210 SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF MITRASTEMON. 



special family for the plant. I am, therefore, at present, sti-ongly inclined 

 \o refer tliis x^lant to the Kafflesiacefe. In so doing, however, it is neces- 

 sary to broaden the definition formerly given to the Rafflesiacese (SoLiis- 

 L.\UBACH I., p. 1 ; Enguer-Gilg, p. 176) so far as t<j note that the family 

 rarely has a superior ovary, or mitraformed united stamens. 



Tliat being done, the question arises, to what tribe of the same family 

 should Mitrastcmoii be referred. There are, at present, tlu'ee tribes, i.e. 

 Rafflesiese, ApodanthejB, Cytiniese (Solms-Laubach I.). The present 

 plant comes nearest to Apodanthefe in the shai^e of its perianth, ovary 

 and stigma, but differs in having niitiiformed united stamens and an eutire- 

 ly superior ovary. After consideriug the estent of the differences which 

 separate above mentioned three tribes from oue another and the points in 

 which this plant differs from all the tribes at present known, I am driven 

 to the conviction that it would be better to make a special tribe for it, as 

 was once suggested by T. Makino, and to place it next to Apodanthesa. 

 It is to be granted that one might refer this plant to the Apodanthese 

 (Solms-Laubach I., p. 8 and 12) by gieatly cliauging the definition of that 

 tribe. The difFerence between this plant and Apodanthese is, however, 

 sufficiently gi-eat to make it not luiworthy of a special tribe of its own. 



The relation of this newly established tribe to the other three, is shown 

 below. Here, so far as is ^xjssible, I have followed Solm's system as to the 

 an-angement and definition of the tribes (Solms-Laubach I., p. 8.). 



A. Germen floris feminei et hermaplu^oditi irregulariter lacunosum 

 iuferius, ovulis ad lacunarum pai-ietes numerosis hemianatix)pis, 

 integumeuto unico. Columna apice dilatata antheras infra mar- 

 ginem gerens. Ti-ibus I. Bafflesieae. 



B. Germen floris feminei imiloculare, ijlacentatione parietali. iuferius 

 vel suiDerius. 



a Ovula ad parietem germinis sessilia stipitata anatropa, 

 integumentis binis insti-ucta. Antherse bi-tri-verticillat£e, 

 poro apicali ti-ausverse dehiscentes ; germen inferius. 



Tribus 11. Apodanthese. 



