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tleness of tissue between the pistilla of the other species and the 

 fruits of Balanophora picta, in which alone I have observed them in 

 their seemingly ripe state ; they have nearly the same size and pre- 

 cisely the same disposition. 



"The embryo in this species appeared to be free ; it is a cellular, 

 undivided, albuminous-looking body, of a fleshy, waxy substance ; 

 the cells which compose it are rendered opaque by grumous, molecu- 

 lar and oleaginous matter, which by pressure may be made to escape 

 into the fluid of the field of the microscope in the form of globular 

 bodies of unequal size, which, as I have mentioned, might be mis- 

 taken for spores or grains of pollen. 



" Obs. III. — The most remarkable parts of the structure of this ge- 

 nus appear to me to be, the extraordinary simplicity of the female 

 flowers, and the remarkable productions of the surface of the spike 

 on which they are arranged. 



" From not having observed any change in the numerous pistilla 

 (previously to examining Balanophora polyandra and B. picta), al- 

 though the browning of the style, and in some cases adherence of 

 pollen-grains to it, had been distinctly seen, doubts had suggested 

 themselves to me regarding the true nature of the above parts ; and 

 these were increased by examinations at very early periods, which 

 did not present any state of the (subsequent) pistilla at all analogous 

 to what occurs perhaps universally in phsenogamous angiospermous 

 plants ; and also by the permanence and evident importance of the 

 termination of the remarkable receptacles. The same apparent im- 

 perfection of the female flowers appears to have struck most observers; 

 and prior to the determination of the point by the examination of the 

 two species alluded to, I was inclined perhaps to consider this re- 

 markable genus as presenting, at least in the specimens before me, 

 an instance of abortion of pistilla, connected with a remarkable gem- 

 mi form apparatus. 



" The resemblance of the pistilla to the pistilla of Musci, and more 

 especially to those of some evaginulate Hepaticae, is exceedingly cu- 

 rious and complete ; and the same may be said of the effects produced 

 by the action of the pollen on the styles. Indeed, in the develop- 

 ment of the female organ, the continuous surface of the style before 

 fecundation, and its obvious perforation after, Balanophora presents 

 a direct affinity to a group of plants, with which otherwise it has not 

 a single analogy. 



"If these highly remarkable points of structure are borne in mind, I 

 think that it must be conceded that Balanophora can in no wise be 



