KB. E. M. HOLMES ON CINCHONA LEDGERIANA. 379 



growing specimens in Ceylon, from seed obtained by Mr. Mac 

 Ivor from trees which originated from Ledger's seed, and which, 

 as above mentioned, may consequently have undergone hybri- 

 dization with other species (Journ. Bot. 1881), and partly from 

 dried specimens of the original trees from Java. The characters 

 which he has selected from these as distinguishing the Ledgeriana 

 do not, however, present any features which entitle it to be sepa- 

 rated from O. Calisaya as a distinct species. 



The distinctive features adopted by Dr. Trimen, and empha- 

 sized by italics in his description (Journ. Bot. Nov. 1881), are as 

 follows : — 



1st. Leaves always having the broadest part at or about the 

 middle. 



2nd. Flowers small, drooping, or divaricate. Buds not at all, or 

 very slightly, widened at the end, and never abruptly enlarged 

 there. 



With regard to these characters, the first accords well with 

 the figure of G. calisaya var. microcarpa of Weddell's plate (Notes, 

 p. 50), and cannot therefore be used to separate it from the Cali- 

 saya type. The small flowers are also characteristic of "Weddell's 

 C. Calisaya var. pallida, which on this account he would have 

 regarded as a var. of micrantha, with smaller and narrower leaves 

 than the type, were it not for the difference in the fruit. In 

 Dr. "Weddell's type specimens in the Kew Herbarium the flower- 

 buds of the Calisaya are not widened at the apex. 



I conclude therefore that there is not sufficient evidence pro- 

 duced by Dr. Trimen to show that his Ledgeriana is entitled to 

 specific rank, or is indeed anything more than a variety of C. 

 Calisaya. If, as Dr. Trimen states, and he is confirmed in his 

 statement by Mr. Moens and Mr. Van Gorkom, the tree can be 

 easily recognized in all plantations by the characters he has 

 given, and if it be also characterized by yielding a high per- 

 centage of quinine, it is important that it should receive a di- 

 stinctive name. As, however, Mr. Howard aflirmed that the 

 plant described by Dr. Trimen was not identical with the one 

 described by him under the name of Ledgeriana, and as the 

 Ledgeriana bark I have received from Ceylon is certainly not 

 identical with Mr. Howard's bark so named, it would be advan- 

 tageous, I think, that Dr. Trimen's plant should be distinguished 

 as a horticultural form, belonging to the variety pallida of C. 

 Calisaya, and differing from it cbiefly in the presence of scrobi- 



