34 DR. J. D. HOOKER ON THE GENERA AND SPECIES 
Besides these there are thick-walled pleurenchyma-cells. The cellular system, which M 
forms by far the greater mass of the plant, consists of large polygonal utricles, with thin — 
transparent walls, full of starch and chlorophyll granules. 1 
The scales upon the upper part of the peduncle are broader than those at the base; blunt, ` 
often transversely oblong, peltately attached, and, on the capitulum, gradually assume the 
character of peltate bracts. In the youngest specimens I have examined (Tab. I. À. fig. 1) | 
long before the flowers are discernible, except as lobed papillæ, the appearance of all the M 
scales from the base to the top of the plant is remarkably uniform ; they are broadly ovate, — 
acuminate, and imbricated at the fusiform swollen base, more scattered and broader, and 
blunter or truncate, on the upper contracted portion of the peduncle, and again acute 
and densely imbricated from the base to the summit of the capitulum, the surface of 
which they wholly conceal. At this early period the scales are very obliquely peltate; 
in a vertical section each is seen to curve upwards and cover the lower part of the peltate 
scale immediately above it, whilst the lower part is produced into a long incurved lobe. 
The lower lobe presents a semi-lunar curve towards the capitulum, and arches over a 
mamilla of the capitulum covered with nascent flowers. The concave upper surface of 
the next scale below is closely applied to the dorsum of the lower lobe of that above it. 
A strong vascular cord enters each scale, and is united at a little distance from its base, 
within the body of the capitulum, with an equally stout cord from the mamilla above it. - 
It will thus be seen that each scale forms the protecting organ to a definite mass of . 
flowers below its point of insertion, but is connected by its vascular system with the 
mamilla of flowers above it ; an arrangement similar to that which occurs in Lophophytum 
and some Lycopodiacee, but which can in Cynomoriwn only be discovered at a very early 
period. : 
Owing to the much more rapid growth of the capitulum than of the scales, these even- 
tually become scattered, at the same time losing their bracteal form, and becoming 
broader and fleshy. These changes are precisely the same in their nature as occur in the 
bracteal scales of Helosis and its allies. The paleæ which occur abundantly amongst the 
flowers, and vary extremely in form, consist of rudimentary flowers, both males and 
females, and of perigonial leaves, removed from their flowers by unequal growth. There 
is a disposition in some of the floral scales of larger size than the rest, to assume the 
position of a bractlet under each flower, or group of flowers. 
The male and female flowers appear promiscuously in succession for a considerable 
period: in this respect Cynomoriwm presents a remarkable contrast to Balanophora and 
Helosis, &c.; as in these the evolution of the sexes occurs at different times: and it is 
worthy of remark that this phænomenon is perhaps confined to this genus, and is there- - 
fore peculiar to the only plant of the Order which exhibits a strong tendency to herm- 
aphroditism. 
In Webb's ‘Flora of the Canary Islands’ (iii. 431), I have described hermaphrodite 
flowers of Cynomoriwm; which were pointed out to me by Mr. Brown in a drawing of 
Bauer's: they were originally discovered by Linnæus (Gen. Plant. ed. 5, 1754), and 
described by him; as indicated by Richard, who, however, failed to find them himself. - 
- The palea of Richard, surrounding and half enveloping the stamen of the male flower, 
