HEPTADEM FILICUM NOVARUM SINICARUM. 267 
from which, before opening, he removed the filaments, all set 
plenty of seed. 
On the 26th of May, 1881, Mr. Christy found a most curious 
variety of | the flower in Debden Park, Essex. The external appear- 
ance was exactly as usual, as also was the spadix, which was of a 
deep red-purple. On opening the spathe the floral sah ese von all 
found to be normal, except that no less than seven of the ovaries 
were themselves developing into small spadices of er same clone 
as the large one. Five of them, of which the largest was about 
bases. The other two were merely small coloured tubercles on the 
ends of two ovaries. Altogether this spathe ouknis ned eight more 
or less perfect spadices. Another monstrosity which we gathered 
on May Ist, vi had only two ovaries, one or two anthers, anda — 
very short spa 
With tegnedl. to the great heat ewe out by the spadix during 
the maturity of the stigmas, there can, we think, be no doubt that 
chemical action of some sort is at a8 root of the matter. Our 
friend Mr. J. E. Clark, of York, writes that Ss is most probably 
due to the slow process of oxidation which goes on day and night 
in the flowers of plants. ‘It is,”’ he says, ca natural that such 
heat should be further utilized in the pear siete of a peculiar 
in a hea 
described must require wi vo tty powerful chemical action ; 
hence doubtless the large amount of material to be found in the 
club at this period. But whan the heat is once over, the club is no 
longer required, and very quickly withers and dries up; and as the 
ovaries are at this period growing at a great rate, it seems probable 
that they may draw isir sustenance from the now useless spadix 
as from a reservoir. 
HEPTADEM FILICUM NOVARUM SINICARUM 
porricir Henr. F. Hance, Pu. D., &e. 
i% 1. Blechnum Hancockii, sp. nov. — Rhizomat e parvo paleis 
ferrugineis linearibus acuminatis =a foliis en a 
subnullo sterilium lamina 8-pollicari crassiuscula cori opaca 
lanceolata pinnatisecta segmentis utrinque cire. 30 pallineris longis 
2—24 lin. latis basi lata adnatis basi superiore geodnste integerrimis 
faleatis aN ema infimis sensim deminutis fertilium lamina 
-8 egmentis infimis remotis abbreviatis nrg 
approximatis linearibus obtusis 8-10 lin. longis 14 lin. lat 
indusio intramarginali membranaceo fornicato soros obtegente. 
In rupibus apertis montis olim ignivomi n ond exstincti Huang- 
kong, juxta age -sui, insule Formosa, alt. 3 ped. rarissimum, 
nec alibi, coll. W. Hancock, d. 27 Nov. esi, "Herb. propr. n. 
22183.) 
