In December 1969 Mr. H. Streimann, Technical Officer of the Division of Botany, Lae, New Guinea, discovered a plant belonging to the Balanophoraceae, which Mr. J. S. Womersley, Chief of the Division of Botany, Lae, supposed to be closely related either to the African genus Thonningia or to the American genus Langsdorffia. He sent spirit material to Dr. C. G. G. J. van Steenis in April 1970 for identifying this most remarkable plant; the latter entrusted me with this task. In 1970 more collections were made, partly preserved in F. A. A. allowing to make microtome preparations. The plant has proved to belong to the genus Langsdorffia, hitherto a monotypic genus of the South American tropics.