260 
form of a small round knob, which gradu- 
ally increases in size. The flower-bud is 
invested by numerous membranaceous 
sheaths, which surround it in successive 
layers, and expand as the bud enlarges, 
until at length they merely form a cup 
round its base. These sheaths or bracts 
are large, round, concave, of a firm mem- 
branaceous consistence, and of a brown 
colour. e bud, before expansion, is 
depressed, round, with five obscure angles, 
nearly a foot in diameter, and of a deep 
dusky red. The flower, when fully ex- 
panded, is in point of size, the wonder of 
the vegetable kingdom, its breadth across 
from the tip of the one petal to the tip of 
the other, being little short of three feet. 
The cup may be estimated capable of con- 
taining twelve pints, and the weight of the 
whole is from twelve to fifteen pounds. 
The inside of the cup is of an intense pur- 
ple, and more or less densely villous, with 
soft flexible spines of the same colour ; 
towards the mouth it is marked with nu- 
merous depressed spots of the purest white, 
contrasting strongly with the purple of the 
surrounding substance, which is consider- 
ably elevated on their lower side. The 
petals are of a brick red, with numerous 
pustular spots of a lighter colour. The 
whole substance of the flower is not less 
than half an inch thick, and of a firm fleshy 
consistence. It soon after expansion be- 
gins to give out a smell of decaying animal 
matter. The perianth is cyathiform, nar- 
rowed at the mouth, which is further con- 
tracted by a nectarial ring which surrounds 
it, leaning inwards. The /imb is five-part- 
ed, somewhat reflexed, but turning upwards 
again at the point; the lobes subrotund 
and thick. In the centre of the cup rises 
a thick column, truncate and nearly flat on 
the top. At its basé is a prominent ring 
or cord, and another a little above, both 
E. hon Ei AR E cibo. Shah umn. 
loge 
| summit of the column or stigma is a 
rly erect, 
e;t 
Rd 2 
DESCRIPTION OF MALAYAN PLANTS, 
the lower edge is incumbent and somewhat 
revolute. The sides of the column are. 
angular. 
In the male, the stamina are arranged 
in a circle under the lower edge of the 
stigma, by which they are concealed. Each 
stamen is lodged in a proper hollow, sepa- 
revolute edge. ; 
sessile, globular, about the size of a pea, - E: 
dark-coloured, attached to the lower surface 
of the stigma. They have a white depressed 
spot on the summit, in the centre of which 
is a pore or foramen for the emission of the 
pollen. 'The whole substance is spongy 
and cellular. s 
In the female, the column is precisely — 
similar, but wants the anthers and their 
hollows. In the centre its substance is 
full of irregular fissures, on the surface of 
which numerous minute seeds are observed. 
The fruifnever bursts ; but the whole plant 
gradually Tots away, and the seeds mix with 
the putrid mass. 
Such are the characters of this very ex- 
traordinary vegetable, which appears to 
have little affinity with any other, and to 
be as unique in its mode of fructification 
as 1n size. Ag 
It was, as already mentioned, first dis- — 
covered by Sir Stamford Raffles, inthe — 
forests of Passummah Ulu Manna, and the — 
specimens were forwarded by him to Eng- - 
land in 1818. In the following year, nu- —— 
merous additional specimens were procured 
from various parts of the country, and an 
opportunity afforded for more minute exa- 
Some time after their despatch, a letter v : 
received from Sir Joseph Banks, acknow- 
which had 
