Neue Litteratur. 
257 
records of tlie indigenous Vegetation of Tasinania. But as tlie plant was 
of fugitive growtli and deliquescent structure, 110 specimens were in the 
lirst instance secuved or preserved. On my particular request the search 
was very patiently renewed with the result of one more specimen being 
procured, well developed, and anotber bearing an unexpanded flower. 
These arrived in a good state of preservation, being carefullv packed 
between the fresh leaves of some tender grass. Much to my astonishment 
1 perceived that this long hidden floral treasure was a species of Thismia r 
of which genus (in its widest seuse) as yet some few species are known 
from Southern Continental Asia, Ceylon, the Sunda-Islands, New Guinea 
and tropical South America. On careful dissection the Tasmanian congener 
proved very distinct from all others. Thus, then, we became suddenly 
acquainted with a member of this otherwise intratropical genus from the 
remotest Southern part of the Australian dominions, from wlience indeed 
this would have beeil least expected; nevertheless, the order of Bur- 
manniaceae is representtd by one species of the typical genus, namely 
Burmannia disticha, down to a very far Southern position in New South 
Wales, and also just outside the tropics from Nepal, while another, B. 
biflora , advances nortliward to Virginia, and a species of Apteria, A. 
setacea , gains its northern bouudary in Florida. 
Before offering any further general observations, I shall detail descripti- 
vely the characteristics of the co-ordinal Tasmanian plant. 
Thismia Rodwciyi. 
(Baynisici Roclwayi F. v. M., m.s.c.) 
Stern to about two inches long, flexuous, colourless, like all other parts 
of the plant glabrous; leaves scattered, rudimentary bractlike, semilanceolar, 
acuminate, devoid of colour; flower solitary, terminal, of putrid odour, 
closely supported b)' a much shorter involucre of three appressed equi- 
distant semilanceolar bracts; calyx about -!s incli long, somewhat succulent, 
ovate-campanulate, flesh-coloured, streaked by six stronger and six fainter 
longitudinal colourations; its six lobes much shorter than the tube, three 
semilanceolar-deltoid, spreading, much the shortest; three opposite to the 
bracts, nearly ovate-cuneate, converging, at the surnmit overlapping and 
there connate, keeled by a broadish, flattened, slightly excurrent midiine; 
stamens six, opposite to the calyx-lobes; fllaments broad, from the place 
of aftixion near the surnmit of the calyx-tube slightly ascending, there 
dark-red and somewhat channelled; thenee suddenly beut downward inside 
the calyx and connate; continued beyond the anthers into a dilated mem- 
braueous bidenticu'ated appendage; anthers pale, their two cells parallel, 
ellipsoid, slightly distant from each other, longitudinally dehiscent; style 
short, whitish, thinly cylindrical; Stigmas three, colourless, short-bilid; 
ovulary adnate to the base of the calyx, one-celled, devoid of colour, almost 
hemispheric, excavatedly depressed at the surface; placentaries three, 
nearly cordate; ovules very numerous, on conspicuous funicles arising from 
the whole face of the placentary, provided around with an ample laxe 
pellucid integument of equal breadtli. Complete roots and ripe fruit not 
3 r et obtained. In examining the quickly perishable and scanty material, 
I missed ascertaining the form of the pollen-grains, also determiniug the 
relative outer and inner position of the calyx-lobes, regarding which Miers, 
however öfters observations on Myostama already. The rootlet, on which 
the plant grew bear many pyriform small carnulent short-stalked bodies, 
somewhat hollow. 
That so remarkahle, and to some extent also showy plant sliould have 
evaded hitherto observation, although since almost nearly 100 years the 
region about the estuary of the Derwent has been searched for plants, 
tinds perhaps its explanation in the fact, that in all likelihood the flower 
only is peeping above the soil between decaying foliage, and thus might 
be easily taken for a young Aseroe or some other fungus, especially as 
the smell would lead also to that conclusion. Furthermore, each flower 
must be very ephemerous and perishable, and falls probably also quickly 
to the prey of various insects, attracted by the odour. Even in Eitrope 
the Epipoyum Gmelini is often overlooked, wlien it merely emerges 
