1844.] Linnean Society. 221 



certain Neckerce, and also with the bodies which he suspects to be the 

 male organs of Ferns. 



Lastly, Mr. Griffith adds the description of a new genus which he 

 dedicates to the memory of Mr. Thomas Smith, referred to by Mr. 

 Brown in terms of high commendation in his remarks on Kingia. 

 This genus is characterized as follows under the anagrammatized 

 name of 



Thismia. 

 Char. Gen. — Periantliium superum, canipanulatum (caducum), 6-parti- 

 tum ; laciniis 3 exterioribus (brevibus) oblongis, 3 alternis interioribus 

 (longissimis) subulatis ; fauce annulo seraiclausa. Stamina 6, fauci in- 

 serta, perianthii laciniis opposita, deflexa insuper parietem tubi inter- 

 num ; filamenta brevia, discreta ; antherae (maximas) secus margines 

 connatae, membrana bilamellosa terminatae, biloculares, loculis parvis 

 distantibus adnatis. Ovarium inferum, 1-Ioculare; placentae 3 parie- 

 tales, supra medium ovuligerae ; ovula indefinita, anatropa. Stylus 

 brevis. Stigmata 3 bifida. Fructus carnosus, truncato-tiu-binatus, apice 

 pericarpii circumscisso dehiscens, 1-locularis. Semina indefinita, pla- 

 centis 3 parietalibus demura liberis affixa. Embryo indivisus, homo- 

 geneus. 

 Ylsaidipusilla, aphyJla, radicum parasitica, aspectu cereaceo. Perianthium 



luteum, coccineo pictum. 

 Thismia Brunonis. 



Hub. ad pedes Bambusarum in liumo ligno semiputrido farcto prope 

 Palar Orae Tenasserim, ad grad. lat. bor. 12° 50', long, orient. 98° 20°. — 

 Flor. et fruct. lect. Mense Octobris, 1834. 



Some observations follow on the mode of venation of the perian- 

 thium, on the dehiscence of the fruit, and on the position of the plant 

 in the natural system, which the author regards as intermediate be- 

 tween TaccedE and BurmanniacecE. He adds that he is disposed to 

 consider it as a Monocotyledonous form of the albuminiform homo- 

 geneous embryo, and as the analogue of Rajfflesiacece and Cytinea of 

 Dicotyledons. 



Associated with Thismia grew a species of Salomonia and a species 

 of Burmannia, both having the ordinary appearance of plants para- 

 sitic on roots. The former is characterized as 



Salomonia aphylla, parasitica, floribus pentandris. 



The paper was accompanied and illustrated by an extensive series 

 of coloured drawings. 



No. XXIII. — Proceedings of the Linnean Society. 



