TRANSACTIONS 
OF 
THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
I. On the Structure and/Affinities of Balanophoreæ. 
By Josera Dauron Hookék, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. $c. 
Read February 6th, February 20th and June 19th, 1855. 
THE materials from which this Essay has been drawn up, have been accumulating on 
my hands for a considerable period. They consist principally of—1. A very complete set 
of the American species, especially of the Helosidee, formed at the desire of Sir William 
Hooker, in New Grenada, Jamaica, and Trinidad, in 1846 and 1847, by Mr. William 
Purdie, at that time collector for the Royal Gardens at Kew. He gathered nine species, 
including several new genera, and preserved many specimens of most, both dried and in 
spirits. 2. I am indebted to Prof. Liebmann of Copenhagen: for the species collected by 
him in Mexico, together with drawings of them; a translation of his paper on Thonningia 
and Helosis mexicana, read before the Society of Scandinavian Naturalists at Christiania ; 
and the loan of the original specimens of Thonmingia, from the herbaria of Vahl and 
Schumacher. 3. Mr. Miers has placed at my disposal his Brazilian specimens of Zangs- 
dorffia hypogea and Helosis guyanensis, from Rio and the La Plata district, together with 
his sketches of them made on the spot. 4. Sir Robert Schomburgk has given me his 
. drawings of the same genera, made in Guiana; and I have also received from other 
travellers numerous specimens of them. 5. For the South African genera Sarcophyte 
and Mystropetalon I am indebted to Dr. Harvey, who, during his residence at the Cape, 
communicated beautiful specimens of them to Sir William Hooker. 6. Of the Indian 
Balanophoreæ Y have very extensive suites of specimens indeed; having had, in the Hima- 
laya and Khasia mountains, the opportunity of studying several species in many stages 
of growth. I have also examined most of the specimens collected by Mr. Griffith himself, 
from which he described the species for the Society's Transactions; and I have received 
the Peninsular and Ceylon B. indica from Wight, Gardner, and Thwaites. 7. Sir William 
Hooker has procured the Javanese species from Mr. Thomas Lobb, Prof. de Vriese of 
Leyden, and others. 8. For specimens of the original species of Balanophora (B. fun- 
gosa of Forster), I am indebted to Mr. M‘Gillivray, who found it on the N.E. coast of 
VOL. XXII. B 
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