316 Mr. Griffith on the Root-Parasites referred to Rhizantheae, 



direction with that chiefly forming the interposed mass above alluded to, and 

 like it and the bark abounding in fascicles of raphides. 



The cone of the parasite chiefly consists of cellular tissue ; it is traversed by 

 somewhat irregular vascular fascicles : of the origin of these, as also of the 

 nature of their relations with the stock, I am quite ignorant. 



Obs. III. — This plant cannot with any exactness be said to be scantily pro- 

 vided with vessels, both ducts and spiral vessels being easily detected in the 

 longitudinal fascicles of the cone of insertion. Similar longitudinal fascicles 

 exist in the scales in the simple form, in which respect it would appear to 

 agree with Rafflesia. Of the nature of the vascular supplies of the perianth I 

 can say nothing ; the base of the tube, however, presents on a transverse sec- 

 tion a well-marked simple series of vascular bundles. 



The column of the male flower is well supplied, the outer series appearing 

 to belong to the staminal apparatus. 



Obs. IV, — ^The plicae or carinee of the inside of the tube have seemed to me 

 to be cellular. From their appearing to alternate with the anthers, and from 

 their colour resembling that of the surface of the column below the anthers, 

 they may perhaps be considered to represent a second series of stamina, a cir- 

 cumstance that occurs in one instance in Asarinece. Their disposition likewise 

 suggests the probability of their exerting some mechanical action on the an- 

 nulus. 



Obs. V. — The inner membrane of the cells of the anthers appears, at least 

 after maceration in spirits, to have little or no connexion with the cavity 

 which it lines ; a cross section, indeed, often presents the loculi as divided by 

 two or more septa, which is found to be due to the partial separation of the 

 lining membrane from the walls, with which previously it may be supposed to 

 have been in contact. 



Of the nature and situation of the stigmatic surface I can say nothing, in 

 default of female specimens. The whole surface of the concave part of the 

 fungoid head of the column of the male flower is minutely cellular, and not 

 stigmatic in appearance. The cells of the outer surface above are much the 

 same, but towards the base they have a peculiar appearance. 



Great obstacles to independent impregnation would appear to be presented 

 by the separation of the sexes, by the viscidity of the pollen, and the limited 



