314 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1899. 



or purplisli ; dull opaque outside ; minutely reticulate^ and pinkish 

 or purplisli inside, 



Spadix. — Erect, clavate, of the thickness of the middle finger 

 ordinarily, at its broadest part ; of the length of the spathe, and 

 completely covered by it ; for about an inch from the base bearing the 

 female organs ; thence up to about the middle bearing the male 

 organs ; for six inches above that densely covered with numerous 

 rough, irregular, spongy, parallel unequal crests or tubercles tinged 

 whitish, yellowish or brown. 



Anthers. — Sessile [or placed on very short filaments {Kunthy 

 En. PL, Vol. III., p. 30) ], very densely aggregate in four or five 

 stellate fascicles, oblong, fleshy, yellowish, slightly compressed ; 

 apex somewhat abrupt ; quadrilocular, Loculi narrow, tubular ; 

 in opposite , pair ; dehiscing from the apex {WalHch). Pollen 

 composed of large ovate granules. 



Ovaries. — Numerous, close-packed, ovoid, hidden in the convo- 

 luted base of the spathe ; about fifteen in number, arranged in 

 a spiral manner ; unilocular, containing an erect, ovate, solitary 

 orthrotropous ovule, enclosed in a soft fleshy indusium. 



Sfple, cylindrical, somewhat incurved ; scarcely longer than the 

 ovary. 



8tigma, thick, fleshy, somewhat lateral, and looking downward ; 

 trilobate : lobes equal ; triangular, acute, with tumid margins, closing 

 upon each other in a somewhat valvate manner ; two lateral ; one 

 superior. ■■ 



Fruit. — A Bacca or berry changing in colour from green to yellow 

 and subsequently rich scarlet as it matures; monospermous; scarcely 

 seen. Seed — unseen ; exalbuminous ? (K. B. K.). 



Remarks. 



Wallich classes this plant synonymous with Thomsonia Nepalensis 

 {vide Wallich's PL As, Bar. P. I. 83, T. 99), also Blume 

 [Btimjihia, I., 150). Kunth refers this plant to the genus 

 PytJionium ; the plant itself he names after Wallich. 1'he species is 

 a solitary instance of the genus. I am decidedly disposed to retain 

 the name Kunth gives, as it truly represents its natural appearance. 

 The purple marking of the stem at once recalls to mind the mottled 



