74 Hems ley. — Two new Triuridaceae , with some Remarks on 
Apart from this, however, the differences are sufficient, in my opinion, 
to justify the generic separation of the Seychelles plant from Sciaphila. 
As I have already stated, I shall not attempt to classify the thirty species, 
or thereabout, referred by various authors to Sciaphila , though, judging 
from the figures, I do not think it would be a difficult task. 
Seychellaria, Triuridacearum novum genus ex affinitate Sciaphilae , Blume, 
a qua perianthii segmentis apice haud barbatis, florum $ staminodiis 3, staminibus 3, 
pistillodiis nullis, florum 5 staminodiis nullis et stylo quam ovario longiore differt. 
S. Thomassetii (species unica). 
Planta saprophytica, carnosa, tenella, diaphana, concolor, pallida, praeter radices 
pilosas glabra, erecta, stricta, rhizomate repente squamoso ramoso, ramis ex 
squamarum parvarum axillis egredientibus subhorizontalibus pilosulis. Caules 
filiformes, pauciramosi, 10-12 cm. alti, vix 1 mm. crassi, squamis paucis ovato- 
lanceolatis acutis 2-3 mm. longis instructi. Flores carnosi, racemosi, racemis 6-12- 
floris, breviter pedicellati, 1-2 mm. diametro, unisexuales, monoici, inferidres feminei, 
paullo majores, superiores masculi, vel interdum nonnulli subbisexuales. Perianthium 
utriusque sexus saepius 6-partitum, rarius 4- vel 5-partitum ; segmenta ovato- 
lanceolata, obtusa, alterna paullo minora, induplicato-valvata, inappendiculata vel 
apice obscure papillosa, demum arete recurva. Flores $ triandri ; staminodia 3, 
teretia, capitata, staminibus externa, longiora et iis alterna, perianthii segmentis 
alternis opposita ; stamina centralia, perianthii segmentis alternis opposita, filamentis 
brevibus basi approximatis vel breviter connatis; antherae distincte 4-lobae, rima 
transversali dehiscentes, connectivo supra loculos haud producto. Flores 5 sine 
staminodiis; carpella libera, numerosa (30-35), vix carnosa, rugulosa, in receptaculo 
conico sessilia, unilocularia, uniovulata ; stylus ventralis, papillosus, ovarium multo 
superans. Ovulum erectum, anatropum, raphe ventrali. Fructus maturus non-visus. 
Seychelles : found growing at the base of trees in mountain forest at 600 m., 
Mare aux Cochons, Mah£, H. P. Thomasset , February, 1906. Herb. Kew. 
It has already been mentioned that the quasi-hermaphrodite flowers of 
some of the Triuridaceae are occasionally irregular in structure in relation 
to the number and position of the parts. Some of the male flowers of 
Seychellaria are abnormal in having an extra, perfect or imperfect stamen 
or two ; sometimes there are two or three stamens on contiguous instead of 
alternate segments of the perianth, and occasionally there are two or three 
imperfect carpels in the centre, and the staminodes are wanting. In one 
flower we found excrescences near the middle of perianth-segments, five of 
which were sessile and one stalked as shown in Figure 11 on Plate IX. It 
Director of the National Herbarium, Leiden, to examine the type of Sciaphila tenella , Blume, with 
the result that I find his description accurate excepting that part relating to the anthers. The 
stamens of this species are different from those of any other member of the order that I have 
examined, but whether those seen are normal it is difficult to decide as the whole male flower is only 
about a millimetre in diameter. Miss M. Smith has drawn what we saw and it is described on 
p. 75.-W. B. H. 
