202 SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF MITRASTEMON. 



strict sense, lack the radial symmetry, as is the case with many flowers of the 

 Rafflesiacese. They are solitary, terminal, subterete. The perianth-tube is 

 hypogynous and firmly attached to the ovary. It is usually truncate or some- 

 times 4-lobed at the apex, seemingly like the perianth of Pilostylis and some- 

 times like that of Apodanthes (SoLMS-LAUBACH I., p. 12) but differs in being 

 hypogynous. The perianth is 4-merous, as is seen in the very early stage of 

 the flower-development, and also in fully developed flowers which have some- 

 times the perianth 4-lobed. The existence of this 4-lobed perianth in Mitras- 

 temon escaped the attention of the previous authors who recorded it as having 

 an entirely truncate tube without any lobe, which lobeless perianth they re- 

 garded as one of the peculiar characters separating the plant from the Raffle- 

 siacese (HAYATA I., p. 112; MAKING II., p. 253). Corolla none. Stamens 

 deciduous, hypogynous, erect, connate into a cylindrical cap, entirely covering 

 the gyngecium, as in Pilostylis aethiopica (LoTSY p. 881), filaments entirely 

 connate into a broad tube, dehiscing vertically on one side. Anthers nume- 

 rous connate into a broad belt-like cap which covers the stigma. Anther- 

 cells, quite irregularly and closely arranged in many series on the above 

 mentioned belt-like cap. They are separated by thin walls, and outer walls 

 are especially very simple. A fibrous layer lacks entirely. They are very 

 like those of Pilostyli* (LoTSY p. 881, Fig. 612, 3, 4, 6). Connective-tips 

 connate into a cap with a very small opening at the apex. Ovary, entirely 

 superior, sessile, ovoid, one-celled, with parietal placentas, 9-13 in numbers, 

 (or more in M. Kaivasasakii HAY). The ovary is much like that of A pod a n- 

 these (SOLMS-LAUBACH I., p. 12) in its structure, but differs from it in being 

 superior. The placentas are lamelliformed, thick, fleshy. Style, crowning the 

 top of the ovary and articulated to it, erect, short, very thick, conical. 

 Stigma, semi-spherico-conical, umbonate at the top with an obscure groove on 

 one side. In shape, the style and stigma are much like those the female 

 flowers of Pilostylis and Apodanthes (SOLMS-LAUBACH I., p. 13). Ovules, 

 minute, obovoid-ellipsoid, with a short or long funicle, anatropous ; integu- 

 ment, composed of a single layer of cells, as is also the case with the 

 nucellus. The structure of ovules are very much like to that of the Eafflesia- 

 cete more than that of any other parasitic plants (GoEBEL II., p. 368-369 ;. 



