100 Mr. Griffith on the Indian Species of Balanophora, 



Obs. IV. — [n the present state of our knowledge the locus naturalis of the 

 family to which this genus belongs must, it appears to me, at best be founded 

 on conjecture. The assistance of physiology is in the first place essential. Of 

 all the notions* however regarding it, that of Agardh, as given by Endlicher 

 and Schott in their ' Meletemata ■\ , appears to me the most plausible, although 

 he would seem to include Cynomorium in the family, and to make it the typical 

 genus. Although I have not observed these plants to have milky juice, or am 

 inclined to lay much stress on some of the signs of affinity given by Agardh, 

 yet in the separation of the sexes, the valvular aestivation of the perianthium, 

 and the apposition of the stamina to its component parts, there are perhaps 

 some signs of affinity ; and although the development of the pistilla of Bala- 

 nopfiora appears to me an insurmountable objection, still they resemble in 

 texture the pistilla of some Urticece as much, if not more, than those of any 

 other plant. 



As a mere hypothesis, then, I would consider Balanophorece, judged of 

 chiefly by Balanophora, as the homogeneous embryo form of Urticince, form- 

 ing a direct passage in one, and usually the more perfect structure, to Musci 

 and Hepaticce. But in this, as in all other very doubtful cases, it is much 

 more advisable to consider them as aliens than to force them into any sub- 

 kingdom, class or order. As aliens, every observing botanist's eye will be 

 upon them. As undoubted citizens, they may find, under authority, places 

 anywhere, and will certainly cease to be general objects of observation. 



Ph^ocordylis, Griff.j^. 



Chab. Gen. Sexus diclines. Mas: ignotus. Fcem.i Ovaria nuda, in axi spicae sessilia, 

 pilis cellulosis (paraphysiformibus) immersa. Stylits filiformis, deciduus (exsertus). 



* Richard considered it allied to Hydrocharidea and AroidecB and Arisiolochiea, especially Cytinus, 

 and to be placed between the former, which terminate the Monocotyledonous, and Aristolochiece, which 

 commence the Dicotyledonous series {Ann. Mus. viii. 434). Almost all writers seem to consider it as 

 Monocotyledonous. 



t Fasc. l.p. 9. Obs. II. 



X This genus approaches very closely to Rhopalocnemis, as described by Junghuhn in the ' Nova 

 Acta Academiae Naturse Curiosorum,' vol. xviii. suppl. 1. p. 213; but appears to differ in the absence 

 of the extraordinary structure of the " fila globulifera " attributed to that genus by its author. — 

 Secb. 



