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Balania Harlandii (Hook. F.) V.T., of the H.K, Region & Its Relatives. 9
series. Possibly an examination of the types might show other differences, but Hemsley says :-
This differs from Balanophora Harlandii, in the shape of the inflorescence and in the distinctly pedicellate male flowers." Bulanophora Harlandii, however, departs from a globular capitulum and the staminate flowers elongate their pedicels with age. Balania Henryi is cer tainly very closely related to B. Harlandii and very possibly may be identical with. Other Hong Kong species reappear at Hupeh (cf. Tutcher, 1905, p. 59) although it is 600 miles to the north.
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Van Tieghem (1907, p. 202 describes a fourth species of Balania based on a plant collected by Farges, at a height of 1,200 metres, on September 8, 1893. This he named Balania ceraced, V.T. It was found at Moung In Sutchuen.** Its moung-Ky" in the district of "Tchen-Kéuo-tin rhizome is deeply lobed, cerebriform, devoid of pustules, of waxy consistency, and 10 mm. in diameter. The inflorescences are produced from adjacent lobes of the rhizome, in a fasciculate fashion. The inflorescences are 8-10 centimetres high and 6-8 millimetres thick. The upper portions of the peduncles are naked and bear capitula 15-20 millimetres high and 10-15 millimetres thick. The young staminate flowers are sessile, but later develop pedicels 5-6 millimetres long. These characters are also found among the plants collected in the vicinity of Hong Kong and, unless other characters (not mentioned) separate the Farges collection, they may probably be reckon- ed as belonging to B. Harlandii. Dependence upon clustered inflorescences and the waxy or ceraceous consistency may be discounted after the variety shown by the Hong Kong specimens studied and figured in this paper.
It is
Since Van Tieghem's paper of 1907, several species of south eastern Asia, as mentioned previously, have been described, some of them also figured, which come under scrutiny as possibly being identical with, close to, or thoroughly distinct from Balania Harlandii. Balanophora Kawakamii Valeton (Valeton, 1913, June 17, p. 169, pl. CCCLI) appears to be the same as Balanophora mutinoides Hayata (1913, December 25, p. 168, pl. XXXI) from Formosa and is clearly a Balania (as recognized by Valeton). very close to, even if it does not come into the same form cycle with B. Harlandii, as indicated by the variation of the plants brought together by Dr. Herklots from the Hong Kong region. Hayata (1915, p. 198), later, recognized the identity of his species and that of Valeton. It differs suffi- ciently in habit from the figures of Hooker to be considered as possibly dis- tinct, but if such differences are to be taken literally, then there may be several species represented in the Hong Kong collections. Further details as to the exact differences between pistils and spadicels of the different species are desirable.
These may assist in unraveling the complex now existing.
There are two species described from China by Léveillé (1906) which are possibly identical with, or closely related to. Balania Harlandii (Hook.), V.T. They are both low species. The first, Balanophora Cavalierii Lév., is founded only on the pistillate plant and described only as to habit. If a member of Balania, the habit is sufficiently near B. Harlandii to cause ex- treme suspicion that it is identical with it. An examination of the pistils and spadicels might increase this suspicion or it might lessen it. For the
Supplement No. 1, 1934.
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