372 ACCOUNT OF A NEW GENUS OE TLANTS, 



to be accumte in this respect, by pinning four large sheets 

 of paper together, and cutting them to the precise size of 

 the flower. The nectarium, in the opinion of all of us, 

 wouhl liold twelve pints, and the weight of this prodigy we 

 calculated to be fifteen pounds. 



" ' I have said nothing about the stamina ; in fact, I am 

 not certain of the part I ought to call stamina. If the 

 moniiiibrm cord surrounding tlie base of the pistil Avere 

 sessile anthers, it must be a polyandrous plant ; but I am 

 uncertain what the large germen contained ; perhaps there 

 might be concealed anthers within it. 



" ' It was not examined on the spot, as it was intended 

 to preserve it in spirits and examine it at more leisure ; but 

 from the neglect of the persons to whom it was entrnsted 

 the petals were destroj-ed by insects, the only part that re- 

 tained its form being the pistil, wliich was put in spirits 

 along with tvro large buds of the same flower, which I 

 found attached to the same root ; each of tliese is about as 

 large as tAVO fists. 



" ' There were no leaves or branches to this plant ; so that 

 it is probable that the stems bearing leaves issue forth at a 

 different period of the year. The soil where this plant 

 grew was very rich, and covered with the excrement of 

 elephants. 



"' ' A guide from the interior of the country said that 

 such flowers were rare, but that he had seen several, and 

 that the natives called them Kriibiit. 



" ' I have now nearly finished a coloured dravring of it 

 on as large drawing-paper as I could procure, but it is still 

 considerably under the natural size ; and I propose also to 

 make another draAving of the pistil removed from the nec- 

 tarium. 



" ' I have noAv, I believe, given you as detailed an ac- 

 count of this prodigious plant as the subject admits of ; 

 205] indeed it is all 1 know of it. I Avould draw your atten- 

 tion, hoAvever, to the very great porosity of the root, to 

 which the buds are attached. 



'^ * I have seen nothinG: resemblino: this ])lant in anv of 

 my books ; but yesterday; in looking over Dr. Horsfield's 



