144 PEOF. E. J. HAEYET-GIBSON ON THE MORPHOLOGY 



species was seen was in 1907, but it was again found in 1909. The specimens, tlie 

 description of which forms the subject of the present paper, are, so far as I am aware, 

 the first plants of this remarkable genus that have beea found entire. It seemed worth 

 while, under the circumstances, to attempt as complete a description as possible of 

 the plant, and to present the results of the investigation to the Linnean Society, in 

 whose Transactions the earlier accounts by Griffith and Hooker were published. 



Harvey gives a brief diagnosis of the two species included by him under the genus, 

 and distinguishes them as follows : — 



" Jf. Thomii, Harv. Anterior bractese broadly oblong (in anthesis), one-third longer 

 than the lateral. Limbs of the segments of the male perianth lanceolate; female 

 perianth subglobose, obtusely tridentate." 



" M. Polemanni, Harv. Anterior bractea spathulate, with a narrow claw. Limbs of 

 the segments of the male perianth elliptical, very concave ; female perianth tubular, 

 trifid." 



In addition, Harvey's figure of M. JPolemamii shows the scales on the upper part of 

 the flowering axis as being ciliate along their margins, while those of M. Thomii are 

 smooth. 



Harvey gives as the habitat of M. Polemanni, " at Hoouw Hoch Pass, Mrs. Denys, 

 who communicated the only specimen yet seen to Polemann, from whom I received it." 



The specimens sent to me were collected on March 25th, 1910, near Caledon, growing 

 on rough rocky ground, in a very exposed situation on the side of a hill. Mrs. Solly 

 informs me that on the day after her visit to the locality " a veldt fire reduced the 

 hill-side to a blackened waste." It would seem, therefore, that the chances of obtaining 

 many more specimens of the plant at present under consideration are very remote. 



HiSTomcAL Summary. 



The inflorescence of Mi/ strop efalon is described by Harvey as consisting of a tliick 

 fleshy axis covered by linear scales and ending in a spike 3-4 inches in length, densely 

 covered with male flowers above and female flowers below. The male flower is sur- 

 rounded by three bracts, the anterior of which is oblong in M. Thomii and spathulate in 

 3f. Polemanni, while the two postero-lateral bracts are more or less united and con- 

 siderably smaller. All the bracts are ciliate along their margins and keels. The perianth 



in both species is tripartite, the two posterior parts being more or less united above, 

 while the anterior part is free almost to its base, where it fuses with the two posterior 

 lobes. All the perianth parts are spathulate. Harvey figures two stamens " opposite 

 to and inserted on the posterior segments of the perianth," each with versatile anthers 

 and cubical pollen grains "with fluted angles." In the centre of the male flower 

 lies a " minute abortive ovary." 



The female flower is described also as having three bracts, but here the postero-lateral 

 segments are larger than the anterior in M. Thomii, but considerably smaller than 

 in M. Polemanni. The perianth is described as trilobed and epigynous and from the 



