Through the mass runs a fine whiter network visible with the naked eye, which consists of chains of cells with more granular opaque contents. The red rind consists of a very fine granular layer, in which I cannot perceive any cell structure.
It is very certain from this that it is no animal structure, and that it is very improbable that the climbing plant supposed to be produced by it has anything to do with it, but that it is of the nature of a fungus. The Malays say that it is found under ground, but the specimen obtained at Bukit Mandai, was growing upon a rotten tree, and to it was attached a fungus of the genus Polyporus, species of which are so abundant on rotten timber in the jungles.
Some similar bodies are known from several parts of the world, and have been described, but at present their origin is very obscure, and I think it will be well to compare the known kinds with our Tiger's Milk, and see wherein it differs.
RUMPHIUS described and figured a fungus which he called Tuber Regium, in the Herbarium Amboinense (Vol. VI Plate LVII 4, p. 120). The picture represents a body like a smooth block of earth on which a number of fungi evidently belonging to the genus Lentinus are growing. RUMPHIUS gives a long account of the "Royal Tuber." He says it is very common in April and October when the rainy season is on, and that then it is quite soft and not durable, and although his picture represents it as quite smooth, he says that when suddenly dried, it becomes cracked and fissured; when he planted it in his garden and watered it with warm water it produced the fungi, but perished next year. The Lentinus is eatable, but hardly worth eating. The tuber he recommends for diarrhea grated and mixed with rice and also mixed with oil as an ointment for sore mouths. Eaten raw he says it is insipid and earthy. He gives the following names for it, none of which occur in FILET'S Javanese Dictionary:—Malay, Ubi Raja, and Culat Batu, Amboinese Mathata Utta batu and Uttah putih. In Hitoc it is called Tabalale (without heart), and in Uliassens, Urupickal. In Java Djanjor bongkang (dung of the Python); in Ternate Cabamaisse (earth-tuber). It was common in Oma, Leytimor, Gorama and Ternate under grass on
