286 



CCLVII. BALANOPHORE^ 



Balanophoreje, Rick, in Mem. Mus.S. 429. (1822).— Cynomorieje, Agarclh. Apt). 203. (1825), 



a § of Urticese. 



Diagnosis. Spadiceous monocotyledons, with an inferior ovarium and mo- 

 ncecious flowers. 

 Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Flowers monoecious, collected in dense heads, which are round- 

 ish or oblong - , usually bearing' both staminiferous aud pistilliferous flowers, but occasionally 

 having' the stamens and pistils distinct ; the receptacle covered with scales or seta? variable in 

 form, here and there bearing- also peltate thick scales; rarely naked. Staminiferous JUrwers 

 pedicellate ; calyx deeply 3-parted, equal, spreading-, with somewhat concave segments ; in 

 Cynomorium there is a thick, truncate, obconical scale in room of a calyx. Stamens 1-3 (sel- 

 dom more), epigynous, with both united filaments and anthers; the latter 3; in Cynomorium 

 1 only, connate, 2-celled ; each cell being divided into 2 cavities, sometimes turned inwards, 

 sometimes outwards, opening by a longitudinal slit. Pistil I iferovs fioirers : Ovarium inferior, 

 1-celled, 1 -seeded, crowned by the limb of the calyx, which is either marginal and nearly in- 

 verted, or consisting of from 2 to 4 unequal leaflets ; ovulum pendulous. Style 1, seldom 2, 

 filiform, tapering ; stigma simple, terminal, rather convex. Fruit a roundish caryopsis, 

 crowned by the remains of the limb of the calyx. Pericarpium rather thick ; albumen glo- 

 bose, fleshy-cellular, whitish, very large. Embryo very minute in proportion to the albumen, 

 roundish, whitish, enclosed in a superficial excavation, undivided. — Fungus-like plants, para- 

 sitical upon roots; roots fleshy, horizontal, branched ; stem naked, or covered by imbricated 

 scales. Rich. 



Affinities. This highly curious order has the same relation to Monoco- 

 tyledons as Cytinae to Dicotyledons. The late M. Richard is the only botanist 

 who has written specially upon it, and to him we owe an excellent Monograph, 

 He observes that the nearest affinity with the order is with Hydrocharideae, 

 while at the same time it must be admitted that its relation is by no means in- 

 timate. The habit of the two orders is very different, and the structure of 

 the floral organs is essentially unlike. In Hydrocharideae, the ovarium has 

 generally several cells, and each cell contains many seeds, while in Balano- 

 phoreae the ovarium is constantly 1-celled with a single ovulum. The former 

 have no albumen ; in the latter it is abundant. The tribe of Arums, in its 

 habit and characters, has in general a more essential affinity with Balanopho- 

 reee than Hydrocharideae ; they have both the same arrangement of flowers in 

 spikes, the seeds have in both a fleshy albumen, and the habit of their several 

 genera is much the same. But in Aroideae the ovarium is superior ! He then 

 points out the affinity borne toCytinus; an affinity about which nothing cer- 

 tain can be said, in the absence of a knowledge of the structure of the seed 

 of the latter. Agardh places these in Urticeee, changing the name to Cyno- 

 morieae. 



Geography. A small tribe, consisting entirely of leafless plants, parasiti- 

 cal upon roots, found in the West Indies, South America, some of the South 

 Sea Islands, the Mediterranean, and the Cape of Good Hope. 



Properties. Cynomorium is known for its astringenc}^. Nothing has been 

 stated of the rest. 



Examples. Langsdorffia, Helosis, Cynomorium, Balanophora, Sarco- 

 phyte or Ichthyosma. 



