JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1915. 73 



40139 to 40201— Continued. 



both sides, and mostly spinose serrate, one to four flowered inflores- 

 cence, and by the more numerous (six to eight) ovules and seeds. 

 (Adapted from Schneider, in Plantae Wilsonianae, vol. 1, p. 354, 

 1913.) 



40147. Berberis gagnepaini Schneider. 



See S. P. I. Nos. 32701 and 37495 for previous introductions and 

 description. 



"An evergreen shrub, 3 to 6 feet high. Leaves lanceolate, 2 to 4 

 inches long, one-fourth to three-fourths inch broad, tapering very 

 much toward the apex, coriaceous, spiny on the margin, spines at the 

 bases of the leaves tripartite, one-half to two-thirds inch long. 

 Flowers in fascicles of usually five to nine, delicate yellow, borne on 

 red pedicels. Fruits ellipsoid, glaucous purple. This is figured in 

 Curtis's Botanical Magazine, pi. 8185, as B. acuminata, but the true 

 B. acuminata Franch. is less compact in habit, has larger, coarser, 

 and thicker leaves, and stouter spines. China." (Kew Bulletin of 

 Miscellaneous Information, 1910, Appendix Hi, p. 60.) 



40148. Berberis polyantha Hemsl. 



See S. P. I. No. 32698 for previous introduction and description. 



"A deciduous shrub, 6 to 10 feet high, the young shoots reddish 

 brown, ribbed, not downy ; thorns solitary or three pronged, one-half 

 to 1 inch long. Leaves obovate and mostly rounded at the end, the 

 larger ones toothed at the terminal half, the smaller ones frequently 

 entire, all tapered and wedge shaped at the base ; one-half to 2 

 inches long, one-eighth to two-thirds inch wide; finely netveiued on 

 both sides, not downy; stalk one-fourth inch or less long. Flowers 

 yellow, produced during June and July in drooping panicles 3 to 4 

 inches long, 1 to li inches wide, carrying 20 to over 50 blossoms. 

 Fruit red. 



" Discovered in 1899 by Mr. A. E. Pratt, near Tatsienlu, Szechwan, 

 western China ; introduced from the same region by Wilson in 1904. 

 A very fine species, remarkable for the large and abundant flower 

 panicles." (W. J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British 

 Isles, vol. 1, p. 246.) 

 40149. Berberis prattii Schneider. 



See S. P. I. No. 37496 for previous introduction. 



" This western Szechwan shrub, 6 to 10 feet tall, was first col- 

 lected by Mr. A. E. Pratt in the neighborhood of Tatsienlu. It was 

 subsequently met with there and at Muping by Mr. E. H. Wilson, 

 when collecting for Messrs. James Veitch & Sons. Originally in- 

 cluded by Hemsley in B. polyantha, this Berberis has been kept apart 

 by Schneider on account of its less closely reticulated leaves and 

 narrower inflorescence. But while perhaps most closely related to 



B. polyantha Hemsley, B. prattii most resembles B. brevipaniciilata 



C. K. Schneid., with which it lias been confused in collections, though 

 it is readily distinguished by the pale green but not glaucous lower 

 surface of the leaves. Like B. brevipaniciilata, our plant is a shrub 

 of dense growth, forming a mass of twiggy branches out of which 

 are thrust each year a number of long whiplike shoots. More beau- 

 tiful when in flower than most Chinese species of the genus, it is 



