Flower with portion of perianth removed; 2 
_ stamen; 3, stamen :—A/l enlarged ; , portion of perianth and 
—4, reduced view of whole plant. 
