144 JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM [vol. i 



which may or may not belong to Litsea. The flowering specimens have 

 4-eelled antlicrs which is the chief character in wliich Litsea differs from 

 Benzoin with 2-ceIled anthers. The specimens agree very well with Z. 

 sericea ILiok. f.; the only difference I find is that Hooker attributes 12 

 stamens to this species, but as Meissner says that the number may vary 

 in one and the same spcnies from 9 to 12 and as the specimens referred by 

 Gamble to Litsea sericea have only 9 stamens, I do not think that this is 

 a specific difference. Tlie specimens show considerable variation in the 

 l)ubescence of llic under side of the leaves; in some specimens they are 

 densely silky pubescent beneath (Wilson's Nos. 3G78, 3G71, 8(J8], referred l)y 

 Gamble to Lindera memhrauacea) while others are glabrcscent at maturity 

 (Wilson's Xos. 3G73, 3680 and 3684 referred by (iambic to L. umheUata). 

 The glabrcscent and })ubesccnt forms look quite distinct and may be 

 worthy of varietal rank, but as I have seen neither the type of Z. sericea 

 nor sufficient Himalayan material, I do not feel justified to propose a 

 new variety. Where Gamble's Lindera umhellata var. laiijolia belongs, I 

 do not know, as I have not seen it. Possibly Lihea Veitchiana Gamble is 



only a variety of X. sericea. 



From Benzoin nmhellatuni Rehder fruiting specimens of LAtsea sericea 

 may be distinguished by the more chartaceous leaves finely but distinctly 

 reticulate beneath, less so above, by the glabrous or nearly glabrous winter- 

 buds and the smaller fruits only 4-5 mm. long and borne on slenderer 

 pedicels. 



Benzoin Fa}>ricius 



Benzoin i>ublished in 17G3 by Fabricius (Enum. Meth. PI. Ilclmstad. ed. 

 2, 401) is the oldest name for the genus usually called Linih^a Thunbeng 

 (1783, non Adanson, 17G3). As Fabricius gives a good generic description 

 and cites as synonym Laurus 9 of Linnaeus' S[)ecies plantarum w^hich is 

 Laurns Benzoin, there can be no doubt that the name given by Fabricius 

 is valid and I fail to understand why almost all European and Japanese 

 botanists retain Lindera of Thunberg as the correct name for tliis genus. 



Benzoin aromaticum, comb. nov. — ■ Lindera aromatica Brandis in Hook- 

 er's Icon. XXVIII. t. 2784 (1905). 



Burma. 



Benzoin cercidifolium, comb. nov. — Lindera cercidifolia Hemsley in 



Jour. Linn. Soc. xxvi. 387 (1891). 



China: Hui)eh. 



commune 



Lindera communis Hemsley in Jour. 



Linn. Soc. xxvi. 387 (1891). 



China. 



Benzoin erythrocarpum, comb. nov. — Benzoin Thunbergii Siebold & 



Zuccanni in Abh. Akad. Muench. iv. pt. m. 204 (Fl Jap. Fam. Nat. ii. 



80) (1846), pro parte, quoad descriptionem; non Sassafras Thunbergii Sleb. 



Lindera umhellata Blunie, Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. i. 324 (1851), pro parte, 



quoad descriptionem, non Thunberg. — Lindera erythrocarpa Makino in 



