are perulate, the leaves exstipulate, the stamens in- 
definite with discrete anther-cells, the endocarp thin and 
crustaceous ; in Plagiospermum the budscales are replaced 
by persistent stipules, while the stamens are 2-seriate 
with contiguous anther-cells, and the endocarp is thick 
and stony. The material for our plate was supplied by 
Sir F. W. Moore from a plant of Plagiospermum sinense, 
which flowered at Glasnevin in February, 1916. This 
plant, supplied by Mr. T. Smith, Newry, came originally 
from Messrs. Regel and Kesselring, Petrograd. In 
March, 1916, another plant flowered at Kew for the 
first time. This plant was presented in 1908 by 
Mr. P. L. de Vilmorin, who had received it from Russia. 
In cultivation three somewhat distinct forms of P. sinense 
are met with. One of these has large leaves with 
relatively large flowers on long pedicels. The other two 
have smaller leaves and flowers; one of the two has 
fairly long, the other, here figured, has comparatively 
short flower-stalks, whence the name brachypoda. All 
are equally hardy out of doors in this country. 
Description.—Shrub, 6-7 ft. high, virgately branched; twigs of two kinds, 
the former long, strict, armed with spines, glabrous, clothed with last year’s 
y or whitish smooth bark, the latter rather contracted, bearing clusters of 
eaves ; the spines springing from above the short branches spreading, straight 
or slightly curved, some very short, others over } in. long. Leaves usually 
narrowly lanceolate, somewhat acute or obtuse, and often mucronate, base 
gradually narrowed to the petiole, entire, 2-1 in. long, 1-} in. wide, thin, quite 
glabrous, pale green above, glaucous beneath, nerves obscure; stipules of the 
leaves on the longer branches lanceolate-subulate, at length indurated, of those 
on the shorter branches thin, filiform, purplish, sometimes sparingly glandular. 
Flower arranged among the leaves of the shorter branches, orange-yellow ; 
pedicels in flower from }—3 in. long, or in the form brachypoda now figured only 
yo-s in. long, glabrous. Calyx wide-turbinate, } in. deep, pale, quite glabrous 
save for the cilia met with on the herbaceous teeth, clothed inside by a some- 
what fleshy disk with an annular opening. Petals orbicular, somewhat denti- 
culate, shortly clawed, 1-1 in. wide. Stamens 10, inserted on the disk-ring ; 
filaments as long as the small anthers. Ovary immersed in the base of the 
receptacle, depressed ellipsoid-globose, quite glabrous ; style lateral or in fruit 
almost basal, slightly exserted from the receptacle, gradually thickened 
upwards ; stigma depressed capitate ; ovules 2, collateral, spreading obliquely 
from the supra-basal placenta; micropyle almost occluded by a small adaxial 
caruncle. Drupe compressed globose, dark purple, pruinose, } in. wide; stone 
elliptic in cross section ; radicle inferior. 
Tas. 8711.—Fig. 1, flower; 2, the same, in section, the petals removed ; 
8 and 4, anthers ; 4, pistil :—all enlarged. 
