238 . cxxxiv. BALAXornoREjE. (J. D. Hooker.) \_Balanoplwra. 



peduncle scattered, heads obovoid or subglobose usually 1-sexual. Weddcl 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 3, xiv. 167, t. 9, f. 11-22 ; ILook.f. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 

 xxii. 30 and 46 ; Eichler in DC. Prodr. xvii. 145 ; Fawcettin Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. ined. B. picta, Miguel, PI. Hohen. 1272. B. gigantea, Wall. Cat. 

 7249. B. typhina, Wall. Cat. 7248/3. B. elongata in part, Hook. f. I. c. 

 Langsdorffia indica, Am. in Hook. Ic. PI. t. 205, 206, and in Ann. Nat. Hist. 

 ii. 36. ' 



DECCAN PENINSULA ; Nilghiri Mts., Wight. CEYLON, Thwaites, &c. 



RootstocJc very variable in size, often very large. Peduncles 3-12 in. high, 

 stout (sometimes 1 in. diam.) or slender, and heads rosy, pale red brown or purplish. 

 Flowers usually dioecious. Perianth 4-6-lobed. Eichler has referred the Nilghiri 

 specimen which I had assumed to be _B. elongata to a var. (/8. minor) of -B. indica, 

 on account of its having only as many anther-cells as perianth-lobes, whilst B. elon- 

 gata has more (the number is not given for either species), and the anthers opening 

 by longitudinal slits. Mr. Fawcett informs me that -Z?. gigantea may differ from 

 -B. indica in the rootstock being tessellate rather than warted, and devoid of 

 pustules. 



4. B. Thwaitesii, Eichler in DC. Prodr. xvii. 146 ; rootstock small, 

 peduncle a foot high clothed with oblong scales 1-2 in. long, scales imbri- 

 cate oblong lacerate, male head ovoid. Fawcett in Journ. Linn. Soc. ined. 

 B. indica, Thwaites, mss. j 



CEYLON; Thwaites. 



Known only from a drawing in .the Kew collection sent by Dr. Thwaites, and 

 which represents either a gigantic male specimen of B. indica or a different species. 

 The whole plant is of a dirty -yellow colour, the perianth nearly | in. diarn., and the 

 oblong head of anthers | in. long. 



*** Scales of peduncle imbricate. Anther-cells 20-60. 



5. B. polyandra, G-riff. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 94, t. 7 ; rootstock 

 tuberous lobed, male heads cylindric, female ovoid or oblong. Hook. f. in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xxii. 30 and 47 ; Fawcett in Journ. Linn. Soc. ined. B. 

 typhina, Wall. Cat. 7248 A, B. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA j on roots of trees, alt. 4-6000 ft., J. D. H. KHASIA MTS. 

 Wallich, Griffith, &c. 



General habit colour and female flowers of B. involucrata, differing in the many- 

 celled head of anthers ; the male flowers are the largest of the genus. 



2. RHOFAXiOGlNEMXS, Jungh. 



A very stout glabrous dioecious fleshy herb, with a large tuberous 

 warted lobed rootstock. JPeduncles many, very stout, bursting through 

 the_ rootstock, which forms a warted coriaceous irregularly lobed tube round 

 their base. Heads cylindric ; flowers at first concealed under hexagonal 

 connate peltate bracts, intermixed with dense masses of filiform cellular pro- 

 cesses (bracteoles or imperfect flowers). MALE FL. Perianth campanulate 

 or funnel- sha'ped adnate below to the base of the staminal column ; mouth 

 entire. Stamens 3 ; filaments connate in a long exserted column ; anthers 

 connate, 2-4-celled, irregularly bursting at the top. FEM. FL. Perianth 

 confluent with the walls of the ovary, ellipsoid, compressed ; limb very 

 short, 2-lippcd ; styles 2, slender ; ovule 1, pendulous. Fruit linear or 

 ovate-oblong, turgid. Seed filling the cavity of the pericarp, consisting 

 " of a very largo horny embryo covered with a unicellular layer of endo- 

 sperm," Hoffmeistcr. 



