Tas, 8739. 
SYRINGA WILSONII. 
Western China. 
OLEACEAE. Tribe SYRINGEAE, 
Syrinea, Linn.; Benth, et Hook. f. Gen, Plant. vol. ii. p. 675. 
e 
Syringa Wilsonii, Schneider in Sargent, Pl. Wilson. vol. i. p. 300 (1912), et 
in Handb, Laubholzk, vol. ii. p. 1064; species S. tomentellae, Bur. et 
Franch., arcte affinis sed foliis supra mox glabris subtus nisi secus nervos 
glabris apte distinguenda. 
Frutex 2°5-6-metralis ; ramuli juniores glabri, lenticellis pallidis sparse notati; 
gemmae terminales glabrescentes, ad 8 mm. longae. Folia decidua, 
elliptica vel ovathk, acuminata, basi nunc late nunc anguste cuneata, 
3°7-10 om. longa, 2°5-5°5 cm. lata, primum ciliata, supra saturate viridia 
mox glaberrima, subtus pallidiora secus costam nervosque pubescentia ; 
petiolus 6-12 mm. longus, pubescens. Panicula terminalis ad 20 cm. 
usque longa, 10-15 cm. lata, glabra vel parce pubescens foliis perpaucis 
basi ornata. Flores numerosissimi, odorati. Calyx cupularis, 1-5 mm. 
longus latusque, glaber, margine truncatus vel minutissime dentatus. 
Corolla pallide lilacina, 9 mm. longa, basi tubulosa; limbus 4-lobus, lobi 
ovati utrinque glabri. Stamina 2, parte superiore tubi corollae affixa ; 
filamenta perbrevia ; antherae oblongae, luteae. Capswla fusiformis, acuta, 
1°5 cm. longa, lenticellata, glabraa—W. J. BEAN. 
' 
Syringa Wilsonii is undoubtedly a very close ally of 
S. tomentella, Bureau & Franchet, and it is difficult to 
point to any character of essential importance to distin- 
guish them except the markedly pubescent character of 
the latter. Both leaf surfaces in S. tomentella are pube- 
scent, the lower one almost velvety; the main and 
secondary axes of the panicle, as well as the pedicels 
and calyx, are also pubescent. We have not seen the 
fruit of S. tomentella, but that of S. Wilsonii at Kew 
is perfectly glabrous. Mr. E. H. Wilson discovered this 
lilac on the mountains near Tachien-lu in Western 
Szechuan, China, when collecting for Harvard University 
in 1908. S. tomentella was collected by Mr. A. E. Pratt 
in the same district about twenty years earlier and at 
about the same elevations, viz. 8,000-10,500 feet. The 
plant from which the material for our plate was gathered 
DeEcEMBER, 1917. 
