Tas. 8432. 
DAVIDIA rnvoLucrata, var. VILMORINIANA. 
Central and Western China. 
CorNACEAE. Tribe NyssEABE. 
Davipra, Baill. Adans. vol. x. (1871), p. 115, e¢ in Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. 
Par. sér. 2, vol. viii. (1885), p. 242, t. 10. 
Davidia involucrata, var. Vilmoriniana, Hems/.; a D. involucrata typica 
foliis subtus haud albo-tomentosis differt. 
Arbor elegans mediocris, foliis iis Tiliae specierum nonnullarum similibus, 
inflorescentia capitata, bracteis 2 amplis albis ornata. Folia alterna, 
exstipulata, longe petiolata ; lamina p wpyracea, ovato- vel orbiculari-cordata, 
absque petiolo 6-12 cm. longa, abrupte caudato-acuminata, margine grosse 
glanduloso- vel calloso-serrata, primum pilis longis appressis praecipue 
_secus costam nervosque vestita, cito glabrescentia; vevae primariae utrinque 
5-7, sat prominentes, furcatae; petiolus fere teres, supra anguste canalicu- 
latus, gracilis, flexilis, 4-10 em. longus. Jnflorescentia pseudoterminalis, 
capitata, longe pedunculata, pendula, monogama vel heterogama; pedun- 
culus floriger 5-8 cm. longus, prope apicem bibracteatus, fructiger 8-10 
em. longus; bracteae suboppositae, sessiles, saepissime inaequales, 
foliaceae, foliis similes sed albae, membranaceae, oblongo-lanceolatae vel 
oblanceolatae, basi rotundatae vel subcordatae, acuminatae, longiores 
usque ad 15 em. longae, per anthesin capitulum nutantem superim- 
pendentes, cito deciduae. Capitulum saepius heterogamum, circiter 3 cm. 
diametro, multiflorum, florem unicum hermaphroditum et flores numerosos 
masculinos gerens, nune omnino masculinum, nunc flore femineo solitario ; 
receptaculum subglobosum, ebracteolatum. Flores masculini sessiles, 
achlamydei (vel perianthium pulviniforme). Stamina 1-7 (interdum 
usque ad 12, fide Horne) annulatim posita; filamenta bene evoluta, 
filiformia ; antherae purpureae, cordiformes, biloculares, apiculatae. /os 
hermaphroditus (au vere hermaphroditus?) brevissime pedicellatus, in 
receptaculo g'oboso oblique insertus. Periavthium nullum vel ad squamu- 
las minutas inter stamina epigynas redactum. Stam/na 5-10 vel numero- 
siora (interium usque ad 26, fide Hornet), epigyna, parva, imperfecta 
(an semper ?). Ovarinm inferum, saepissime 7-loculare, loculis uniovulatis ; — 
styli lobi loculis isomeri, arcte recurvi; ovula pendula. Fructus drupaceus, 
ellipsoideus, circiter 4 cm. dia‘netro maximo, flavo-viridis, brunnev-punc- 
tatus; epicarpium et mesocarpium tenuia; endocarpium osseum, durissi- 
mum ; dehis-entia per valvulas dorsales ab apice usque al medium fructus 
deciduas; embryo in endospermio tenui rectus, radicula superiore quam 
cotyledonibus oblongis paullo breviore.—Davidia Vilmoriniana, Dode in 
Rev. Hort. 1908, p. 4u6.  D. involucrata, Oliv. in Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 1961, 
et Gard. Chron. vol. xxxix. (1906), p. 346 cum figura.—W. B. Hemsury. 
Davidia was one of the earliest and is certainly one of 
the most striking of the novelties discovered in Western 
China when the botanical exploration of that region was 
begun over forty years ago. The first specimens were 
transmitted to the late Professor Baillon by the Abbé 
May, 1912. 
