File:The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; (1902) (14596908087).jpg

Identifier: naturalhistoryof01kern (find matches)
Title: The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution;
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Kerner von Marilaun, Anton, 1831-1898 Oliver, Francis Wall, 1864- Macdonald, Mary Frances Ewart Busk, Marian Balfour, Lady
Subjects: Botany
Publisher: London, Blackie
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

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which is represented on the right-hand side of fig, 41, bears the name of Sarcophyte sanguinea (i.e. blood-red flesh-plant), whilst the name of Icthyosoma (i.e. fish-carcase) has also been applied to itbecause it smells of rotten fish. These names imply that the plant resembles ananimal rather than a vegetable organism. The host-plants adapted to thisSarcophyte are various Mimosese, especially Acacia caffra, Acacia capensis, &c.In the first place, as is the case with all Balanophoreae, small tubers are formed onthe roots of the above-mentioned woody hosts, and enter into connection with thewood of the nutrient roots in the manner already described more than once. Aninflorescence then emerges from a bud originating beneath the cortex of the tuber,and rapidly grows up from out of the cortex, which is rent and pushed up m theprocess. The axis of this inflorescence resolves itself into a number of thick,repeatedly ramifying, fleshy branches, diflering in this respect from every other
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Fiff. iZ~Ci/(uius Hyp, ■° ;^;*~~*—.v„„ .„ „,„„,, 198 BROOM-RAPES, BALANOPHOREvE, RAFFLESIACE^. example of the Balanophoreae. The flowers are arranged side by side on thebranches, staminate flowers on one plant, and pistillate flowers on another, thelatter always grouped in spherical capitula, as is shown in fig. 41 ^. Reddish-brownscale-like leaves are situated at the points of origin of the branches, and also at thebase of the entire inflorescence. The general aspect is that of a bunch of verrucosegrapes ascending from the root, or of the fruiting axis of Ricinus, and is verystriking owing to the blood-red colouring of all the parts. As a final instance of the Balanophoreae we may take the genus Cynomoriumiiywhich was so highly valued in olden times, and is the sole species belonging to thisfamily of plants indigenous in the south of Europe. A drawing of it is given onthe right-hand side of fig. 42. Whilst other Balanophoreae are parasitic on the roots of trees and l

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