82 



through the peripheral layers of the tuber the scales have a bright 

 yellow colour which very soon changes to a deep brown one. 



The scalestalks are , at first, entirely hidden by the hair- 

 felt which covers the axis of the inflorescence in such a way 

 that on removing the scales one observes comparatively 

 large holes in the hairfelt. These holes (fig. 62 PI. XII) indicate 

 the places where the scales have been attached. All space 

 which is not occupied by these scalestalks is occupied by the 

 flowers which are also surrounded by the dense hairfelt. Just 

 before blossoming the scalestalks suddenly elongate to almost 

 twice their length and the scales together with their stalks 

 are thrown off in irregular patches, several scales sticking 

 together on account of their being latterally adpressed owing 

 to a growth in the latter direction during their youth (for 

 particulars see the chapter on female flowers) ; as the blossoming 

 begins at the base of the inflorescence and proceeds towards 

 the top the scales drop first at the base {d fig. 1 PI. Ill) than 

 higher up (/, y, /i fig. 1 PI. Ill) until finally all {k fig. 1) or at 

 least almost all (fig 2 PI. Ill) scales have been thrown of. 



At the moment of blossoming the inflorescences are purely 

 male (/", /i flg. 1 PL III) purely female {d fig. 1 PI. Ill) or her- 

 maphrodite (fig. 2 PI. Ill), the flowers however are always uni- 

 sexual, a hermaphrodite inflorescence appears uni-sexual at the 

 beginning of its blossoming. If one imagines the female part of 

 the inflorescence pictured in fig. 2 PL III to be covered as yet 

 by scales one would imagine this inflorescence to be purely 

 male, if on the other hand a hermaphrodite inflorescence is 

 female at the base and male at the top it seems to be purely 

 female in the beginning. For the photograph of the plants in 

 fig. 1 PL III, I am indebted to Mr. L. G. Mossou of Malabar for 

 the painting (after alcoholic material) of the hermaphrodite 

 inflorescence in fig 2 PL III to Mr. Max Fleischer. I beg both 

 gentlemen to accept here my hearty thanks for their kind 

 collaboration. 



