66 



BOTANICAL MAGAZTNE. [Vol. xix, 



branchlets which are attain about 6 cm. long ; internodes much shorter 

 than the fascicles of cladodia. Leaves deltoid, subulato-deltoid in those 

 of the upper portion of stem, sharply acuminate, closely adpressed, membra- 

 naceous, very shortly produced at the base, 2-8 mm. long, 2-7 mm. broad ; 

 those under cladodia small, deltoid, shortly acute, thinly membranacous, 

 scarious, often subtrilobed, the basal projection obscure. Cladodia 1-8, 

 fasciculate, spreading or erect-patent, nearly equal in length, linear-filiform, 

 subulate above with a sharply acute point, angulato-sub.terete, striate when 

 dried, straight but somewhat arcuate, about 2-3§ cm. long or shorter, |-f mm. 

 sometimes 1 mm. across, deep green, densely scattered with very minute 

 pale spots under lens. Flowers appear below the middle of stem and 

 branches, numerous and dense, dioecious, pedicellate, geminate; pedicel 

 o-racile 7-9 mm. or more lonp in flower, articulated in middle or above it, 

 the lower half subhorizontal, the upper half thicker and deflexed. Male 

 fluwer : perianth turned downwards, 6-7 mm. long, 6 mm. across in the 

 limb, tubuloso-campanulate with patent-recurved limb, obtuse at the base, 

 glabrous, yellowish-viridescent and usually shaded with dark purple (the 

 shade often deeper towards the tube) ; the tube very slightly shorter than 

 the limb; segments obtuse, thinner and slightly pale towards the entire 

 maroin ; the outer ones very slightly shorter, ovato-oblong and subattenuated 

 below ; the inner ones ova to-elliptical and subattennated below ; nerve 1, 

 strong, disappears before reaching the apex. Stamens included, erect, 



equal in height, § of perianth in length ; filament §-i-adnate to the 

 perianth-tube, subulate, glabrous, greenish ; anther subovately linear-oblong, 

 longer than the free portion of filament, cordato-bilobed at the base, 

 minutely deltoid-apiculate at the apex, 2 mm. long, pale orange, with 

 orange-coloured pollen. Ovary (of male flower) rudimentary, globoso- 

 ellipsoid, sessile, about i as long as the stamens, green, glabrous, obtusely 

 3-subangulate and 3-sulcate, 3-celled, each cell containing very minute rudi- 

 mentary ovules, 1 mm. and a little more long ; style very short being 



merely a minute projection, closely sub-3-lobed. Female flower 



Berry globose, 8-10 mm. across, red, smooth ; seed somewhat compressed, 

 subellipsoid-globose, black, about 4i mm. long; pedicel 8-16 mm. long. 



Nom. Jap. TamabolcL 



Hab. Prov. Musashi : Tokyo, Bot. Gard. Koishikawa, cult. {T. MaldnoX 

 July 2, 1898, May, 1899, male); Prov. Higo : Mt. Aso, spont. (Y. Yabe ! 

 herb. Sc. Coll. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, Aug. 28, 1901, female, fructiferous). 



Asparagus Tamaboki Yatabe is evidently a male plant of A. 

 oligoclonos Maxim, having the rudimentary ovary, which is incorrectly 



