blANTS. 361 



•the weight of this prodigy we calculated to be fifteen 

 pounds." ^ 



The flower was first discovered in 181 8, on the 

 Manna River in Sumatra, where it is said to be 

 known by the name of the " Devil's Siri box ! " Dr. 

 Arnold says that when he first saw it in the jungle it 

 made a powerful impression on him. " To tell the 

 truth, had I been alone, and had there been no wit- 

 nesses, I should, I think, have been fearful of men- 

 tioning the dimensions of this flower, so much does 

 it exceed every flower I have ever seen or heard of." 

 Another species has been found in Java, but not 

 quite of such an enormous size. 



Second in size are the flowers of one of the 

 birthworts, climbing aristolochias of tropical forests. 

 Humboldt gave the first intimation of the existence 

 of these giants in these words : " On the shady banks 

 of the Magdalena River, in South America, grows a 

 climbing aristolochia, whose blossoms, measuring 

 four feet in circumference, the Indian children spor- 

 tively draw on their heads as caps."^ This species 

 {Aristolochia gmndifloi'd), or what is believed to be 

 the same species, is called " pelican flower " in the 

 West Indies, from the resemblance of its young and 



' Hooker's " Companion to Botanical Magazine," i. (1835) 

 p. 262. " Transactions of Linnaean Society," vol. xiii. 



* Humboldt, "Views of Nature" (1850), p. 230. " Botanical 

 JMagazine," pi. 4,368. 



