Rafflesiaceae. 



S71 



Die Blüte von Bafflesia hat ein 5-lappiges, fleischiges, bisweilen 

 liesiges (bei A. Arnoldi hat die Blüte 1 m Durchmesser) einfaches 

 Perianth. 



Wir werden uns weiter an die Beschreibung- der R. Ar7ioIdi halten, 

 welche von Dr. Arnold in Benkoelen auf Sumatra entdeckt wurde. 

 In einem Briefe, den Sir Stamford Raffles nach Dr. Arnolds Tod 

 fand, schrieb dieser: „But here (at Pulu Lebbar on the Manna River, 

 two days yourney inland of Manna) 1 rejoice to teil you I happened to 

 meet with what I consider as the greatest prodigy of the vegetable world. 

 I had ventured sonie way from the party, when one of the malay ser- 

 vants come runuing to me with wonder in his eyes and said „\;ome 

 with me Sir come! a flower. very large, beautiful. wonderful! I im- 

 mediately went with the mau about a hundred yards in the jungle and 



%'^ 



w 



'■^■\.. 



,3. 



Fig. 601. Raffles ia. 1, 2 Blüten der R. Patma nach Baillon. 2 Selbige halbiert. 

 3 Blütenknospe von R. Arnoldi nach Entfernung der Brakteen, nach BROWN. 



he pointed to a flower growing- close to the ground under the bushes. 

 which was truly astonishing-. My first Impulse was to cut it up and carry 

 it to the hat. I therefore seized the Malay's parang (eine Art Sichel), and 

 finding it sprang from a small root which ran horizontally (about as large 

 as two flngers, or a little more), I soon detached it and removed it 

 to our hut. To teil you tlie truth, had I been alone, and had there 

 been no witnesses, I should I think have been fearful of mentioning the 

 dimensions of this flower (a füll yard across), 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." 



Üeber die Farbe sagt Jack : „The bud before expansion is of a deep 

 darky red. The inside of the cup is of an intense purple and more or 

 less densely villous, with soft flexible spines of the some colour (also, 

 sagt SoLMS, nicht blau wie in R. Browns Abbildung) towards the niouth 



