late Mr. Franchet in 1894 described as Parvatia chinensis 
a species collected by Farges in Szechuan. In this 
Parvatia Professor Diels recognised the female portion of 
Holboellia cuneata, Oliv., so distinct from the male portion 
as to belong to a different subgenus of LHolboellia. To 
this subgenus, which Diels had termed Sinofranchetia, 
the rank of a genus was accorded by Dr. Hemsley in 
1909. It has now been discovered that the male portion 
cf Holboellia cuneata, Oliv., is also better considered as 
belonging to a distinct genus, a female of which has been 
met with in western Hupeh by Mr. E. H. Wilson. This 
new genus is now known as Sargentodora, Rehder & E. H. 
Wilson, also a member of the Lardizabalaceae. The 
material for our figure of Sinofranchetia chinensis has been 
derived from the collection of Miss E. A. Willmott, 
Warley Place, by whom fruiting sprays were communi- 
cated in November, 1915, specimens with male flowers 
being sent in June, 1916. At Warley Place Sinofranchetia 
was raised from seed in a cold frame, and in the second 
year was planted against a pergola in a north-east 
position. A year later flowers appeared and fruit ripened. 
It has proved perfectly hardy and has been unscathed 
by the severe winter of 1916-17. It is not fastidious as 
regards either soil or position, it calls for no special 
treatment, and may be propagated by seed. 
Dzscriprion.—Shrub, wide climbing, glabrous in all its parts ; stem twining, 
smooth, at first pruinose; flowering twigs short, closely leafy. Leaves 
deciduous, pinnately 3-foliolate, long-petioled ; terminal leaflet obovate, shortly 
acuminate, base wide cuneate, 84-43 in. long, 8-4 in. wide, petiolule 
4-1} in. long; lateral leaflets similar but smaller, more or less oblique at the 
base and rounded on the outer side, shortly petiolulate; all papery, green 
above and paler beneath; common petiole 6-7 in. long, channelled above 
towards the dilated base. Racemes axillary, pendulous, up to 12 in. 1 the 
naked base 24-4 in. long, ebracteate ; pedicels very short. Sepals 6, obovate, 
those of the male , of the female 4; in. long. Petals 6, fleshy, somewhat 
obcordate, very short. Stamens 6, those of the male with linear, rather fleshy 
filaments barely longer than the petals, connivent in a cup; the anthers arched 
above the mouth of the cup, wide oblong; those of the female sterile, more 
slender, smaller than the petals. Pistils 8, those of the male sterile, minute : 
those of the female rather longer than the petals, elliptic or obovate-oblong, 
about 7 in. long; stigma sessile ; ovules about 20, 2-seriate. Carpels when 
ripe berry-like, ellipsoid, up to 3 in. long, about 3 in. wide, lilac. Seeds com- 
pressed, nearly elliptic in outline, 3-1 in. long; testa blackish, 
Tas. 8720.—Fig. 1, male flower; 2, vertical section of the same; 3, female 
flower; 4, rudimentary stamens and pistils ; 5, pistil; 6, section. of fruit; 
7, seed :—all enlarged except 6, which is of natural size. - 
