111 
from which the inflorescence springs. This point is regularly 
the axil of one of the topmost leaves, but in this case a rather 
old portion of the stem has been set apart to producé the 
»sisirs”’ '), 
An analogous case is mentioned by Mr. Smith as observed 
in January 1894 on Fourcroya tuberosa. His observation concerns 
a very stout plant, bearing two peduncles on the oldest part 
of the stem under the oldest leaves, the peduncles are slightly 
longer than the leaves and produce only a small number of 
inferior blossomed branches*). As in dgave, the flowering is 
normally terminal. 
¥. 
lowers. 
Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume (fam. Orchideae). In Sep- 
tember 1894 I received from Buitenzorg four blossoms of this 
remarkable Orchid. All of them were tetramerous. In order to 
convince readers who should be imperfectly acquainted with 
the peculiarities of Grammatophyllum speciosum, of the signifi- 
cance and importance of the specimens received, I shall beg 
leave to mention the principal features of the structure of this 
flower. Before the head-gardener’s house stands a very big tree 
(Canarium commune), on which a huge specimen of Grammato- 
phyllum speciosum has settled. The plant forms a gigantic nest 
of roots continually spreading and enclosing the big trunk of 
the Canary tree. — 
In 1892 when I visited the garden, this specimen flowered 
with about 50 peduncles of a length of more than 2 Metres 
and each of them bearing 60, 70 to 100 blossoms. I may add 
that each one had a diameter of 0.1 Metre. 
The vigorous flowering was not repeated in 1893; nay this 
1) Sisir = comb, means one layer of the many-storied inflorescence of Musa. 
2) The plants go on producing similar inflorescences. Note of May 1895. 
