19 



" The stamina are completely monadelphous, and, except in Bala- 

 nophora polyandra, are equal in number and opposite to the segments 

 of the perianthium. From having observed certain irregular appear- 

 ances in the anthers of Balanophora alveolata, I think that the type 

 of the anthers of Balanophora polyandra may still be reduced to that 

 of the other species. The centre of the antheriferous part of the co- 

 lumn has presented one or two large patches of discoloured tissue. 

 The anthers are very large, consisting of two large cells folded longi- 

 tudinally into the shape of a horse-shoe; they have no endothecal 

 special apparatus ; they open longitudinally ; their number and 

 structure are best ascertained before dehiscence. The pollen pre- 

 sents nothing peculiar. 



" The female stems are, so far as regards scales, &c, like those of 

 the male, but they present no bractese, although round the base of 

 the head there appears a tendency in some to their development. 



" The female spike to the naked eye has a papillose and a subver- 

 rucose appearance ; under an ordinary magnifier it appears covered 

 with truncate, areolate, opaque bodies, separated from each other by 

 what appear to be hairs. The truncate areolate bodies will be found 

 on examination to terminate small branches of the spike, on which 

 are arranged (and perhaps exclusively so) the pistilla or female 

 flowers, the styloid terminations of which are the hairs alluded to. 



" These pistilla are generally stalked, and appear to be entirely 

 composed of cellular tissue, every cell containing a nucleus. The 

 ovarium is generally ovate, and presents externally the appearance of 

 having a cavity containing a nucleus. This would seem to be its 

 true structure, judging from Balanophora polyandra. Tt is gradually 

 attenuated into a style, which, in its earlier stages at least, is closed 

 at the apex, and does not present any surface like that of an ordinary 

 stigma. The tissue before fecundation is transparent and uncoloured; 

 subsequently to that, the style becomes more or less, often complete- 

 ly, obscured by brown colour. 



" The ovulum, which was only observed in Balanophora polyandra, 

 and probably in its impregnated state, appeared to be pendulous from 

 the apex of the cavity of the ovarium; its constitution was essentially 

 similar to that of the matured embryo. Of its earlier stages I have 

 no knowledge. 



" The pistilla at very early periods are mere ovato-conical exten- 

 sions of the surface of the spike round the bases of larger extensions 

 of the same surface, which subsequently form the receptacles. 



" There is very little difference beyond discolouration and a brit- 



