THE MORPHOLOGY AND AFFINITIES OF GNETUM 1 37 
In the famous Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg are excellent speci- 
mens of several species of the genus. From these was secured almost 
complete male material of G. latifolitim, G. moluccense, G. neglectum, 
and G. iila, as well as of two unnamed species, G. sp. jj, and G. sp. 
Borneo of the Garden records. ^ Of female material almost complete 
stages of G. moluccense, G. neglectum and G. sp. 5p, were obtained 
in the garden. Outside the garden one may find plenty of trees of G, 
gnemon in any native village where they are cultivated for the edible 
inflorescences and fruits. These trees, however, are almost all fe- 
male. It appears that the natives destroy the male trees because 
they do not bear fruit, not knowing that pollination is necessary 
before fruit will be borne on the female trees. Consequently it is 
very difficult to secure male material or the fertilization and later 
stages of the female. 2 By prolonged search, however, I succeeded in 
finding in two villages (Tjidoerock and Tjipatat) a few male trees 
in close proximity to female specimens and from these it was easy to 
obtain the desired stages. 
In the nearly impenetrable jungles at the base of Mt. Salak one 
can secure an abundance of material of G. funiculare. In isolated 
situations in the forest one can rarely find G. neglectum and G. lati- 
folium. 
With the exception of G. gnemon all these species are vines which 
are strikingly Dicotyledonous in appearance. The wild specimens- 
prefer to climb among the branches of the tallest trees. The lower 
part of the stem is usually naked for a length of twenty to fifty feet, 
the leaves occurring only up among the branches of the tree to which 
the specimen is clinging. Some species have the strap-shaped stems 
of typical lianas. G. gnemon differs from the others in being an erect 
and often stout tree. It will appear later that this species is also 
very distinct from the others in its gametophytic generation. 
There appears to be no definite flowering season in the case of 
G. gnemon. One may find all stages at almost any time of year. 
^ The whole systematic classification of the genus is in urgent need of revision^ 
I believe this is to be undertaken very soon by Dr. Valeton of the Buitenzorg Garden 
and consequently I have considered it advisable to retain the old names and numbers 
of the garden records, pending the publication of Dr. Valeton's study. 
2 It may also be that there is something peculiar in the sex determination of this 
species, for I have sometimes found groups of young specimens growing wild where 
they had apparently never been molested, and yet they were almost invariably 
female. 
