74 



Dr. Valeton showed the plant to Dr. Treub, who recognised 

 it at once as a Rhopalocnemis phalloides Jungh. and told us 

 that the female flowers were very small and had to be looked 

 for on other specimens , the plant being diocious ; if I remember 

 well the male flowers were at that moment as yet unknown 

 to Dr. Treub. I subsequently begged my friend Bosscha to send 

 me all the specimens he would be able to secure and I owe 

 it to his indefatigable perseverence in collecting interesting 

 plants, that I can contribute, for the second time ') to the 

 knowledge of this peculiar Balanophoraceous family. 



Soon after this investigation had begun I heard that Dr. Treub 

 had planned an inquiry into the same question, I wrote to 

 Dr. Treub about it, and in reponse received the offer to con- 

 tinue my research; it is a great pleasure to me, to offer here 

 my sincere thanks for Dr. T.'s liberality. . 



Historical Part. 



Miquel gives in his ,, Flora van Nederlandsch Indie", the 

 following diagnosis: 



Rhopalocnemis Jungh. sexus diclinus, Masc. ignotus. Fl. fem. 

 ovaria in axi , ipso sessilia nuda , pilis paraphysimorphis immixta. 

 Stylus filiformis exsertus, deciduus, stigmate subcapitato. Fruc- 

 tus compressi (striati) apice subpapillati. — Fhaeocordylis Griff. 



I. Rhopalocnemis phalloides Jungh. Nova Act. Nat. Cur. XVIII 

 suppl. I, p. 215. Phalliformis ; volva basilaris carnosa, radici 

 matricis adhaerens , globosa, pomi mediocris mole, extus rugosa, 

 dein vertice elongata, coni cylindrici specie; stipitem exerens 

 omnino nudum, basi volva vaginatum 5-pollicarem , clava 

 superne et medio unciam fere crassa rufo-velutina. Java on the 

 Merbaboe at an altitude of 7000 feet in the Acacia-woodlets 

 on the roots of unknown trees. Later in 1889 the following 

 diagnosis is given by Engler ^) : 



Rhopalocnemis Jungh. ( Fhaeocordylis Gri ff.) Blutenhiille 



1) J. P. LoTSY, Balanophora globosa Jungh. eine wenigstens stellenweise ver- 

 wittwete P8anze. Ann. d. Jard. Bot. de Buitenzorg 1899. 



2) Engler und Prantl. Natiirliche Pflznfam. Ill Th. le Halfte p. 259. 



