Parasitical Plants. — The Balanophoracece. 355 



directions, swelling over stems, and completely encircling 

 them. It has a thick, fleshy flower-stalk and dense flower 

 heads ; the male flowers much resemble those of BJiopalocnemis, 

 it is a native of New Granada, at an altitude of 8000 feet. 

 0. sphcerica is also a New Granada species, and is found at a 

 similar elevation. Like the former, the rhizome completely 

 encircles the root of its prey ; though the plant itself has a very 

 different appearance to C. crassa, the flower heads are more 

 globular and regularly formed. 0. Purdiei is a native also of 

 the same country, growing chiefly on the roots of Cinchona. 

 The capitula and the flowers themselves are very similar to 

 those of C. sphcerica. 



Helosis G-uyanensis, Rich., is a very remarkable plant, and 

 has been described and written about by several illustrious 

 botanists. It is found in Guiana, as its specific name indicates. 

 Its range, however, appears to be in "damp woods on the 

 East coast of South America, from Trinidad to south of the 

 equator/'' The rhizome, or root, runs underground for a great 

 distance, adhering to any roots which come in its way. Dr. 

 Hooker has shown that the arrangement of the tissues in a 

 transverse section of this rhizome closely resembles that of 

 many menispermaceous plants, and that the vascular system 

 of the peduncle consists of scattered bundles that run free, and 

 unbranched from the rhizome to the capitulum, where they 

 partially anastomose, forming a plexus within the circum- 

 ference, from which bundles are given off with great regularity 

 towards the base of each scale. The plants vary much in size 

 from an inch to about a foot high. The flower-stalks are nume- 

 rous, with globose or ovoid heads of flowers, the males and 

 females being on separate heads. From close observation it 

 would appear that the female flowers are seldom, if ever, fer- 

 tilized except through insect agency. The native country of 

 H. Mexicana, Lieb., is also indicated by its specific name. It 

 is found on the Mexican mountains, at an altitude of 3000 

 to 5000 feet. It does not differ considerably in form or struc- 

 ture to H. Guy anensis, but it is not so variable. Plants of this 

 genus are of little or no economic value, though they are some- 

 times used as styptics in their native countries. 



Though the Balanophorce are of no value or importance in 

 a commercial or economic point of view, they are most inte- 

 resting in a scientific point. Popularly little is known about 

 them, or even of the existence of such plants. This is easily 

 to be attributed to the fact that no living plants have been seen 

 in this country, and they are certainly less attractive to a gene- 

 ral observer in a dried state than when arrayed in their bright 

 colours. But even with a slight acquaintance of their habits 

 and modes of growth, they cannot fail to excite some interest. 



