354 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 
Sungpan, thickets, alt. 3800-4000 m., October 1910 (No. 4190; bush, 
1.5-1.75 m. tall, fruit scarlet).— The following specimens possibly 
belong to this species: Pan-lan-shan, west of Kuan Hsien, alt. 4000- 
4300 m., June 24, 1908 (No. 2865; bush 0.60-1.30 m. high, flowers 
yellow); south-west of Tachien-lu, woodlands, alt. 3000-3600 m., 
October 1910 (No. 4170; bush 1.30-2 m. high, fruit crimson). 
There are three species which seem to be very nearly related; these are B. 
macrosepala, B. diaphana and B. yunnanensis. The one described first is B. macro- 
sepala Hooker f. & Thomson, which comes from the Sikkim Himalaya. It is well 
distinguished by its puberulous branchlets and has not yet been found in China. 
Mr. Hutchinson says in Bot. Mag. (l. c.), that it has been collected in western China 
by Wilson, but this seems to be an error. He also describes and figures there as 
B. yunnanensis a cultivated plant, which certainly belongs to B. diaphana. The 
type of this species may be distinguished by its chartaceous leaves distinctly re- 
ticulate on both sides and mostly serrate, by the 1—4-flowered inflorescence, and 
by the more numerous, 6-8, ovules and seeds. The typical B. yunnanensis, of which 
I have seen Franchet’s type specimens, has thinner, mostly entire leaves and 3-8- 
flowered, often rather elongated inflorescences and only (3-)4 ovules and seeds. 
The nervation of the leaves of B. yunnanensis is coarser and thinner and nearly the 
same as in those of B. macrosepala, the leaves of which are more papillose beneath 
and more serrate, The types of these three species may be distinguished as follows: 
Berberis macrosepala: ramuli puberuli; folia adulta membranacea, plerumque 
spinoso-serrata, utrinque laxe reticulata, subtus distincte papillosa; flores ple- 
rumque solitarii; ovaria ovulis circiter 6 instructa; styli nulli, 
Berberis diaphana: ramuli glabri; folia adulta chartacea, plerumque spinoso- 
serrata, utrinque distincte et anguste reticulata, subtus pruinosa v. leviter papil- 
losa; flores solitarii v. bini v. ad 4 racemoso-fasciculati ; ovaria ovulis 6-8 instructa; 
styli breves v. nulli. 
Berberis yunnanensis: ramuli glabri; folia adulta membranacea, plerumque 
integra, utrinque laxe reticulata; flores 3-8 fasciculati v. fasciculato-racemosi v. 
racemosi; ovaria ovulis (3-)4 instructa; styli breves v. nulli. 
But there are some forms, which I think are intermediate between the last two 
species, for instance, Wilson's No. 4170. The leaves of this specimen are mostly 
entire, their nervation is rather like that of B. diaphana and the fruits are solitary, 
bearing only four seeds (or two seeds and two arrested ovules). This as well as 
No. 2865 I have here tentatively referred to this species. But there is a very 
interesting, somewhat intermediate, form, collected by Wilson (No. 3145, Veitch 
Exped. 1904; flowering specimens), the leaves of which very much resemble those 
of B. yunnanensis, while the single flowers with 8 ovules agree with those of B. 
diaphana. 
an may also be added the description of a new variety collected by Mr. 
Purdom: 
Berberis diaphana, var. circumserrata Schneider, n. var. 
A typo differt foliis dense et graciliter circumserratis serraturis spinosis. 
Shensi: Tai-pei-shan, 1910, W. Purdom (No. 4). 
The specimen before me consists only of old gray twigs with rather strong 
spines, young leaves and single flowers. The leaves are roundish-obovate and dis- 
tinctly reticulate on both sides. 'The ovaries contain only four ovules. All things 
considered this form seems to be a rather distinct variety of B. diaphana. 
