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 372 ACCOUNT OF A NEW GENUS OE TLANTS,

to be accumte in this respect, by pinning four large sheets of paper together, and cutting them to the precise size of the flower. The nectarium, in the opinion of all of us, wouhl liold twelve pints, and the weight of this prodigy we calculated to be fifteen pounds.

" ' I have said nothing about the stamina; in fact, I am not certain of the part I ought to call stamina. If the moniiiibrm cord surrounding the base of the pistil Avere sessile anthers, it must be a polyandrous plant; but I am uncertain what the large germen contained; perhaps there might be concealed anthers within it.

" ' It was not examined on the spot, as it was intended to preserve it in spirits and examine it at more leisure; but from the neglect of the persons to whom it was entrnsted the petals were destroj-ed by insects, the only part that re- tained its form being the pistil, which was put in spirits along with tvro large buds of the same flower, which I found attached to the same root; each of tliese is about as large as tAVO fists.

" ' There were no leaves or branches to this plant; so that it is probable that the stems bearing leaves issue forth at a different period of the year. The soil where this plant grew was very rich, and covered with the excrement of elephants.

"' ' A guide from the interior of the country said that such flowers were rare, but that he had seen several, and that the natives called them Kriibiit.

" ' I have now nearly finished a coloured dravring of it on as large drawing-paper as I could procure, but it is still considerably under the natural size; and I propose also to make another draAving of the pistil removed from the nec- tarium.

" ' I have noAv, I believe, given you as detailed an ac- count of this prodigious plant as the subject admits of; 205] indeed it is all 1 know of it. I Avould draw your atten- tion, hoAvever, to the very great porosity of the root, to which the buds are attached.

'^ * I have seen nothinG: resemblino: this ])lant in anv of my books; but yesterday; in looking over Dr. Horsfield's

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