BALANOPIIORA CE JE. 



509 



plants often parasitic and hence possessing characters of habit and 

 colour similar to those presented by the Balanophoraceœ. The name 

 was given to the latter in 1822 by L. C. Richard. 1 The genera 

 previously known were left among those of uncertain place. 2 Jussieu 

 does not mention Sarcophyte, established by Sparmannui 1776. 3 In 

 1804 Vahl 4 made known Thônningia, the relation of which to 

 Langsdorffia was plainly discerned as soon as the latter had been 

 published by de Martius. 5 Harvey discovered the genus Mystrope- 

 talon only in 1839, 6 and J. Hooker described Dactylanthus inl856. 7 

 By its gynsecium, the latter, as also Cynomorium, Balanophora, and 

 especially Langsdorjjia and Mystropetalon whose ovary is inferior, 

 closely resemble Hippuris, and it is next to this that most botanists 

 now agree with J. Hooker, 8 Weddell, Eichler," etc. to range the 

 unicarpellar Balanophoraceœ. They are moreover easily distinguished 

 by their parasitic character, their colour, their male flowers, the 

 simple organization of their ovule and seed, etc. 



Except Balanophora, of which a dozen species are enumerated, the 

 genera of this small family are monotypes. 10 In reality therefore it 

 comprises only seventeen or eighteen species, of which only one, 

 Cynomorium, is European; another, Langsdorjjia, from tropical 

 America, and Dactylanthus, from New Zealand. In tropical and 

 southern Africa are found the three genera Sarcophyte, Thônningia, 

 and Mystropetalon ; whilst all the Balanophoras known are from 

 tropical or subtropical Asia and Oceania. 



Balanophoreœ has even been considered as a 

 naked ovule, and the Gymnosperm theory has 

 consequently been extended to them. It is by 

 the study of the female organ of the Balano- 

 phorece with central placenta, of their ovule and 

 their embryogeny, that the same parts of the 

 Loranthaceic and Conifer œ will be more satisfac- 

 torily explained and vice versa ; so that, as we 

 have already said, if the latter are gy mnosperms 

 the former must necessarily also be considered 

 as such, etc. 



1 Mem. Mils. viii. 404. 

 - 3. Gen. (1789) 445. 



3 But it was not published till 1810. 



4 Act. Holm, xxvii. 



5 Esclno. Joiirn. Bras. ii. (1818). 



6 Ann. Nut. Hist. i. 



' Trans. Linn. Sue. xxii. 

 8 Loc. cit. 21. 

 "DC. Brodr. xvii. 119. 

 10 There are perhaps two species of Mystro- 

 petalon. 



