Tab. 7022. 

 asarum maceanthttm. 



Native of Formosa. 



Nat. Ord. Abistolochie^:. 

 Genus AsAErir, Linn. ; (Benth. et HooJc.f. Gen. PI. vol. iii. p. 122.) 



Asabum maeranthitm ; foliis deltoideo-ovatis acutis subundulatis variegatis 

 cordatis sinu lato, peticlo gracili elongato nervisque subtus sparse pilosis, 

 floribus numerosis brevissime pedunculatis amplis, perianthii tubo late pyri- 

 formi, ore parvo disco elevato cupulari crasse carnoso plicato circumdato, 

 limbi inaequaliter trilobi lobis foliaceis late ovatis obtusis marginibus lobulatis 

 undulatisque, stigmatibus lineari-oblongis apicibus obtusis recurvis. 



For this remarkable species of Asarum the Royal Gardens 

 are indebted to Mr. Ford, Superintendent of the Hongkong 

 Botanical Gardens, who in 1884 sent dried specimens of 

 it from Kelung, a town on the north coast of Formosa, 

 and in 1887 living plants, which flowered in May of this 

 year. It was, however, discovered as long ago as 1864 

 in that same island by Mr. Richard Oldham, a collector 

 sent out to Japan by Kew, and there are in the Kew 

 Herbarium leaves of what appears to be the same plant 

 collected in the interior of Amoy in China nearly opposite 

 to Formosa by the late accomplished naturalist, Mr. R. 

 Swinhoe. As a species A. macranthum differs remarkably 

 from all hitherto known in the large size of the flowers and 

 the dilated leafy undulate sepals, which are of a pale-brown 

 colour with a tinge of yellow and purple, and are speckled 

 all over. Another remarkable character is the very strong 

 scent of Fenugreek (Trigonella Fcenum-grcecum), which is 

 preserved even in the dried state. Its nearest congener 

 is A. Thunbergii, A. Braun, figured at Tab. 4933 of this 

 work. 



Desce. Leaves long-petioled, four to five inches long 

 and as broad, deltoidly ovate, acute, base cordate, sinus 

 broad deep, auricles rounded, pale green above and clouded 

 with greenish-yellow, beneath very pale with five strong 

 pink nerves and lax reticulations; petiole four to eight 

 inches, slender, mottled with red streaks, as are the 



octobeb 1st, 1888. 



