Tas. 8430. 
DAPHNE RETUSA. 
Western China. 
THYMELAEACEAE. Tribe THYMELAEAE. 
Dapune, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 190. 
Daphne retusa, Hemsl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. vol. xxix. p. 318; Keissler in 
Engl. Bot. Jahrb. vol. xxv. p. 96; Pritzel in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. vol, xxix. 
p. 481; species D. odorae, Thunb. affinis sed statura humili, foliis multo 
minoribus plerumque retusis perulisque dense ciliatis differt. 
Fruticulus densissime ramosus, 6-10 dm. altus, subglobosus, vere cum foliis 
novellis florens. Rami novelli magis minusve pubescentes, demum 
glabrati, annotini cortice pallide brunneo tecti. Folia in annum secundum 
persistentia, oblonga vel oblanceolato-oblonga, obtusa, plerumque retusa, 
basi in petiolum perbrevem latiusculum attenuata, exsiccando interdum 
ob margines valde revolutas specie oblongo-linearia, 3-7 cm. longa, 
8-17 mm. lata, coriacea, glaberrima, supra saturate viridia, subtus 
pallida, nervis obsoletis. Flores e gemmis terminalibus perulatis orti, 
umbellatim dispositi, ramulis foliisque novellis stipati et foliis nonnullis 
vetustis suffulti. Gemmae 1 em. longae, perulis oblongis vel ellipticis 
obtusis vel acutis ad margines dense ciliatis caeterum glabris. Perianthium 
album, magis minusve roseo- vel violaceo-suffusum vel extra totum violaceo- 
roseum, glabrum; tubus cylindricus 10-12 mm. longus; lobi ovati, obtusi- 
usculi, ad 10 mm. longi, 5 mm. lati. Stamina 2-seriata, series circiter 
4 mm. distantes, inferior medio tubo inserta antheris haud exsertis. 
Ovarium glabrum, stigmate capitato, stylo brevissimo. Bacca subglobosa, 
carnosa, rubra, 10 mm. longa, 8 mm. diametro,—O. Starr. 
The interesting Daphne here figured was first discovered 
by Mr. A. E. Pratt in 1889 at altitudes of between 9,000 
and 13,000 feet in the neighbourhood of Tatien-lu in 
Western Szechuan. In 1903 it was again collected in the 
same district by Mr. E. H. Wilson, and was sent by him to 
Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons who have raised it in their 
nursery at Coombe Wood. ‘The material on which our 
illustration has been based came from a plant in the 
Coombe Wood nursery, where it is an evergreen shrub 
of compact and shapely form, about eighteen inches high and 
as much wide, well furnished with shining dark green 
foliage. The flowers, which are freely produced in early 
May along with the new leaves, have all the pleasing 
fragrance that is characteristic of the genus, which, taken 
as a whole, is not very easy to cultivate. Judging, how- 
AprIL, 1912, 
