Tab. 7383. 

 STAPHYLEA colchica. 



Native of the Southern Caucasus. 



Nat. Ord. Sapindace^e. — Sub Ord. Stapuyie^!. 

 Genus Staphylea, Linn. ; (Benih. & HooJc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 412.) 



Staphyxea colchica ; frutex ramulis gracilibua teretibns, foliis longe petiolatia 

 3-5-foliolatis, foliolis approximatis ovato-oblongis acuminatis serrulatia 

 ima basi subtus puberulis, lateralibus sessilibus, terminali petiolulato, 

 stipulis anguste linearibus fere filiformibus membranaceis, stipellis subu- 

 latia, racemis terminalibus suberectia oblongis basi sabcompositis, sepalia 

 linearibus obtusis revolutis pallide virescentibus, petalis paullo latioribus 

 subspathulatis erectis albis apicibus recurvia, filamentis glabris, capsulaa 

 lobis apice divergentibus seminibus diam. grani piperis. 



S. colchica, Steven in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. vol. ii. (1848), p. 276 Waif. Ann. 

 vol. ii. p. 262. Boiss. Fl. Orient, vol. i. p. 954. Gard. Chron. (1887), 

 vol. ii. p. 713, f . 137 ; (1891), vol. ii. p. 161, f. 22. Gartenfl. (1888) p. 501, 

 cum Ic. Grilli in Bull. Soc. Tosc. Ort. vol. v. (1890), p. 235, f. 10. 



The genus Staphylea, consisting of only five species, has 

 a very wide range geographically, extending round the 

 globe ; though represented in each successive area by a 

 different species. The type of the genus is the well- 

 known Bladder-nut, 8. pinnata, Linn., of our shrubberies, 

 a native of Western Europe, extending thence to Asia 

 Minor and Syria. In the South Caucasian region it is 

 succeeded by the species here figured, to which it is very 

 closely allied. Thence in proceeding Eastward there is 

 a break, no representative having been as yet found in 

 Persia. In Afghanistan the Himalayan 8. Emodi appears, 

 as a small tree, which extends to Kashmir, and thence to 

 the borders of Nepal ; but no further Eastwards in Asia, 

 where it is succeeded by the closely allied arboreous 

 genus Turpinia, which reaches the coast of China. In 

 China, as Mr. Hemsby informs me, there are three species, 

 the 8. Bumalda, Sieb. of Japan, another closely resembling 

 8. Emodi, and a third which is undescribed. In Japan the 

 8. Bumalda, Sieb. and Zucc. takes up the roll; to bo 

 continued in Western North America by 8. Bolanderi, 

 November 1st, 1894. 



