NAMED RAFFLESIA. 371 



like a woodman's chop[)iiig-liook), and finding that it sprang 

 from a small root which ran horizontally (about as large as 

 two fingers, or a little more), I soon detached it and re- [2qz 

 moved it to our hut. To tell you the truth, had I been alone, 

 and had there been no witnesses, I should I think have 

 been fearful of mentioning the dimensions of this Howe]', 

 so much does it exceed every flower I have ever seen or 

 heard of; but I had Sir Stamford and Lady Raffles with 

 me, and a Mr. Palsgrave, a respectable man resident at 

 Manna, who, though equally astonished with myself, yet 

 are able to testify as to the truth. 



" ' The whole flower was of a very thick substance, the 

 petals and nectary being in but few places less than a quar- 

 ter of an inch thick, and in some places three quarters of 

 an inch ; the substance of it was very succulent. \Mien I 

 first saw it a swarm of flies were hovering over the mouth 

 of the nectary, and apparently laying their eggs in the 

 substance of it. It had precisely the smell of tainted beef. 

 The calyx consisted of several roundish, dark-brown, con- 

 cave leaves, which seemed to be indefinite in number, and 

 were unequal in size. There were five petals attached to 

 the nectary, which were thick, and covered with protube- 

 rances of a yellowish- white, varying in size, the interstices 

 being of a brick-red colour. The nectarium was cyathi- 

 form, becoming narrower towards the top. The centre of 

 the nectarium gave rise to a large pistil, which I can hardly 

 describe, at the top of which were about twenty processes, 

 somewhat curved and sharp at the end, resembling a cow's 

 horns ; there were as many smaller very short processes. 

 A little more than half way down, a brown cord about the 

 size of common whipcord, but quite smooth, surrounded 

 what perhaps is the gcrmen, and a little below it was ano- 

 ther cord somewhat moniliform. 



'•''Now for the dimensions, which arc the most astonish- 

 ing part of the flower. It measured a full yard across ; 

 the petals, which were subrotund, being twelve inches from 

 the base to the apex, and it being about a foot from the 

 insertion of the one petal to the o])posite one ; Sir Stam- ::ot 

 ford, Lady Raffles and myself taking immediate measures 



