251 



specimens, but these three, as far as the foliage is concerned, are, 

 in my opinion, not only the handsomest of all, but are strikingly 

 different from any of the others, and I regret very much that such 

 fine specimens as I saw shoukl have been wantonly destroyed by 

 the natives. I may conclude by saying that we have in the 

 garden a plant, of which I believe there is a photograph in the 

 Museum at Kew. It has been known as the ' Giant Encepha- 

 lartos/ This plant is a male, and this year has no less than 

 18 cones, arranged in more or fewer complete concentric circles. 

 I think that this is a record number; the trunk has been partly 

 buried in the side of an embankment, and it is intended to remove 

 it to a position where its full length can be seen to better 

 advantage. 



Quite recently Dr. Medley Wood has kindly forwarded to Kew 

 a photograj^h of one of the two plants collected by Mr. Wylie in 



yj 



1907, which we reproduce here. Dr. Medl 

 that some of the examples grown in the Durban Gardens have 

 now stems as high as 15 ft. or more, but as yet none of them have 

 produced cones. Until these are forthcoming an adequate 

 description is not possible. 



The photograph of one of the plants in the Durban Gardens, 

 here reproduced, was taken by Mr. "VV. D. Haygarth, and is of 

 particular interest as it gives us also an excellent portrait of Dr. 

 Medley Wood, whose sustained and untiring labours have done 

 so much to increase our knowledge of the Flora of ISTatal. 



XLVni.— A NEW TROPICAL AFRICAN 



SARCOPHYTE. 



J. HUTCH Ily'SOX. 



In tlie Flara of Tropical Africa vol. vi. i. p. 436, Hemsley 

 expressed doubt as to wlietlier tlie Tropical East African specimens 

 of SarcopJiyte (Balanophoraceae) referred by Eugler to S. san- 

 guinca, Sparrm., really belonged to tliat species, which was pre- 

 viously known to occur onlj'' in the neighbourhood of Grahams- 

 town, South Africa. Hemsley observed that the Cajje jA^Mi 

 appeared to have a much more compoundly branched^ male 

 inflorescence, but the material at his disposal was insufficient to 

 decide the question and he had no alternative but to accept 



Engler's determination. 



Thanks to the efforts of Mr. E. Battiscombe, Conserv'ator of 

 Forests, British East Africa, Kew has now received ample 

 material, both male and female, of the East African plant, and 

 the exUmination of these specimens and a photograph of them 

 growing in their native habitat proves that they represent quite a 

 distinct species. The collector of the new material is Dr. J. H. H. 

 Pirie of the East African Medical Staff, after whom we have plea- 

 sure in naming the species. A second supply of specimens and a 

 photograph were obtained by Mr. McGregor Eoss, Director of 

 Public Works, British East Africa. 



Besides the difference in the branching of the male inflorescence 

 observed by Hemsley, several other differences have been found 



B 2 



