15 



vel ternati, pedunculati, inflorescentiam densam, terminalem, pari foliorum floralium breviorem efFormantes. Pedunculi breves, tei^f ri, 

 pilis paucis obsiti. Pedicelli florum lateralium vix ultra lineam longi. Bracte^ sessiles, membranacese, pallid^ virides, ciliatae' 

 retieulatse; floris intermedii solitaria, lanceolata, unguicularis ; lateralium utrinque 3, ista mult6 minores, ad apicem pedicelli sitae: 

 harum exterior paul5 longior, laterales huic directione contrarise, ovarium suba^quantes. Calyx superus, limbo 5-partito, persistente • 

 lachme angustissimfe lineares, obtusiusculae, erecto-patentes, 3-nervise, retieulatse, villis longis, numerosis, sericeis, patentibus ciliatse, cse- 

 terum glabrae, ajquales, lineas 8 longa. Corolla infundibuliformis, utrinque pubescens ; tubus cylindricus, gracilis, lacinias calycis eequans, 

 sursum leviter dilatatus ; limbus patentiusculus, 5-fidus, sestivatione imbricato-ovatus ; lacinice ovatee, obtuse, venuloscfi, ciliatse, ferfe 

 aequales, tertiam tubi partem longitudine vix superantes ; faux puberula, pervia. Stamina 4, requalia, fauce recondita ■,Jilammta brevis'sima, 

 ■ capillacea, infra sinus limbi inserta, basi villosa, lineolis 4 sericeis tubum inttis percurrentia ; antheroe oblongse, erectcC, 2-loculares, utrinque 

 longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium inferum, oblongum, hinc planiusculum, pilosulum, prominenter et insequali distantia s'-nervium, 

 lineas circiter 3 longum, apice in collum breve attenuatum, 3-loculare ; locula ahortiva 2 supra medium 3— 4-ovulata, ovulis minutis' 

 subulatis, obliqu^ ex axi apice fenestrata pendulis, 1-seriatis ; loculum tertium fertile reliquis parum amplius, 1-sporum, fundo vacuum \ 

 ovulo majusculo, oblongo-ovato, axi supm medium inserto, pendulo. Stylus filiformis, glaber. Stigma clavatum, subcarnosum, an- 

 theraruin elevationem attingens, cumque iis inclusum. Fructus baud visus. 



" This new species of Abelia has in its inflorescence nearly the same relation to Abelia chinensis, that CaprifoUum 

 has to Xylosteum ; the central flower present in A. trijlora and in CaprifoUum being abstracted in Xylosteum and in 

 A. chinensis. In a third species (Abelia uniflord) sent from China by Mr. John Reeves, and for a specimen of which 

 I am indebted to the Horticultural Society, another modification of inflorescence occurs. Tlie peduncles in this species 

 have but one flower, which is considered as one of the lateral flowers, the ovarium being subtended by three bracts, 

 placed exactly as in those of the corresponding flower of Abelia triflora. 



" Of the Natural Order CaprifoliacecB, the only certain genera appear to me to be, — CaprifoUum, Xylosteum, Sym- 

 phoricarpus, LinncBa, Abelia, Diermlla, (to which belongs Weigelia of Thunberg, who described the epigynous o-land 

 as the ovarium, which he overlooked,) Triosteum and Leycesteria of Dr. Wallich. I am not acquainted, however, 

 with any other character distinguishing them from the genera, which have hitherto been associated with them, except 

 the very minute one of the raphe, or adnate portion of the funiculus umbiUcalis, being on the outer instead of the 

 inner side of the ovulum." — Broivn MSS. 



My plant-collector, who discovered this elegant species on the highest mountains of Northern and Western Ka- 

 maon, towards the Himalaya, informs me that it grows to a " middling-sized tree, and that its flowers are delight- 

 fully fragrant like those of Jasminum revolutum" 



It is with much satisfaction that I find myself able to add a new species to a genus, long since consecrated by Mr. 

 Brown to a mutual friend, now no more, whose private worth and scientific attainments I had many opportunities of 

 appreciating, and whose premature death science will long have cause to regret. 



For the generic and specific characters and observations belonging to this and the three following plants, I am 

 indebted to the liberality of my inestimable friend R. Brown, Esq., under whose direction the drawings were executed 

 by the accurate hand of Mr. Charles Curtis. It must be evident to every one, how much valuable aid I have derived 

 in my description of the plants from Mr. Brown's minute and masterly dissections. His absence from England at this 

 moment unfortunately prevents me from adding that detail (more particularly as far as regards the two species of 

 Cometes^ which would assuredly have been supplied by him had he been on the spot. It enables me, however, 

 to take this opportunity of expressing those feelings of admiration and respect, with which his name has for nearly 

 twenty years inspired me, and which have been augmented, since my return from India, by those of gratitude for the 

 most important assistance in my labours. 



Plate XV. Fig. 1. A fascicle of flowers, immediately after the corollas have fallen off", showing the position of the bracts. 2. Flower- 

 bud. 3. Flower. 4. Corolla opened, showing the stamens. 5. Calyx and pistil. 6. Stamen viewed in front. 7. The same 

 viewed sideways, showing the bursting of the anther. 8. A grain of pollen. 9. 10. Ovarium viewed in two aspects, exhibiting the 

 arrangements of the nerves. 11. llie same cut across in the middle. 12. The same having two of its-cells opened lengthways, one 

 of them containing three abortive ovula, the other containing a solitary fertile ovulum. 



