Rhamnus RHAMNACEAE Hovenia 



b. Brs. obviously spiny; brts. pubescent: If. blades 1-5 cm. long. 

 Calyces and pedicels pubescent or puberulent. 

 Stipules slender, acicular, 5-6 mm. long: brts., lvs., calyces 

 and pedicels rather densely pubescent, at least when 



young: lvs. sometimes glabrescent above 2. R. globosa 



Stipules stout, subulate, 3-4 mm. long: calyces and pedicels 

 pubescent or puberulent: If. blades puberulent or 



glabrescent and rugulose above 3. R. rugulosa 



Calyces, pedicels and brts. glabrous: petioles pubescent 4. R. leptophylla 



bb. Brs. not spiny or with occasional spines: lvs. 6-12 cm. long. 

 Petioles 5-12 mm. long: If. blades narrow elliptic to oblong, 

 6-12 cm. long; margins rather finely but not sharply 



serrate 5. R. utilis 



Petioles 2-4 mm. long: If. blades ovate-lanceolate, 5-11 cm. 



long; margins rather coarsely and sharply serrate 6. R. tvilsonii 



1. Rhamnus crenata Sieb. & Zucc* -&M<Mk (Ch'ang Yeh Tung Lu) (R.M. 604). 

 Shrub, to 3 m.; fls. VI; fr. VIII-IX; infl. pedunculate. Japan and Korea to Central 

 China; locally in An., Che., Hun., Ki., Ku. Woodland. 



* Sterile brs. of some forms of Rhamnus crenata are very difficult to distinguish from 

 those of Rhamnella obovalis. The following characters will be useful in identifying fig. 

 material of Rhamnus crenata: fig. umbels often on peduncles 5-12 mm. long; bracts and 

 bracteoles reddish, often lanceolate-subulate, pubescent: ovary entirely free from the disk, 

 3-celled, 3-ovuled; petals bifid at tip. 



2. Rhamnus globosa Bunge \Mi&%< (Shan Lu Ch'ai; Mountain Reed) (R.M. 600). 

 Spiny shrub; fls. IV-V; fr. black, IX-X. Northern and central China; locally in 

 An., Che., Hun., Ki., Ku, Brushland. 



3. Rhamnus rugulosa HemsL* (R.M. 601). Shrub, to 2.5m.; fls. V; fr. black, IX- 

 X. Central and western China; locally in Che., Ku. Brushland. 



* It is probable that the material here separated from Rhamnus globosa will merit dis- 

 tinction also from Rhamnus rugulosa as it occurs in Hupeh and adjacent provinces. The 

 vegetative characters, e.g. spines and pubescence, so widely used in keying the species of 

 Rhamnus are not satisfactory, but much time and abundant material will be required if the 

 classification of the Chinese species is to be revised. 



4. Rhamnus leptophylla Schneid. f^ (Shu Li; Rat Plum) (R.M. 599). Shrub, to 

 3 m.; fls. IV-V; fr. IX-X. Japan, eastern China; locally in Ku. Brushland. 



5. Rhamnus utilis Decne. WMM (Tung Lu Shu; Icy-green Tree) (R.M. 599). Shrub, 

 to 3 m.; fls. IV-V; fr. black, IX-X. Central and eastern China; locally in An., 

 Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Woodland. 



6. Rhamnus wilsonii Schneid. (Pl.W. 2:240). Shrub, to 2m.; fls. V; fr. VIII-IX. 

 Central China; locally in Hup., Ki. Forest. 



6a. Rhamnus wilsonii Schneid. var. pilosa Rehd. (AA. J. 8:167). Lvs. pilose beneath. 

 Central China; locally in An., Ki. 



5. Hovenia Thunb. s&fftg (Chih Chii Shu) 

 A deciduous unarmed tree: lvs. alternate, estipulate, 3-nerved from the base: 

 infl. of axillary and terminal cymes: fls. perfect, 5-merous; petals rolled up, enclosing 

 the stamens: fr. 3-celled and 3-seeded, indehiscent: brs. of the infl. becoming fleshy 



238 



