Linncean Society. 191 



remarkable diversity of characters has been sacrificed to an appear- 

 ance resulting from parasitism on roots, and to an assumed absence 

 of any ordinary form of vegetable embryo." 



In arriving at this conclusion, his line of argument is summed up 

 as having especial reference to the three following points : "In the 

 first place," he says, " I have endeavoured to extend the objections 

 urged by Mr. Robert Brown, founded on the presence of a vascular 

 system, and the absence of any abstract peculiarity in the embryos 

 of these plants. I have also attempted to show that these plants are 

 not similar in their parasitism, and that even in those which 1 have 

 examined, there would appear to be two remarkably different types 

 of development of the embryo. Secondly, I have alluded to the op- 

 position presented, as it seems to me, by Rhizanthea to the system of 

 Nature, a chief point of the plan of which seems to me to consist in 

 an extensive interchange of characters, either positively by structure 

 or negatively by imitation of structure. Thirdly, I have adverted to 

 a want of uniformity in opinion of the founders regarding its rank 

 or value, incompatible, as it appears to me, with any group of the 

 system of Nature. And in conclusion, I beg to add that my impres- 

 sion is that Rhizanthece are an entirely artificial group, not even 

 sanctioned by practical facility, which is the only merit of an arti- 

 ficial association, and that its adoption is a retrograde step in the 

 course of philosophical botany." 



To the family of Rafflesiacece, Mr. Griffith adds a new genus with 

 the following characters : — 



Sapria. 



Char. Gen. — F/ores dioici. Perianihium duplici serie 5-partituni, sesti- 

 vatione imbricativum; faux corona forata clausa ; tubus intus 20-cari- 

 natus. Ma.s : Antlierce 20, uniseriatim infra caput colunnise fungiforme 

 verticillata^, discretse, 2 — 3-Ioculares, apice porosse. Ovarii cavitas 

 nulla. Foem : Antherce castratae. Ovarium 1-loculare; placeiitaB inde- 

 finitse, parietales ; ovula indefiiiita. Colimmce apex fungoideo-dilatatus 

 (c medio conum verrucosum exserens, disco piloso). Friictus . 



Planta parasitica, habitu Rafflesiae. Flos mapius, carnis colore, odore 

 putrido. 



Sapria Himalayana. 



Hab. in Jugi Himalayan! Montibus Mishmee Assamise Superioris ad lat. 

 Bor. 27° 50', long. Orient. 96° 27', altit. pedes 3000—5000. 



The description of this plant is accompanied by observations on 

 its mode of parasitism, on its vascular structure, on the plicae of the 

 inside of the tube of the perianthium (which the author suggests may 

 perhaps be considered to represent a second series of stamina), on 

 the inner membrane of the cells of the anthers, on the obstacles to 

 independent impregnation, and on the natural relations of the ge- 

 nus, and the characters by which it differs from Rafflesia and Brug- 

 mansia, between which Mr. Griffith places it. 



Mr. Griffith next proceeds to offer some observations on CytineiE, 

 and on the genera Hydnora and Cytinvs. He believes that the dif- 

 ference in the direction of the nuclei of the ovula in Cytinea and 



