THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 219 



later spreading, £ inch long ^ inch wide upper ones 

 smaller, subacute, margins towards the tip often denti- 

 culate Inflorescence one inch long base with scattered 

 male flowers for -J inch, apex elliptic ovoid in outline blunt 

 bisexual portiona little longer - A \ inch through. Male 

 flowers about J- inch across nearly sessile. Perianth 

 lobes oblong subquadrate truncate upper and lower ones 

 larger than the lateral ones, at the base where the 

 staminal thecse are numerous, linear oblong and equal 

 above where there are few. Andrsecium transversely 

 oblong, thecse 7-8 or fewer hexagonal. Female flowers 

 shortly stalked with numerous obovate tailed spadicels, 

 ovary obovoid obtuse minutely pustulate. 



Rare, on the shore terrace south of the Waterfall, on 

 the top of Steep rock, and in the centre of the Island 

 on Murray Hill track, a single plant at each place, 

 growing in soil overlying detritus of coral reef. Also 

 collected in Pulau Aur, on the east coast of the Malay 

 Peninsula by Mr. Fielding in 1892. 



The occurrence of a Balanophora in Christmas 

 Island was most unexpected, and is interesting from 

 many points of view. The species is allied not as might 

 be expected to any Javanese species but to B. Ililde- 

 brandti Rchb. fil a native of Tahiti, and the Comoro 

 islands, from which it differs in its smaller size, fewer 

 anthers, and shortly stalked male flowers. The bisexual 

 yellow Balanophoras have a curious distribution, rang- 

 ing from the Polynesian islands, to Salayer Island. 



Tenimber, Christmas Island, Pulau Aur and Comoro 

 Island ; the species being. 



B.jungosa, Forst. 



B, Hildebrwidti, Rchb. Tahiti and Comoro. 



B. Micholitzi, Ridl. Tenimber Laut. 



B. Zol/ingeii, Fawe. Salayer. 



B. insulqris, Ridl. Christmas Island and Pulau 



Aur. 



R. A. Soc., No! 45, 1905. 



