^ 



^ 



balanopiioi:ace.k (A\^ight). 21:1 



^simple (Mf/dropdaloti), or dicecious and much -bra iic lied (Sarcophf/tc), bracteate 

 and bracteolate (jr not. 



W t ■ - 



DisruiB. Genera about 15, species about 50, widely distributed in tropical and 

 subtropical regions. 



I. Sarcophyte. — Inflorescences much-branched, dioecious. Anthers 3, many- 

 celled, dehiscing by temiinal pores. Frails united into syncarpia. 



II. Mystropetalon. — Jnflorescc aces unbrauclied, monoecious, male above, female 



below. Anthers 2, 2-celIed, dehiscing by lon^'itudinal slits. Fruits 

 separate. 



I. SARCOPHYTE, Sparrm. 



I 



Flowers dioecious, .. Male Jlowers : Perianth-tahc short, solid ; 

 segments 3, valvatc. Stamens 3, inserted at the base of the 

 periauth-lubes ; fihiments short, cylindrical ; anthers basifixed, 

 globose, with many cells in the upper part bursting by apical 

 pores. Rudiment of ovary none. Female Jlowers usually united 

 into globose heads. Ovary ovoid, 1 -celled, or at length 3-celled 

 through the protrusion of the placentas ; stigma sessile, discoid ; 

 ovules 1-3, pjeudulous. Fruit • a fleshy syncarpiuni ; endocarp 

 hardened, trigonous, 1-cclled, 1-seeded. Seed subglobose ; albumen 

 fleshy and oily ; embryo central, globose. 



Herbs parasitic on roots ; rootstock tuberous, irregularly lobed ; stem erect ; 

 leaves reduced to scales ; flowers in much-branched panicles. 



DisTRiB. Species 2, one in tropical Africa, the other in South Africa. 



1. S. sanguinea (Sparrm. in Vet. Acad. Handl. Stockh. 177G, 

 300, t. 7) ; male plant about 10 in. high ; rootstock thick, irregularly 

 lobed, verrucose ; stem short, erect; leaves reduced to oblong ol)tuse 

 or subacute scales up to 9 lin. long and 6 lin. wide; inflorescence 

 much-branched / flowers usually in pairs on short pedicels which 

 J^^e connate below ; perianth-segments navicular, almost patent, 

 very thick and fleshy, subacute, 2 lin. long, 1^ lin. wide; filaments 

 1^ to nearly 2 lin. long, cylindrical; anthers terminal, scarcely 

 wider than the filaments ; female plant very similar to the male, 

 but rather shorter ; flowers numcruus in subglobose shortly stalked 

 iitJiuls about 3 lin, in diam. ; ovary 1-3-ceIlcd ; ovule solitary, 

 pendulous; stigma discoid, sessile ; fruit a syncarpium ; seed al>out 

 i lin. long. GriJ. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xix. 339; HooJc. f. in Trans, 

 linn. Sac. xxii. 29; Drcge, Zwcl Pjt. Docnmenfe, 132, 137, 138; 

 Wcdcl In Ann. Sc. NaL 3-^ str. xiv. 173, /. 10, fins. 34-38; Harv. 



in Harv, <£• Sond, FI. Cap, ii. 574 ; Ekhler in DO. Frodr, xvii. I'iT ; 

 ^nrji in EngL & Prantl, Pjlanzcnfam. iii. i. 253, fi^/. IGO; Marloth, 

 Fl S. Afr. i. 170, /. 42, fig. A; Rfitrhlnsou in Kew Btdletin, 1914, 

 2ol ; not of HemsL in Dyer, FL Trop. Afr. vl. i. 436. Idhjosma 

 ^^eJidemanni. S!^lJ..^hf^^J ;» T.l.iur^n. ii. 671. ^.8. and iii, 194. 



.;& ^.Li^^^.k 



