J. M. Macfarlane. — Nepenthaceae. 23 



of fine oblique veins that only fuse near the margin. If two or morc inflorescences 

 are produced in succession, as often happens in N. Bongso and other species, the 

 bracts conform with each other. 



Each inflorescence consists of a peduncle of varying length and thickness, sur- 

 mounted by an expanded panicle of scorpioid cymes in N. distillatoria, N. rnadagas- 

 cariensis, N. bicalcarata and N. Pervillei, by a dense ferruginous panicle in N. am- 

 pullaria or subpanicle as in N. Hookeriana etc. and by a simple or sub-simple raceme 

 in the remaining species. But the last type is evidently derived by condensation and 

 simplification from the panicle, for not unfrequently the lower flowers, or most of the 

 flowers of a raceme may be grouped into reduced 2 — 3-flowered scorpioid cymes. The 

 inflorescences are dioecious in their flowers, but an interesting case of monoecism was 

 described by Moore (Trans. Roy. Irish Acad. XXIV. (1870) 629), where the lower 

 flowers in an inflorescence were pistillate to the number of about twelve, while the 

 numerous upper flowers were staminate. Nectar glands are not uncommon along the 

 axis and on the pedicels of the flowers (Fig. SF) though the delicate pedicels of N. 

 Pervillei alone possess many small nectar-glands. In most species the peduncle and 

 the pedicels have a close covering of hairs that are ferruginous in color, but may vary 

 to cinereous or silvery. In some species small linear bracteoles occur on most of the 

 pedicels, or may only develop on the lower pedicels of an inflorescence. In length 

 each inflorescence may vary from the short ones of N. Bongso and N. tentaculata 

 (Flg. 15) that are to — 15 cm to those of N. Rafflesiana, N. rajah and N. bicalcarata 

 that may be from 40 — 100 cm in length. The number of flowers borne by an in- 

 florescence may vary also from 15 or 20 up to several hundred. 



The blooming period seems to be rather extended and somewhat inconstant for 

 most of the species in the wild State, though March to September is the period given 

 in the majority of the accurate records. Under cultivation in the northern hemisphere, 

 they bloom commonly from August to October. The length of time during which an 

 inflorescence may remain in bloom varies with the number of flowers in it, and the 

 species studied. Thus in a staminate inflorescence of a hybrid of N. maxinia [Curtisii) 

 1 7 \ flowers were produced. These expanded on the average at the rate of six blooms 

 daily, and during the blooming period a heavy foetid odor, similar to but fainter than 

 that exhaled from staminate Aüanthus flowers, was given off. The staminate flowers 

 soon wither, but the pistillate flowers may remain fresh in appearance for several weeks 

 if not pollinated. 



Each flower consists of four — or sometimes in N. Pervillei of three — small oval 



or elliptic green, greenish-yellow or claret-colored free sepals (Fig. i 0). In N. Pervillei 



the sepals are synsepalous at their bases. They are rarely 



glabrous without, more commonly they are clothed with a 



dense silvery or ferruginous tomentum, that in some species 



may extcnd to the inner edge of each sepal. An occasional 



nectar-gland may be detected on the outer surface, that is 



similar in structure to the leaf glands. The inner surface 



of each sepal is richly provided with glands over its middle . *>'. ' f^~. *' - J 



/t,- o n\ -x x- r rr, n ioria L - A Diagram of <$ 



area (Fig. SO) or over its entire surface. These gencrally flower# B oiQfi .; n stigma 



resemble the attractive glands of the inner lid surface of the f rom beneath with the upper 



pilcher. But there is a decided tendency in some species par t f the ovary cut trans- 



to depression of the gland, and overgrowth of the Surround- versely, showing the four 



ing epidermal tissue. This proeeeds to such an extend cells. 



in N. Pervillei that each gland opens by a very narrow 



elongated orifice. The amount of nectar exereted by these is always considcrable, and 



in conneclion with this Burbidge informed the writer that clouds of small insects 



flit about the inflorescences, or alight to sip the nectar. Small therefore though the 



flowers are, they are evidently cross-pollinated by insects as well as, or perhaps more 



frequently than by wind. The odor already mentioned probably aids in attracting insects. 



