v**° 



xv, 3 •Merrill: Notes on the Kwangtung Flora 257 



RUBIACEAE 



PLECTR0N1A Linnaeus 



PLECTRONIA LEVINEI sp. nov. 



Frutex glaber, ramis spinis longis rigidis rectis armatis; fo- 

 liis chartaceis, ellipticis ad oblongo-ellipticis, 1.5 ad 4 cm longis, 

 obtusus ad acutis, basi angustatis, acutis, nervis utrinque 2 vel 

 3, obscuris, subtus in axillis subobsolete glandulosis, reticulis 

 obsoletis; fructibus axillaribus, solitariis, tenuiter pedicellatis, 

 ovoideis, in siccitate nigris vel pruinosis, rugosis, circiter 6 mm 

 longis. 



A glabrous shrub, the branches terete or the ultimate branch- 

 lets obscurely angled. Leaves usually in pairs on two very short 

 opposite branchlets, appearing like four leaves at each node, 

 chartaceous, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, or sometimes somewhat 

 obovate, rather pale when dry, slightly shining, 1.5 to 4 cm long, 

 1 to 2 cm wide, obtuse to acute, base narrowed, acute; lateral 

 nerves 2 or 3 on each side of the midrib, slender, indistinct, their 

 axils obscurely glandular on the lower surface, the reticulations 

 obsolete ; petioles 1 to 2 mm long ;• stipules about 1 mm long. 

 Fruits axillary, solitary, black or somewhat pruinose, rugose, 

 ovoid, about 6 mm long, when young crowned by the cylindric, 

 5-toothed, about 4 mm long calyx-tube, this soon deciduous, the 

 pedicels 10 to 12 mm long, slender. Seeds usually two. Spines 

 straight or slightly curved, stiff, rather slender, sharp, 1 to 1.5 

 cm long. 



Kwangtung Province, Heung Shan District, near Macao, Le- 

 vine 3487, January 18, 1919. 



This species belongs in the group with Plectronia horrida 

 Benth. & Hook, f., P. parvifolia Benth. & Hook, f., and P. parvi- 

 flora Bedd., but is readily distinguished by being entirely gla- 

 brous, and by its solitary, slenderly pedicelled fruits. 



. WENDLANDIA Bartling 



\^° WENDLANDIA CHINENSIS sp. nov. 



Species W. paniculatae affinis, differt stipulis hirsutis, inflores- 

 centiis densissime cinereo-villosis, fioribus dense confertis, glo- 

 meratim dispositis, more W. tinctoriae, 



A shrub or small tree up to 8 m high, the branches glabrous 

 or nearly so, the branchlets more or less brownish- or cinereous- 

 pubescent. Leaves chartaceous, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceo- 

 late, olivaceous and shining when dry, 10 to 12 cm long, 3 to 5 

 cm wide, subequally narrowed to the acute base and rather 

 slenderly acuminate apex, the upper surface very slightly sub- 



