Tab. 7880. 

 ASTILBE Davidii. 



Native of China, 8fc. 



Nat. Ord. Saxifragace*. — Tribe Saxifrages. 

 Genus Astilbe, Buch.-Ham. ; (Benth. & Eodk.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 634.) 



Asm be Davidii; herba elata, caule tereti laevi paucifoliato, foliia radicali- 

 bus rosulatis stipulatis, caulinis distantibns longe graciliterqne petiolatia 

 ternatim pinnatis, pinnis lateralibus oppositis longe petiolulatis 3-f>- 

 foliolatis, pinnulis lateralibus oppoBitis sessilibus papyraceis l£ poll, 

 longis ovatis oblongisve acutis grosse saspe insequaliter argute serratis 

 dentibus cuspidatis supra Isete viridibus, termmali petiolulata duplo 

 majore basi acuta v. rotundata simplici v. triloba, panicula terminali 

 valde elongata angusta, rachi ramisque fusco-tomentosis, ramis simplici- 

 bus 2-4 poll, longis erecto-patentibus spiciformibus fere a basi densi- 

 fioris, bracteis ad basiD ramorum y-£ poll, longis lanceolatis membranaceis, 

 floribus parvis la3te roseis secus rachin ramorum in glomerulos parvos 

 dispositis sessilibus bracteolis 2 subulatis, calycis puberuli turbinati 

 lobis ovato-oblongis obtusis, petalis loriformibus obtusis calycis lobis 

 4 plo longioribus apicibns neutiquam dilatatiH, staminibus 10 petalis 

 brevioribns, filamentis violaceis, antheris snbglobosis atro-violaceis, ovarii 

 conici carpellis basi c >nnalis in stylos subulatos attenuatis. 



A. Davidii, Henry in Gard. Ghron. 190.1, vol. ii. p. 95, tig. 34. 



A. cbinensis, var. Davidi, Franch. PI. David, p. 121. Henry I.e. The 

 Garden, vol. lxii. p. 179, cum ic. 



This beautiful plant has been referred by that excellent 

 botanist, the late Mr. Franchet, to a variety, Davidi, of 

 Astilbe chinensis, Maximowicz, a species described as having 

 a yellowish calyx, with acute lobes and white petals dilated 

 at the apex, founding the variety on the vinous colour of 

 the inflorescence, and uniformly linear petals. In so doing 

 he has overlooked the very long, narrow panicle, with long, 

 sub-erect branches regularly diminishing in length up- 

 wards, which is a marked character of this plant. Taken 

 together, these differences induced Mr. Henry, when 

 describing and figuring it in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 

 under the name given by Franchet, to adopt that of 

 Davidii as the specific name. 



A. Davidii appears to have a wide range in China, 

 growing in shaded places and by water-courses. There are 

 specimens in the Kew Herbarium collected in Manchuria 

 by Wilford in Mongolia, by Pere David, near Peking, 



Februahy 1st, 190". 



