Aeginetia OROBANCHACEAE-GESNER1ACEAE Tienmuia 



or in terminal spikes; calyx persistent; corolla tubular, more or less 2-lipped; stamens 

 4, didynamous, inserted on the corolla tube; anthers 2-celled; ovary superior; stigma 

 large: fr. a one-celled 2-valved capsule with numerous minute seeds. 13 genera with 

 140 species, in temperate and tropical regions; 6 genera and over 10 species in China. 



Key to the Genera 



Fls. solitary on naked scapes, 5-40 cm. high 1 . Aeginetia 



Fls. clustered at the top of a scale-leafy stem, to 6 cm. high 2. Tienmuia 



1. Aeginetia Linn. MUM (Yeh Ku Shu) 

 Stems naked or scaly, leafless: fls. few, large, solitary, on naked scapes, ebracteo- 

 late; calyx spatheaceous; corolla obscurely 2-lipped; stamens included; anther cells 

 unequal; placentae large, 2-lobed, filling the cavity of the ovary: seeds pitted. 5 

 species, in tropical Asia; 2 in China. (In memory of Paul Aeginette, a physician who 

 flourished in the 7th century.) 



Key to the Species 



Fl. buds acuminate; fls. 2-4.5 cm. long; calyx acuminate 1. A. indica 



Fl. buds rotund, obtuse; fls. to 6cm. long; calyx obtuse 2. A. sinensis 



1. Aeginetia indica Linn. m~M (Yeh Ku; Wild Mushroom) (Mak.F.130). Root 

 parasite, to 4 dm.; fls. reddish purple, VII-VIII; fr. IX-X. Eastern Asia; locally 

 in An., Hun., Ki., Ku. Parasitic on roots of woody plants. 



2. Aeginetia sinensis G. Beck (E.P.96(IV.261):19). Root parasite, to 6cm.; fls. rose- 

 colored, VI- VII. China, Japan; locally in Ki. Parasitic on shrub roots. 



No authentic specimens of A. sinensis have been available for study. Certain specimens 

 at the Gray Herbarium, re-labelled A. sinensis, e. g. Steward 2605 from Kiangsi, have scapes 

 up to 4xthe 6 cm. allowed in the original description of the species. Furthermore, the flower 

 buds are not clearly obtuse. Perhaps this will be found to be at most a variety of the wide- 

 ranging A. indica. 



2. Tienmuia Hu ^XU'MM (T'ien Mu Ts'ao Shu) 

 A fleshy parasitic herb, growing on the roots of woody plants: lvs. scale-like, 

 alternate, imbricate: fls. hermaphrodite, in crowded terminal clusters, without bracts; 

 calyx spathe-like, cleft to the base in front; corolla cylindric-tubular below, 5-lobed 

 and 2-lipped above; stamens 3, included; ovary 1-celled, with 4 parietal placentae. 

 One species, in east-central China. (Named for the type locality, Tien Mu Shan, 

 northwestern Chekiang, China.) 



1. Tienmuia triandra Hu (Fa.B.9:6). Fleshy parasitic herb, to 6 cm.; fls. in terminal 

 clusters, ivory-white, V. East-central China; locally in Che. Parasitic on tree roots. 



158. GESNERIACEAE Gesneria Family ^^14 (K'u Chu 



T'ai K'o; Bitter Lettuce-sprout Family) 



Herbs, shrubs, or rarely small trees, with simple lvs. (ours ivhorled or basal) and 



infl. various: fls. perfect, usually irregular, 5-merous; stamens 4, didynamous, inserted 



on the corolla tube, often only 2 fertile; ovary 1-celled, or falsely 2-4-celled : fr. fleshy 



or capsular, with numerous seeds. 85 genera with 1,200 species, mostly tropical; 15 



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