and on various Plants related to them. 327 



to which however it is not confined, occurring abundantly in the smaller 

 jungle about Pringitt, the place from which Koenig seems to have obtained his 

 specimens*. 



It is a remarkable as well as an ornamental plant, although the flowers are 

 in a great measure concealed by the leaves. I refer it without doubt to 

 Thottea grandiflora, Rottb., from one of its localities, and from the descrip- 

 tions contained in M. Meyer's account of Hydnora\, and in Endlicher's ' Ge- 

 nera '|. 



Obs. II. — There is no genus of Asarinece with which it is likely to be con- 

 founded while in flower, it being the only one with indefinite biseriate stamina. 

 In the structure of its stigma it essentially agrees with Asiphonia, as well as in 

 that of the fruit and seeds. It is the only species with a regular perianthium 

 that has a tendency to rival in size the flowers of some Aristolochias. The 

 stigma preserves in a great degree the remarkable disposition, characteristic 

 of part of the family, to show little correspondence in number of divisions 

 with the component parts of the ovarium ; a subject on which I propose to 

 enter at some length. 



In connexion with the stigma of this plant and that of Asiphonia, a few 

 remarks upon that organ may perhaps not be misplaced. 



All the definitions of this organ, in the works quoted in the note§, the only 

 ones I have access to, refer to its papillose or glandular nature, and regard it 

 as forming part of the style, of which also most regard it as the termination. 



The constant referring of the stigma to the style has caused certain contra- 

 dictions, inasmuch as none of the authors of the definitions consider the style 

 to be an essential organ. In like manner, its being constantly considered as 

 of a papillose or secretory nature may be considered as contradicted when it 

 is referred to the apex of the midrib ||, which may be assumed as belonging to 

 the densest part of the whole structure of the leaf, and which besides has no 



* PI. Jav. Rarior. part 1. p. 45. in a note. 



t Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Curios, torn. xvi. p. 785. X Loc. cit. 



§ Link, Philos. Bot. p. 306. DeCand., Thdorie ^16m. p. 401 ; Organographie, i. 479. Lindley, 

 Outlines, no. 345 ; Key, p. 27. nos. 345-350, p. 28. no. 358 ; Introd., 2nd ed. p. 196. 



II This origin, from the assumption of the accuracy of which the opposition of the stigmata to the 

 placentae has heen so much insisted on, is disproved by Nymphaa, Apocynece, Asclepiadea, Linaria 

 purpurea, some ThunbergicB, &c. 



VOL. XIX. 2 X 



