BALANOPHORACEM. 509 



plants often parasitic and hence possessing characters of hahit and 

 colour similar to those presented by the Balanophoracece. The name 

 was given to the latter in 1822 by L. C. Richaed.^ The genera 

 previously known were left among those of uncertain place.'^ Jussietj 

 does not mention Sarcophyte, established by SpaemannIu 1776.^ In 

 1804 Vahl* made known Thormingia, the relation of which to 

 Langsdorffia was plainly discerned as soon as the latter had been 

 published by de Martius.^ Habvbt discovered the genus Mystrope- 

 talon only in 1839,^ and J. Hooker desovihed. Dadylanthus in 1856 J 

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

 especially Langsdorffia and Mystropetalon whose ovary is inferior, 

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

 now agree with J. Hooker,^ Weddell, Eichlee," etc. to range the 

 unicarpellar Balanophoracece. 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.'" In reality therefore it 

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

 Oynomorium, is European; another, Langsdorffia, from tropical 

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

 southern Africa are found the three genera Sarcophyte, Thonningia, 

 and Mystropetalon ; whilst all the Balanophoras known are from 

 tropical or subtropical Asia and Oceania. 



Balanophorece has even been considered as a ' Mem. Mus. viii. 404. 



naked ovule, and the G-ymnosperm theory has ^ j, gr^^ (1789) 445. 



consequently been extended to them. It is by ' But it was not published till 1810. 



the study of the female organ of the Balano- * Act. Holm, xxvii. 



phoreat with central placenta, of their ovule and ' Esehw. Journ. Bras. ii. (1818). 



their embryogeny, that the same parts of the ^ Ann. Nat. Bist. i. , 



LoranthaeecB and ConifercB will be more satisfao- ' Trans. Linn. Soe. xxii. 



torily explained and vice versa ; so that, as we ' Zoc. eit. 21. 



have alreadysaid, if the latter are gymnosperms » DO. Prodr. xvii. 119. 



the former must necessarily also be considered '» There are perhaps two species of Mystro- 



as such, etc. petalon. 



