here described is very closely allied to a form described 

 by Professor Makino as S. hakusanensis, from Shirouma 

 in the province of Shinano, which is probably also a 

 variety of S. obtusa. Makino adverts to the close rela- 

 tionship which his plant bears to S. obtusa, but separates 

 it specifically on account of the difference in the number 

 of its stamens —nine to ten, and the colour of its 

 anthers. A specimen in the British Museum, collected 

 by Mr. H. Takeda, seems to indicate that the number of 

 stamens is not a satisfactory character, and it has been 

 pointed out by Velenovsky that in the genus Sanguisorba 

 as a whole the number of stamens is variable; in late 

 developed spikes, for example, reduction to even two 

 stamens may occur. In the plant figured the filaments 

 are often united, sometimes nearly to the apex. 



Description.—-//^, perennial; stem erect, 3-4 ft. 

 high, simple or branched. Leaves: radical long-petioled, 

 5-20 in. long, 5-16-foliolate ; leaflets bluntly ovate or 

 elliptic, base obtuse or somewhat cordate, 1J-2J in. 

 l° n g> |-2 in. wide, pale green above, somewhat glaucous 

 beneath, margin bluntly or sharply serrate, rachis 

 sparingly pubescent at the attachment of the leaflets ; 

 petiolules slender, up to 1 in. long. Spike centrifugal, 

 eylindnc, 2-3J in. long; rachis tomentose ; bracts 

 lanceolate or subspathulate, acuminate, I in. long, ciliate 

 with white hairs; bracteoles 2, linear, T V in. long, 

 ciliate like the bracts. Flowers sessile, rose-purple. 

 bepals 4, persistent, orbicular, £ in. long, mucronate, the 

 tip thickened, 3-nerved, sparingly pubescent outside 

 near the base or when old almost glabrous. Receptacle 

 with a pubescent, 4-angled tube. Disk inconspicuous. 

 btamens usually 6, 3-4 times as long as the calyx ; fila- 

 ments flat, widened in the middle, suddenly narrowed at 

 the top often more or less connate below. Anthers rose- 

 coloured, very short. Stigmas fimbriate. Achene firm, 

 ^ in long ; persistent calyx-tube hardened, 4-angled. 



Fig. 1 and 2, flowers ; 3, vertical section of the same, with bases of stamens 

 and style ; 4, a compound stamen ; 5 and 6, stamens :—all enlarged except 1, 

 which is of natural size. 



