OF BALANOPHORE^. 39 



Griffith was best acquainted, but not so great as ia Cynomorium and others ; whilst the 

 greater general perfection iu other respects, to which he alludes only, I do not appreciate. 

 The union of the ovaria does not indicate a difference hi the female flowers, but a different 

 inflorescence ; a point of much less systematic value, and indeed of none in BalanopJiorece, 

 as is proved by a comparison oiBalanophora, Cynomorium, Lophophytum, and theu" allies. 

 In this point the analogy is perhaps complete with Thonningia and Langsdorffla, whose 

 ovaria are entirely united ; as are the perianths of Lanysdorffia, in some states at any rate. 

 As an indication, however, of the female flowers of Sarcophyte being fiu-nished with a 

 perianth, this point is of considerable importance. 



Another fact connected with the inflorescence of Sarcophyte is the sudden suppression 

 of bracteal scales ; these, which are very conspicuous at the base of the primaiy branches 

 of the male and female inflorescence, are not developed at the base of the capitula, or of 

 the individual male flowers. This appears, further, opposed to Griffith's supposition that 

 the perigonial leaves of the male flower are bracts, though perhaps not conclusive 

 against it. 



The tissues of the stem of Sarcophyte are full of starch-granules, but do not differ 

 otherwise from others of the Order, though in the peduncle the vascular bundles are very 

 irregularly deposited. The roots of the plant upon which it grows are connected by stout 

 woody branches with the rhizome of the parasite; and there seems to be a complete 

 fusion of the vascular tissues of both. 



IV. Langsdorffia, Rich. 

 (Tab. II.) 



1. Lakgsdorffia hypog^a, Martins in Eschwege's Journal von BrasUien, ii. p. 179 ; Nov. 

 Gen. et Sp. iii. 181. t. 199 ; Unger iu Ann. Wien. Mus. ii. t. 4. figs. 21 & 22, & 

 t. 7. fig. 40. 



Langsdorffia Janeirensis, Rich. Mem. Mus. viii. p. 412. 1. 19; Endl. & Schott. Meletem. p. 12. 

 Thonningia Mexicana, Liebmann in Proceedings of Assembly of Scandinavian Naturalists, 1844. 

 Sendfenbergia Moritziana, Klotzsch & Karsten, Herb. Mus. Berol. 

 Hab. America tropica, a Mexico ad Brasiliam meridionalem. Sylvis montis Serra d'Estrella {Martins) ; 



Rio de Janeiro [Miers, Gardner, Stephan). Sylvis montosis provincias Oaxaca, Mexico (Liebmann) ; 



fl. Nov. Dec. Ad radices arborum ad Tucouroma, provincise Ocanae {W. Purdie) ; Colombia 



(Karsten). 



After a very careful examination of specimens from all the localities quoted above, 

 except the male and fruiting specimens of Martins and Prof. Liebmann, I have referred 

 all to one species. As however this is a very important point, involving the question of 

 the range of the species extending throughout the tropics of both Americas, I feel that it 

 is necessary to dwell at length upon it. From Mr. Piu'die I have large suites of speci- 

 mens, which show that the capitula on the same rhizome vary quite as much as those of 

 Mexican specimens do from Brazilian ones. Prof. Liebmann, in his rhume of the cha- 

 racters distinguishing the Mexican plant, seems chiefly to rely upon a comparison of it 

 with the di-awings and descriptions of that from Brazil; but I find that none of my 

 Brazilian specimens agree in aU their details with Martins' and Richard's drawings ; nor 



