426 : — DR. J. D. HOOKER ON A NEW GENUS OF BALANOPHOREÆ 
The most remarkable character of Dactylanthus is its inflorescence, which, instead of 
presenting the solitary capitulum or spadix of most of its allies, or the branched cha- 
racter of Sarcophyte, consists of numerous erect spadices, densely covered with flowers. 
Of these the males consist of a solitary stamen, not articulate with the spadix, and without 
any trace of perianth, and hence present by far the most reduced form of male flower in 
the Order. The female spadices present a crinite appearance from the long flexuose styles 
of the flowers. The ovary appears to be compressed, furnished with a short thick stipes, 
and its upper part is contracted into a short thick neck, apparently consisting of the tube 
of the perianth connate with the base of the style: this contracted part varies much in 
width and breadth, and sometimes appears as if reduced to the adnate bases of the subu- 
late lobes of the perianth. 
I have not been able to ascertain the nature either of the contents of the ovary, which 
is extremely minute, and crumbles into black powder on being touched, or of the tissues 
of the rhizome and peduncle, which do not seem to differ materially from those of other 
Balanophoree. 
The position of Dactylanthus is amongst my first group of Balanophoree, the Mono- 
styli; but in many respects it partakes of the structure of various genera of Distyli, and 
is not very nearly related to any described genus. In habit it presents the rhizome of 
Balanophora. In the male flowers reduced to a solitary stamen, it agrees with Lopho- 
phytum and Thonningia, and in the subulate perianth-lobes of the female flower with 
Cynomorium. Upon the whole it may perhaps rank nearest to Thonningia, with which it 
agrees in habit, in some points of structure of the female flower, especially in the tube of 
the perianth being connate with the style above the ovary, in the absence of imperfect 
flowers amongst the females, of bracts, and of a perianth to the male flower. 
The natives of New Zealand call this plant * Flower of Hades,” because it grows almost 
buried in the soil; they further consider it allied to Freycinetia, which it strikingly | 
resembles in the inflorescence. 
Mr. Taylor informs me that he has heard vaguely of the existence of another species 
with blue flowers in the forests of Mount Egmont. 
2. BALANOPHORA HARLANDI, H. f. Dioica, rhizomate parvo lobato epustulato, pedunculo 
ima basi bracteis subfoliaceis involuerato, capitulo globoso, floribus foemineis capitulo 
sessilibus. (Tas. LXXV. B.) 
- Hab. Sylvis insule Hongkong (Harland) ; in convalle Mont. Gough (C. Wilford, Dec. 1858). 
Species pusilla, 1-3 pollicaris, ab omnibus differt pedunculo basi tantum squamato; et preterea a 
B. divica, capitulo globoso, et rhizomate epustulato ; a B. fungosa capitulo unisexuali globoso, floribus 
fæmineis capitulo (non pedicello bracteolæ) sessilibus. 
3. BALANOPHORA Lown, H. f. Dioica, rhizomate parvo papilloso et pustulato, pedun- 
culo brevi, squamis inferioribus parvis, superioribus magnis numerosis imbricatis 
concavis capitulum velantibus, capitulo fl. 4 oblongo, receptaculo columnari, peri- 
anthio 4-fido, lobis lateralibus angustioribus. (Tas. LXXV. C.) 
Hab. Sylvis umbrosis montis Kina Balou, insulæ Borneo (H. Low). 
