OF BALANOPHORE^. 35 



is a remarkable organ : from analogy with Balanophora, Selosis, and indeed the majority 

 of the Order, it might be considered an imperfect perianth ; whereas in the hermaphrodite 

 flowers it is seen to be a well-developed style, the ovary of which is usually suppressed. In 

 these flowers the stamen rises from near the summit of the ovary, above the insertion of 

 any of the perigonial scales, and the base of the filament is lodged in a narrow vertical 

 canal immediately opijosite the concave face of the style (figs. 3, 4 & 5). I have not 

 been able to ascertain the position of the style and stamen with reference to the axis of 

 the plant ; but, considering the simple nature of the pistil, and that the flowers are 

 collected ra groups, representing theoretically ramifications of the inflorescence, I assume 

 that the concave face of the style is opposite to the ideal axis of each such ramification. 



In the youngest state of the male (fig. 6), the floral envelopes are often symmetrically 

 disposed. A spathulate palea subtends each flower, and within it are six perigonial scales ; 

 these are frequently perfectly regular, and form a verticil round the rudimentary ovarium 

 and filament : the whole flower afterwards grows with great rapidity, and some of the 

 perigonial scales are left at its base, while others are carried up on the elongatmg imper- 

 fect ovarium, which resembles a pedicel, and branching bundles of vessels are developed 

 in their axes. The style at the same time elongates rapidly, but increases also in breadth 

 upwards, so as to resemble a perigonial scale much more than the style of the female 

 flower does ; it has however no vascular tissue. In some male flowers all the perigonial 

 scales remain symmetrically disposed round the filament and style, till the flower has 

 attained its full development. 



At the earliest period the female flowers (fig. 2) appear as compressed, pediceUed bodies, 

 subtended by a bract similar to that of the males. The pedicel dilates, and divides into 

 two (rarely three) linear perigonial leaves, and again contracts, forming the base of a com- 

 pressed obovate ovary, on whose summit is the broad Unear style, somewhat contracted 

 immediately below the papillose stigma ; and at its base are three other Unear blunt peri- 

 gonial leaves of equal size, wliich are always symmetrically disposed, two being placed 

 right and left in the same plane as the style and the two lower perigonial leaves, and one 

 at the dorsvmi of the style. Two vascular cords are seen, one on each side of the ovarium, 

 meeting at its base in the pedicel, and agaia at its summit immediately at the base of the 

 style, below which" an opaque circular spot marks the cavity of the ovary ; these vascular 

 cords again separate in the style, and are free to its apex. The base of the style is con- 

 tracted, and of a very dark colour at the contraction : I am not aware what this indicates. 

 The opacity is also seen at the base of the filament in hermaphrodite flowers, and often 

 upon all the perigonial scales, at a point exactly corresponding to the base of the style. 



Diuring the growth of the female flowers, the perigonial scales do not attain the deve- 

 lopment they do in the males, nor do they generally contain vascular bvmdles. They 

 become variously displaced; some remaining on the summit of the ovary, and others 

 being more or less basal, or adnate to its surface. In the adult female flower a small 

 cellular protuberance may often be seen on the summit of the ovary (fig. 7), fi-ontrng the 

 concave face of the style : this may be a rudimentary stamen. 



The hermaphrodite flowers present both the pistil and stamen in as perfect a condition 

 as they attain in the \misexual flowers. The situation of the perigonial scales varies as 



f2 



