196 cii. AROiDE^ (brown). [Zamioculcas 



the very remarkable American genus Thanmatojphyllum. The leaflets, after falling- 

 ti) the ground, have the property of forming a small tuber at their base, wliieh 

 ultimately deveiopes into a young plant. This peculiarity was first discovered at 

 Kew by Mr. R. J. Lynch in 1874 or earlier, according to a note in the Kew Her- 

 barium, and as stated by him in the Gard. Chron., I.e. Subsequently the same thing 

 was rediscovered by Herr Hild, of Kiel University Botanic Garden, as detailed by 

 Prof. Engier (ll.ec). 



20. GONATOPUS, Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 602G. 



Spathe convolute at the base ; limb horizontally reflexed, or re volute. 

 Spadix free, sessile, monoecious, stout, shorter than the spathe, con- 

 stricted above the ovaries, without neuter organs or appendix ; female 

 part short, cylindric, closely contiguous to the long cylindric male part, 

 in which the lowest flowers are more or less imperfect. Perianth- 

 segments 4, present in both sexes, free, somewhat thickened at the 

 angular truncate apex. Female flowers: Staminodes none. Ovary 

 ovoid, 2 -celled ; style short, stout; stigma exserted just beyond the 

 perianth, peltate, rather large ; ovule solitary in each cell, erect, ana- 

 tropous, with a very short funicle. Male flowers with 4 stamens, con- 

 nate into a tube around an abortive ovarj^ included ; anthers short and 

 broad, 2-celled ; cells opening by terminal introrse pores. — Tuberous- 

 rooted herbs with the habit of an Amorphojjhallus, Leaf solitary, 

 annual, tripinnate in the adult stage, pinnate or bipinnate in young 

 plants ; petiole with a thickened articulation at about the middle. 

 Peduncles 1-2 to a tuber, shorter than the petiole, contemporary with 

 the leaf. 



An endemic genus of 2 species. Very similar to Zamioculcas in floral structure, 

 tiie only technical diiference being that the filaments of the stamens are connate into 

 a tube in Oonatopus and free in Zamioculcas, the habit, however, is entirely dif- 

 ferent. 



Leaflets varying from lanceolate to elliptic- lanceolate, 



not decurrenc at the base . . . . . \. G. Bowinii. 



Leaflets linear or linear-lanceolate, strongly deearrent 



at the base . . . . . . . 2. G. angustus. 



1. G. Boivinii, Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 6026. Tuber depressed 

 3-6 in. in diam. Leaf solitary, erect, 2-3 ft. high, 3-4-pinnate in the 

 adult state, glabrous; lowest branches 12-15 in. long, 7-8 in. broad; 

 leaflets lJ-3 in. long, 7-15 lin. broad, varying from lanceolate to 

 elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, rounded or cuneate at the base, shortly 

 petioluiate or sabsessile, not decurrent ; petiole stout, with a swollen 

 articulation at the middle, green, transversely banded with blackish- 

 green ; in juvenile plants the leaf is simply pinnate, with a few large 

 elliptic or suborojcular shortly cuspidate petioluiate leaflets. Peduncles- 

 1-2 to a tuber, produced with the leaf, 15-16 in. long, erect, moderately 

 stout, glabrous, coloured like the petiole and, with the latter, enclosed 

 at the base by 2 or 3 membranous acate sheaths. Spathe glabrous, 

 dull green, striate with dark green outside, pale greenish-yellow inside ;. 

 tube about 1 in. long, ovoid or subglobose; limb 5-8 in. long, 1 J in. 



