1828 Leaflets of Philippine Botany [Vol. V, Art. 93 



RHAMNACEAE 

 Zizyphus palawanensis Elm. n. sp. 



A scandent and sprawling shrub; stem terete, flexible, 

 2 to 3 cm. thick, repeatedly branched toward the top; wood 

 soft, porous and with sweet clear watery juice, yellowish 

 white except the brownish central mass; bark smooth or 

 lenticelled, the middle portion isabellinus; main branches 

 widely spreading, green, tough, bearing raised deeply in- 

 dented elongated lenticels; twigs numerous, divaricate, also 

 green, relatively short, spinescent, only the young tips oliva- 

 ceus puberulent. Leaves horizontal or descending, shining 

 green upon the upper shallowly curved surface, paler beneath, 

 drying unequally deep brown on the two sides, the gradual- 

 ly acuminate apex strongly recurved, the base generally a 

 trifle inequilateral and broadly rounded or shallowly cordate, 

 entire or crenately dentate on the sides toward apex, the 

 lower or larger blades 9 cm. long by 4.5 cm. wide at or 

 below the middle, the upper ones scarcely more than one 

 half as large; petiole less than 1 cm. long, sparsely oliva- 

 ceu3 strigose when young, glabrous when old, ascendingly 

 curved at the base, subtended by a recurved spine; veins 3, 

 arising from the base, converging into the apex, bold beneath, 

 impressed above, the 2 lateral ones with 5 to 7 outer much 

 ascendingly curved secoiidary ones, the cross bars more evid- 

 ent from below. Inflorescence from the uppermost leaf axils, 

 erect, slightly fragrant, varying from 1 to 7 cm. long, alternatingly 

 branched, all the stalks in the young state yellowish brown 

 or gray puljerulent; branches rigid, divaricate, 1 cm. long 

 more or less, rebranched toward the distal end; pedicels short 

 velutinous, 1 to 2 mm. long, subtended by a series of a 

 minutely ciliate hracteoles; calyx greenish, campanulate, also 

 velutinous, 2.5 mm. long or less, leathery, the 5 triangular 

 segments only one half as long and valvate; petals yellowish 

 green, shorter than the calyx teeth, alternating with them, 

 inserted upon the calyx rim, short yet distinctly stipitate, the 

 thin lamina portion hood-like or folded and forming a ven- 

 trally opening pocket; stamens of the some number and di- 

 rectly opposite the petals and inserted upon the same rim; 



