202 SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF MITIIASTEMOS: 



sti-ict sense, lack the radial symraetiy, as is the case with many flowers of the 

 Eafflesiacese. Tliey are solitary, terminal, subterete. The xDerianth-tube is 

 hypogynoiis and firmly attached to the ovary. It is usually truncate or some- 

 times 4:-lobed at the apex, seemingly like the perianth of Pih>sti/h's and some- 

 times hke that of ApodantJws (Solms-Laubach I., p. 12) but differs in being 

 hypogynous. The periauth is 4-merous, as is seen in the very early stage of 

 the flower-developraent, and also in fully developed flowei-s which have some- 

 times the perianth 4-Iobed. The existence of this 4-lobed perianth in 3Iitras- 

 temon escaped the attention of the previous authors who recorded it as haviug 

 an entirely truucate tube without any lobe, which lobeless periauth they re- 

 garded as one of the peculiar characters separating the plaut from tlie Raffle- 

 siacese (Hayata I., p. 112; Makino II., p. 2o3). Corolla nonc. Staraens 

 deciduous, hypogynous, erect, connate into a cylindrical cajj, entirely covering 

 the gyn?ecium, as in PilostyHs aetlnopica (LoTSY p. 881), filaments entirely 

 counate into a broad tube, dehiscing veitically on oue side. Anthers nume- 

 rous connate into a broad belt-like cap which covere the stigma. Anther- 

 ceUs, quite in-egularly and closely arranged in many series on the above 

 mentioned belt-like cap. They are separated Ijy thin walls, aud outer walls 

 ai-e especially very siraple. A fibrous layer lacks entirely. Tliey are very 

 like those of PUostylis (Lotsy p. 881, Fig. 612, 3, 4, 6). Connective-tips 

 connate into a cap with a very small opening at the apex. Ovary, eutirely 

 superior, sessile, ovoid, one-celled, with parietal placentas, 9-13 iu numbers, 

 (or more in M. Kmvasasal-ii Hay). The ovary is rauch like that of Apodan- 

 theaj (Solms-Laubach I., p. 12) in its structure, but differs from it in bcing 

 superior. The placentas are lamelliformed, thick, fleshy. Style, crowning the 

 top of the ovary and articulated to it, erect, short, very thick, conical. 

 Stigma, semi-spherico-conical, umbouate at the top with an obscurc groove on 

 one side. In shape, the style and stigma are rauch like tliose the feraale 

 flowei-s of Pilostylis and Apodantlies (Solms-Laubach I., p. 13). Ovules, 

 minute, obovoid-ellipsoid, with a short or long funicle, anatropous ; integu- 

 ment, composed of a single layer of cells, as is also the case with the 

 nucellus. Tlie stracture of ovules are very much like to that of the Rafflesia- 

 ceffi more than that of any other parasitic plants (Goebel II., p. 368-369 ; 



