been found untenable; the species now figured differs 
from J/. rudis in its more herbaceous foliage, its shorter 
flowering pedicels, its white in place of yellow stamens, | 
and its pale green in place of yellow stigma. Its native 
country includes the Western Chinese provinces of 
Szechuan and Kansu, where it occurs at elevations of 
13-15,000 feet above sea-level. The introduction of 
M. Prattii to European horticulture has been due almost 
equally to Mr. E. H. Wilson and Mr. F. K. Ward. The 
material on which our figure is based has been provided 
by a plant raised at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edin- 
burgh, and grown under the name M. Wardii, from seed 
collected by Mr. Ward, which was kindly communicated 
for the purpose by Professor Bayley Balfour. The species 
has proved hardy and thrives well under the conditions 
suitable for MW. aculeata, M. latifolia and M. rudis. 
Description.—fferb, monocarpic ; stem 14-3 ft. high, 
simple, scapose, prickly. - Leaves at the base rosulate, but 
soon disappearing, those of the stem alternate, armed on 
both sides with simple pale prickles, lanceolate, margin 
almost entire, apex acute, narrowed below into a rather 
_ wide petiole, pale green above, still paler beneath; leaf- 
blade 3-53 in. long, 3-1 in. wide; lower petioles 13-24 
in. long, gradually decreasing upwards. Fluwers arranged 
in long raceme-like cymes; pedicels usually 1-2 in., 
rarely 1j—13 in. long, prickly, usually bracteate ; bracts 
like the leaves, but smaller and sessile. S-pals 2, ovate- 
oblong, % in. long, rather densely prickly externally. 
_ Petals 6-8, bright blue, sometimes flushed with purple 
_ and occasionally pale purple throughout, oblong, obtuse, 
about 1 in. long, 2-3 in. wide. Stamens numerous, 
several-seriate; filaments glabrous, free, dark-blue; 
anthers oblong, pale buff or white. Ovary made up 
of 4 carpels, ovoid, 1-4 in. long; style glabrous, 1 in. 
long; stigma pale green. Capsule oblong, 4 in. long, 
resting on a flattened enlarged torus. 
Fig. 1, sepal; 2 and 3, anthers; 4, pistil:—all enlarged. 
