~ EAB Bi a2. 
CAESALPINIA vernatis, 
China. 
Leeuminosaz, Tribe CazksaLPINIEAE. 
Carsaurinia, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 565. 
Caesalpinia vernalis, Champ. ex Benth. in Hook. Kew Journ. 1852, vol. iv. 
p. 77; Benth., Fl. Hongk. p. 97; Hemsl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. vol. xxiii. 
p. 206; affinis C. Nugae, Ait., a qua foliolis minoribus ovatis et racemis 
ferrugineo-tomentosis differt. 
Frutex alte scandens, caule sparse aculeato, cortice longitudinaliter desqua- 
mante. Ramuli et foliorum rhaches jnvenes brunneo-tomentelli, inno- 
vationibns ferrugineo-tomentosis. Rhachis folii subtus valde aculeata ; 
pinnae 9-12-jugae, breviter petiolatae, rhachiola inter foliola aculeolata ; 
foliola 4-8-juga, breviter petiolulata, ovata, acuta, interdum leviter 
acuminata, 1°5-2°5 cm. longa, 0°5-1 cm. lata, supra nitidula, glabra, 
subtus pallida nervo medio puberulo. Racemi in axillis superioribus 
orti, cire. 15 em. longi, rhachi ferrugineo-tomentosa. -Alabastra nutantia. 
Sepala obovato-oblonga, convexa, ciliata, anticnm quam cetera majus, 
extra longiuscule ferrugineo-pubescens, vix 1 cm. longum. Petala 
ovata, lateralia et antica vix 1°5 cm. longa ungue incluso, posticum quam 
cetera minus, reflexum vel revolutum, coccineo-maculatum. Stamina 
declinata, filamentis inferne villosis, antheris uni- vel biapiculatis. 
Ovarium breviter stipitatum, pubescens, biovulatum, stylo crasso, 
Legumen oblique eiliptico-oblongum, 5 cm. longum, 3°5 cm. latum. 
Caesalpinia vernalis attaches itself to the trees on which 
it climbs by means of the numerous backwardly-directed 
prickles on the under surface of the leaf-rhachis. It has 
hitherto been recorded only from Hongkong, but may 
. 
possibly yet be found on- the mainland; according to 
Mr. W. J. Tutcher, Assistant Superintendent, Botanic 
Garden, Hongkong, of the 159 species recorded as endemic 
_ for Hongkong by Bentham, only about 5V remain peculiar 
to the island, the remainder having since been discovered 
in other parts of China. Numerous additional species 
have been discovered in Hongkong since the publication 
of the “‘ Flora Hongkongensis,” and the endemic element 
is now estimated by Tutcher (Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot., 
vol. xxvii. p. 59) at about 100. 
Seeds of C. vernalis were received at Kew in 1883 from 
the Botanic Gardens, Hongkong, but the species did not 
flower until May, 1906, when it was figured for this 
Magazine. The Kew plant is trained against one of the 
pillars in the Temperate House, where it has made 
May Ist, 1907. 
