774 LXIV. EUBIACE^. [Hydnophytum . 



basal, erect in each cell. Drupe small, pyrenes 2, plano-convex. Seeds oblong ; 

 testa thin with black lines. — Epiphytic glabrous shrubs, with a deformed fleshy 

 tuberous simple or lobed stock, appearing to be excavated by ants; branches 

 square. Leaves opposite, leathery, obtuse ; stipules interpetiolar, deciduous. 



The gouty tuberous stems of plants of Hydnophytum and Myrmecodia are often hollow, and 

 ants take advantage of this feature for housing, but I do not think these busy insects excavate 

 the hollows. 



1. Hi formicarium (ant-house), Seccari Malesia. ii. 159. Tuber-like stem 

 large, somewhat smooth ; branches often numerous, articulate, cylindrical. Leaves 

 subcoriaceous-fleshy, ovate or obovateor elliptical or obovate-spathulate, rounded 

 at the apex, subsessile or attenuated at the base and distinctly petiolate. Flowers 

 small, axillary, in sessile clusters. Calyx cupular, glabrous or papillose-pilose 

 outside, limb short, entire, truncate, margins glabrous or ciliolate. Corolla 

 tubular, 4-fid, lobes ovate, glabrous inside, the mouth bearded. Filaments short ; 

 anthers ovate, included or exserted. Style filiform, longer than the stamens ; 

 stigmatic-lobes 2, divergent, thick, obtuse, papillose. Disk fleshy, shorter or as 

 long as the calyx. Fruit ovate, glabrous or papillose-pilose. Pyrenes elliptical, 

 acute or acuminate. 



Hab.: On trees in the tropics— Java, Borneo, Singapore, and other tropical countries. 

 There seem to be two or more forms of this species in Queensland. 



31. MYRMECODIA, Jack. 



(Ant-house.) 



Calyx-tube shortened, connate with the ovary, limb various, entire or very 

 minutely toothed. Corolla-tube cylindrical, elongated, rarely somewhat shorfc 

 with a bearded ring below the insertion of the stamens; limb 4-lobed or 4-fid ; 

 lobes valvate, thick. Stamens 4, included. Anthers dorsifised. Discus fleshy. 

 Ovary 4 to 8-celled. Style filiform, thickening towards the apex. Stigmas 

 sub-entire or 3 to 6-lobed. Ovule solitary in each cell. Fruit pomaceous ; 

 Pyrenes 4 to 8 or less by abortion, rounded or subtruncate at the apex," acute at 

 the base, triangular or compressed. — Epiphytic undershrubs with tuberous-like 

 stems, often spinous. Flowers sessile, small. Fruit small,'whltish or yellow. 



Plants of Java, Borneo, Amboyna, New Guinea, besides Queensland and a few other countries. 

 — Becc. Malesia ii. 95. 



Leaves oblanceolate, narrowed into short half-terete petioles. Ovules 4 . . 1. M. Beccarii. 



Leaves obDvate-oblong on long triangular petioles. Ovules 4 2. 31. Muellerii. 



Leaves small, ovate-elliptic or oblong on short petioles. Ovules 8 .... 3. M". Antoinii. 



1. Ttl. Beccarii (after Signor Baccari), Fluoh. Bat. Mag. 6833. Tuber 

 unribbed, but lobed and covered with small spines which are short and simple ; 

 branches swollen with knots. Leaves oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate', 

 subacute, fleshy, and narrowing into short, stout, nearly half-terete petioles ; 

 flowers springing from little sockets situate on the branches ; stipules very short 

 and uniting to form 2-fid very thin fugacious membranes ; bracts wanting ; 

 annular limb representing the calyx glabrous ; corolla with a cylindrical tube 

 exceeding in length the ovate swollen lobes ; stamens small, having their fila- 

 ments and short anthers equally long ; ovary 4-celled ; fruit cylindrlcal-oblon", 

 rounded at the apex ; pyrenes 4. ° 



Hab.: Gulf of Carpentaria, Hook I.e. 



2. IMC. Muellerii (after Baron F. v. Mueller), Becc. Males, ii. 102 

 Tuberous stem sparsely spinous; spines short, simple; branches irregularly 

 cylindric-angular, not spinous, obscurely clypeolate. Clypeole deformed naked 

 radieellose-marginate. Leaves obovate-oblong, coriaceous on long acute tri- 

 angular petioles, Flpwers nestling in somewhat large alveoles, - Bracts browu 



