BOTANY. 
697 
are slightly tinged with pink in the centre, but in general 
they are of a dirty white or brown color, and transparent, 
the stamens are white, the flowers have a strong smell, partly 
fragrant, although earthy and unpleasant ; this plant forms 
a large excrescence on the root of the Tataha , Pittosporum, 
which is covered with warts, these increase and become 
buds, a dozen or more flowers are often on one stem. I first 
met with it on a mountain range near Hikurangi, returning 
from Taupo, and noticed it growing amongst the roots of a 
tree near the path ; I tried to discover its root, but in vain, 
not having anything but a pocket knife to dig with ; how- 
ever, I secured one flower and its stalk, which appeared above 
the surface. Mr. Nairn, a settler, told me he had seen a 
similar parasite in the forest at the base of Mount Tara- 
naki, this was also attached to the root of a tree, and had 
a number of flowers upon it of a light blue color. Mr. 
Williamson afterwards brought me another specimen, which 
he had found in clearing some ground ; the whole plant and 
flowers were entirely covered with vegetable mould, the stem 
between the bracts was of a rusty brown, there were twenty- 
five flowers open at once, another excrescence had eighteen ; 
he states the odour of one plant was something like that of a 
ripe melon, whilst the other had also a disagreable earthy 
smell. 
Extract from a paper of the Linnean Society. 
“ No. XXXVI. — On a new Genus of Balanophorea3 from 
New Zealand, and the Two New Species of Balano- 
phora. By J. D. Hooker, M.D., F.R.S., & L.S., &c. 
Read June 16th, 1859. 
“ Since laying before the Linnean Society my observations 
on the structure and affinities of Balanophorece ,* I have 
received two additional species of Balanophora , and a re- 
markable new genus of the Order, which I shall now proceed 
to describe under the name of Dactylanthus. 
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