Tap. 7429. 
SPIRAIA BRACTEATA. 
Native of Japan. 
Nat. Ord. Rosacr#.—Tribe SPrrex, 
Genus Srirama, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 611.) 
Srirma bracteata; glaberrima, ramulis angulatis, foliis orbiculato-obovatis 
rotundatisve ad apicem rotundatam crenatis subtus glaucis nervis 
gracilibus, petiolis brevibus, corymbis multifloris hemisphericis foliolosis, 
calycis lobis ovatis fructu erectis, petalis albis truncato-orbiculatis im- 
bricatis, staminibus ad 20 petalis paullo brevioribus, disco elevato 
crenato, carpellis dorso medio lanatis maturis stylo demum deciduo 
parum brevioribus, seminibus breviter appendiculatis, testa levi arcte 
appressa. ' 
S. bracteata, Zahel in Wittm. Gartenzeit. vol. iii. (1884) p. 496. Strauch. 
Spirden, p. 45. Dippel Handb. Laubholzk, p. 468. 
S. nipponica, Maxim. in Bull. Acad. Peters. vol. xxxi. (1868) p.39 ; Diagn. Pl. 
Nov. Asiat, (Mel. Biol.) vol. xii. p. 934. 
S. media, F. Schmidt, Hstr. Baumz. 53, t. 54. 
S. media, var. rotundifolia, Nichols. in Gard. Chron. 1885, vol. i. p. 283, Fig. 
26; and Gard. Dict. vol. iii. p. 477. 
S. rotundifolia, fl. albo, Hort. P. F. von Siebold. 
Spirza bracteata is well distinguished by its nearly orbi- 
cular leaves, its hemispheric heads of flowers, the broad 
imbricating petals of which so closely overlap as to re- 
semble a monopetalous corolla. The name is derived from 
the presence of numerous small leaves on the branches of 
the corymbs, which are concealed by the sweet-scented 
flowers. Another peculiarity is the great size of the 
glands of the disk, which surround the mouth of the 
calyx-tube, and resemble a string of large beads. 
Mr. Nicholson informs me that S. bracteata was intro- 
duced from Japan by Siebold, and distributed from his 
old nursery at Leyden, under the name of 8. rotundifolia. 
It was described as S. nipponica by Maximovicz, two years 
after it had been published by Zabel, and there are speci-— 
mens under that name in the Kew Herbarium, from the 
Imperial University of Japan, collected on Mount Fusiyama, 
and from M. Maries, who found it at elevations of two to- 
Auveust Ist, 1895. 
