BALANOPHOBACEJE. 507 



latter has, on a short receptacle, a variable number (1-8) ' of clavi- 

 form coloured sepals (?), and a posterior stamen,^ -with cylindrical fila- 

 ment and introrse, dorsifixed, versatile anther, having two cells each 

 divided into two cellules and dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts.^ 

 The fruit is finally dry, indehiscent, monospermous, and the seed, 

 adherent to the pericarp, contains under its coats an abundant oily 

 albumen and an ovoid embryo, with pointed radicle, formed of a 

 small number of cellules.* G. coccineum is a reddish fieshy fungi- 

 form ^ parasitic plant.^ From its rounded and cylindrically ramified 

 rhizome rise ascending aerial branches bearing alternate, imbricate 

 scales,''' and several are terminated by inflorescences in the form of 

 thick oblong cylindrical catkins. The male flowers are sessile on 

 their common receptacle, and the hermaphrodite or female flowers 

 are inserted on small secondary branches ; they are accompanied by 

 coloured bracts. 



Langsdorffia ' ought not to be separated from the preceding types, 

 if we admit the opinion of Hofmeister on the constitution of the 

 gynsecium ; for this author says that the unilocular ovary contains 

 only a single descending ovule.' The male flowers have a perianth 

 of two or three valvate folioles. The stamens are two or three in 

 number, superposed to the folioles of the perianth, with monadelphous 

 filaments, united in a cylindrical column, and extrorse anthers 

 dor sally united, quadrilocellate and dehiscing by two longitudinal 

 clefts, confluent above.'" In the female flowers, the unique prismatic 

 ovary is crowned by a projecting edge, representing a short epigynous 



1 All are rarely wanting. ^ Mart. Eschw. Joum. Bras. ii. 178 ; t. 5 (not 



^ Rarely two (Paklat). Lbakdk.) ; Nov. Gen. et 8p. iii. 181, t. 298, fig. 



' The pollen is subglotular, Bmooth, with 1, t. 209.— Schott et Endl. Melet. 12.— Ung. 



three small warty prominences. -Avn. Wien. Mus. ii. t. i, 6. — Endl. Gen. n. 722. 



' Also containing oU. — Wedd. Ann. So. Nat. ser. 3, xiv. 187, t. 11, 



''Fungus melitmsis Auctt.—F. mauritanicus fig. 48-61. — Hook. p. Trans. Zinn.Soc.ssii. 39, 



verrucosus ruber Petit. Gazoph. t. 37, fig. 8.— t. 9.— Hofmeist. N. Beitr. i. 576 ; Ann. Se. Nat. 



F. typhoides liburnensis Till. Cat. Sort. Pis. 64, ser. 4, xii. 40, t. 4, fig. 38-42.— Kaest. Nov. 



t. 25.— F. typhoides coceineus melitensis Bocc. Jc. Actanat. Cur. xxvi. p. ii. 903, t. 63, 64.— Eichl. 



et Sescr. Sic. 81, t. 43. Act. Congr. Par. (1867) 149, t. 2, fig. 28, 29 ; 



6 On the roots of very different plants (Myr- Mart. Flor. Bras. Balanoph. 9, t. 1-3 ; Prodr. 



ties, Pistachios, Lucernes, Salsola, Orach, Me- xvii. UO.—Senftenbergia Kl. et Kakst. (not 



lilot Grasses, etc.). Cokd.). 



' Variable in form according to the part of ' Eichler considers the placenta basilar and 



the plant which bears them (the peduncle of the the ovule orthotropous, and intimately united 



inflorescence is destitute of them). Those im- with the waU of the ovarian cell. The placen- 



mediately accompanying the flowers are clavi- tation, in this case, would be the same as in the 



form, truncate at tlie summit; to the partial Selosidete. 



inflorescences are often interposed obliquely '"The pollen is nearly globular, smooth, 



peltate bracts, with oval head. with 2, 3, or 4 pores. 



