42 ' DR. J. D. HOOKER ON THE GENERA AND SPECIES 
, 
On the Tolima range it is called “ Belacha;” and * Melousita” on the mountains 
around Bogota, where its soft receptacle is eaten when ripe, and considered stimulating 
and refreshing. It is remarkable that Langsdorffia, the only monostylous American 
genus, should resemble Balanophora in the abundance of its waxy secretion; whilst 
Rhopalocnemis, the only distylous Asiatic species, resembles the other American Helo- . 
sideæ in the absence of wax. 
2. LANGSDORFFIA RUBIGINOSA, Weddell (Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3. xiv. t. 11. f. 48-51) 
rhizomate densè tomentoso. (Taz. II. figs. 1-19.) 
Hab. Sylvis montosis regionibus superioribus fluminis Orinoco, alt. 3500 ad 4000 ped. (Schomburg, 
Ic. Pict.): locis umbrosis humidis inter Quebradas de San Juan et Panones, Parana de Ruiz (Purdie) 
provincia Goyaz Brasiliz (Weddell). 
This species does not seem to have been distinguished from L. hypogea by Mr. Purdie, 
- from whom I first received it, and who mentions its also being used for candles. It in every 
respect resembles L. hypogea, except in the dense, matted, woolly vesture of the rhizome, 
which appears as if wrapped in wool. This indumentum is formed of long, simple, very 
sparingly articulated transparent hairs, with broad bases and blunt apices, and walls 
covered, especially towards the base, with minute granulations ; they are quite hollow, and 
very flaccid. All my specimens are males, and have very short peduncles, clothed wi 
rather narrower scales than in L. hypogea. The small clavate bodies situated on the male 
capitulum, and placed at the angle where four flowers meet, are often connate: they are 
quite analogous to the similarly placed organs in dicecious Balanophore. Wedd 
figures the female perianths as connate throughout their length, as is sometimes the ca 
with L. hypogea; his specimens appear to be immature, and I doubt its proving ev 
tually distinct from the last-mentioned species. 
V. THONNINGIA, Vahl. 
(Tas. III.) 
Conophyta, Schum. Hæmatostrobus, Endl. MSS. (Gen. p. 76). 
FL. 3. Perianthium incompletum, e squamis 2-3 subulatis inæqualibus infra medium column 
antheriferæ insertis. Anthere 3-5, longissimè lineares, in columnam conico-fusiformem elong 
solidam coadunatæ, 12-20 ?-loculares, loculis linearibus, extrorsis. FL. 9 lineares. Periant 
superum, tubulosum, inæqualiter 3-5-dentatum. Ovarium lineare, perianthio zequilongum imá 
ovuliferum. Stylus cylindricus, filiformis, perianthio dupld longior, supra medium papillosus s 
matiferus, Ovulum 1, pendulum. Achenia receptaculo spongioso immersa.—Rhizoma r 
ramosum. Pedunculi erecti, 1-6 unciales, basi nudi, squamis coccineis circa inflorescentiam elon, 
tecti, inter squamas pubescentes. Squamæ dens? imbricate, late ovato-acuminate, inferiores 4 
superiores 3-1 unc. longe. Receptaculum spongiosum lat? conicum v. hemisphericum, convexum, 
bus obtectum squamisque omnind velatum. Fila articulata nulla. Flores rubri. 
Dioica. 
1. THONNINGIA SANGUINEA, Vahl! (Act. Soc. Hist. Nat. Hafn. vi. p. 124. t. 6, 181 
Schumacher et Thonning, Dansk. Selsk. Skrivt. vi. p. 124. t.6. Liebmann in P 
ceedings of Assembly of Scandinavian Naturalists at Christiania, 1844, p. 177. 
Conophyta purpurea, Isert, Reise nach Guinea, p. 283. 
Hab. Guinea ad Aquapim, Thonning. Abeokuta, Beat. Dom. Irving (fid. Ic. Pict.). 
