ELAEOCARPACEAE. — SLOANEA 361 



Bubglobosum, pallide sericeo-pubescens; stylus subulatus, 4 mm. longus, basi 

 excepta glaber, stigmate simplice. 



Western Szech'uan: Mt. Omei, July 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 5135). 



An interesting species apparently most closely related to E. serraius Linnaeus, 

 which has rather differently shaped leaves much less attenuate at the base, larger 

 flowers, longer, acuminate, reddish sepals, prominently bearded anthers and a more 

 abundant villose tomentum on the ovary. Elaeacarpus lanceaefolius Roxburgh, 

 which grows in Hongkong, differs in its much more coriaceous, differently shaped, 

 more serrate leaves, and longer racemes. 



Henry's No. 7703 from western Hupeh very probably belongs here. Our speci- 

 men, which is in ripe fruit, has oblong-lanceolate leaves 15-18 cm. long and an 

 elUpsoid fruit 2 cm. long, with an unusually soft pulpy mesocarp. If we are correct 

 in assuming that this specimen belongs to E. omeiensis, then the difference in size of 

 its fruits and those of E. serratus and E. lanceaefolius constitute another important 

 distinguishing character. Our new species is a rare plantj as far as our knowledge 

 goes, and occurs as a large bush or low tree. 



SLOANEA L. 

 Sloanea Hemsleyana Rehder & Wilson, n. comb. 



Echinocarpus sinensis Hemsley in Ann. Bot. IX. 147 (non Hance) (1895). — 



Diels in BoL Jahrh. XXIX. 467 (1900). 

 Echinocarpns Hemsleyanus Ito in Jour. Set. Coll. TokyOy XII. 349 (Tent. FL 



Lutch. 82) (1899). 

 Sloanea Hanceana Hemsley in Hooker's Icon, XXXV. sub t. 2628 (1900). — 



Gagnepain in Lecomte, FL Indo-Chin, I. 563, fig. 59 (1910). 



Western Hupeh : Patung Hsien, woods, alt. 800 m., August 1907 

 (No. 917*; tree 11 m. tall, girth 1.5 m.); same locality, ravines, No- 

 vember 1901 (Veitch Exped. No. 2687; tree 6 m. tall). Western 

 Szech'uan: Yachou Fu, side of stream, alt. 600-1150 m., August 9 

 and October 1908 (No. 917; tree 13-20 m. tall, 1.5-3 m. girth, flowers 

 white, aril orange-scarlet); Hung-ya Hsien, side of stream, alt. 600- 

 1000 m., September 1908 (No. 917**; tree 16-20 m. tall, 1-3 m. girth). 



This beautiful tree is rare in Hupeh, but is not uncommon in western Szech'uan 

 by the sides of streams in the wooded country southwest of Mt. Omei and in the 

 adjacent district of Yachou Fu. It is a tall tree with stout spreading branches, 

 dense foHage, and corymbose masses of pure white fragrant flowers terminating 

 the shoots. The rather thin leaves are deciduous, shining green and 12 to 25 cm. 

 or even more long. As the fruit nears maturity the long, straight bristles change 

 from yellowish to brownish purple. The ripe fruit opens and displays its shining 

 black seeds each with a large and conspicuous orange-scarlet aril. Both in flower 

 and fruit this tree is strikingly handsome. 



The plant named Echinocarpus sinensis by Hance (in Jour. Bot, XXII. 108 

 [1884]) is possibly not specifically distinct from the Hupeh and Szech'uan species. 

 It differs in the leaves being cuneate at the base and toothed only above the middle. 

 We are indebted to Mr. Edmund Baker of the British Museum for a sketch of a leaf 

 of Hance's type, but unfortunately the evidence ia insuflacient to settle the question. 



A picture of Sloanea Hemsleyana will be found under No. 372 of the collection of 

 Wilson's photoEraDhs and also in his Veaetatim of Western China, No. 209. 



