SHORT NOTES, 207 
A new Balanophora from Tenimber Islands. 
When Mr. H. 0. Forbes visited the Tenimber islands in 
1882, he obtained among his collections, specimens of a Bala- 
nophora which however perished in the disastrous conflagration 
by which the greater part of his collections were destroyed. 
No other person has since visited this group with a view of 
collecting botanical. specimens though Orchid collectors have 
lately taken to exploring the spot usually for the sake of the 
beautiful Dendrobium Phalaenopsis. Mr. Micholitz during a re- 
cent visit came across the Balanophora, and brought a quantity 
of it preserved in Formaline which he has kindly given me, 
and I may here remark that this seems to be about the best way 
of preserving these fleshy plants. If preserved in ordinary 
spirit, not only does the spirit become black, though often 
changed, but the plants which are ordinarily red, yellow or 
white also become black. The specimens in formaline retain to 
a considerable extent the yellowish white color which they pos- 
sessed in life. 
B. Micholitzw, n. sp. 
Rhizome rather small about $ inch through, rounded and 
shortly lobed, minutely irregularly pustulate. Stems two or 
three on a rhizome, 2 inches tall thick, leaves about 8, orbicular 
to orbicular ovate, apex rounded 4 an inch long, 4 to 3 inch wide 
white. Capitulum ovoid globose 1 inch long yellowish bisexual. 
Male flowers in two or three whorls at the base, pedicels 4 
inch long thick. Sepals 4 oblong fleshy, apices thickened incur- 
ved, shorter than the pedicel. reflexed, androecium thick, anther- 
capitulum rounded, anthers 4 horse-shoe shaped. Female portion 
broad globose rounded. Flowers obconic clavate, apex rounded 
tessellate, spadicels numerous nearly as long as the pistil, base 
and apex slender filiform centre swollen. 
This plant is nearly allied to B. Zollingert Fawcett, Trans. 
Linn. Soc. Ser. ii. Vol. il. p. 234. Plate 34 figs 11-14 which was col- 
lected by Zollinger in the island Salayer, south of Celebes. It 
is however much larger in all its parts, and the female flowers 
are more Club shaped with a longer stalk armed with large well 
developed spadicels. . 
Hf. N. Ridley. 
R. A. Soc., No. 39, 1903. 
