SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 485 



wholly so when in fruit. The structure of the pistil remains a morphological 

 puzzle; its numerous irregular cavities, the walls of which are covered with 

 ovules, if the processes terminating the disc be regarded as styles, would 

 lead to the supposition that the ovary is composed of separate (but cohering) 

 simple pistils, arranged concentrically in several rows around an imaginary 

 axis. But this supposition is contradicted by the new Rafflesia Cummingii 

 from Manilla, where the number of the ovaries is considerably larger than 

 these processes of the disc. Nor is this difficulty cleared up by the placentas 

 of Hydnora, the structure of which is described in the same manner by both 

 Griffith and Brown (the placentae may be said to be continuations of the 

 subdivisions of the stigmata). The ovary of Hydnora may be regarded as 

 composed of three confluent pistils, having placentae really parietal, but only 

 produced at the top of the cavity. The testa of the seeds of Rafflesia is 

 hard, and corresponds to the simple integument of the ovule ; the embryo 

 is inclosed in a loose cellular tissue (albumen) as a cylindrical body (embryo 

 indivisus). In Hydnora, the spherical embryo is inclosed in a cartilaginous 

 albumen ; in the testa of the minute seeds of Cytinus a homogeneous nucleus 

 only can be detected, as in the Orchidacese. 



BALANOPHORE^;. R. Brown (ibid.) does not at present speak positively 

 regarding their affinity, but makes the following remarks upon their union with 

 the Rafflesiaceae into the class of Rhizantheae : 1. That an embryo exactly 

 similar to that of these parasites exists in the Orchidaceae and Orobanchaceae. 

 2. That the anatomical structure of tissue (paucity of vessels, and their limi- 

 tation to the form of spiral vessels) cannot serve as a character of the 

 Rhizantheae : a, because the Coniferae so nearly agree in structure with the 

 Winteraceae ; b, on account of the peculiarity of the woody tissue of several 

 tropical climbers, which do not recur in allied genera ; c, because in many 

 families great deviations of anatomical structure are limited to individual 

 forms of plants, as in the Loranthaceae, e. g. in which the woody tissue of 

 Myzodendron Bks. (instead of Misodendron Auct.) consists entirely of scalari- 

 form vessels. According to Griffith (1. c.) the Balanophoreae consist of the 

 following genera : Balanophora (to which five new Indian species are added), 

 Langsdorffia, Phteocordylis Gr. (SarcocordylisW&li. ?), Helosis, ftft&Scybalium. 

 As regards their systematic position, Griffith considers them as probably forms 

 of Urticacese with homogeneous embryos ; but on the other hand he remarks, 

 that their pistil resembles that of the Mosses and Hepatic ae, and that the 

 style is closed before impregnation and perforated after. In Phceocordylis, 

 the hairs in which the fruits are imbedded resemble the paraphyses of Neckera. 

 Griffith's view of the structure of the family is seen more distinctly from the 

 character of Balanophora : Flores diclines (rarissime monoclines') ; $ bracteati 

 perigonio 3 5 sepalo valvato, staminibus totidem monadelphis bilocularibus (in 

 miica specio multilocularibus) ; $ ovariis nudis stipitatis, receptaculo apice 

 mcrassato-glanduloso affixis, stylo setaceo persistence, stir/mate inconspicuo, 



