AMORPHOPHAIXUS SIMRENSE. 187 
Amorphophallus Simlense. 
On the evening of March 18, the botanical section of the 
Manchester Institute, in addition to its regular work, dis¬ 
sected and studied the blossom of the Amorphophallus sim¬ 
lense, an exotic plant belonging to the arum family, adver¬ 
tised in a few catalogues, and cultivated for its oddity, 
hike a few other allied species, it blossoms first and after¬ 
wards sends up leaves. 
This particular specimen had a blossom growing from a 
stem about an inch and a half in length, nearly white and 
mottled with purple. The spathe was 
fourteen and three-fourths inches in 
length and about two in width at the 
widest part. In color, it varied from 
green on the outside to a cream color on 
the inside near the base, beautifully 
spotted with dark red and purple. As 
it opened, it fell over, and hung like a 
banner suspended at half mast and wav¬ 
ing in the breeze. 
The spadix, of a dark purple color, 
was twelve inches and a half in length and about a third of 
an inch in diameter. Three inches from the base was an 
encircling ring of staminate flowers ; at the base a similar 
girdle of fertile flowers. Just above the latter there were 
a few scattered stems, evidently the branching of fibers or 
ridges of the spadix, terminating in small ellipsoidal knobs 
that had the appearance of being nectar glands. 
The only disagreeable feature of the plant was the odor 
which came from the upper portion of the spadix. This 
organ, projecting above the rest of the plant like a minia¬ 
ture flagpole, was suggestive to the nostrils of decayed 
flesh. This property has a use in the home of the plant in 
attracting flies which crawljabout after pollen and honey, 
