EAST-ASI4TIC COEYL^CE^. 369 



rium 3-4 lin. altarum cinereo-velutinarum tecto squamis angulos 4 

 occupantibus apice in spinas robustas breves compressas conicas rigide 

 pungentes acervatas desinentibus cristas 4 verticales subaequidistantes 

 efForraantibus angulo axin spectante spatiisque cristis interjectis exar- 

 matis maturitate fere ad basin usque 5-valvi, nucibus tribus ovoideo- 

 trigonis dense fulvo -pilosis hilo carpico magno piano ruguloso subcon- 

 colori, cotyledonibus plano-convexis, ovulis abortivis superis.* 



TJnicum arborem, surculos nonnullos e subterraneo trunco emit- 

 tentem, juxta desilientem aquam in virginea silva Wong nei chung, ins. 

 Hongkong, m. IS'ovembri, 1874, ofFendit Rev. J. Lamont. (Herb, 

 propr., no. 18992.) 



This remarkable species is evidently very closely allied to C. 

 sumatrona, A. DC.,f which I have not seen. That, however, is de- 

 scribed as having but three prominent angles to its involucre, and these 

 furnished with subconical, obtuse tubercles only, forming crests 

 arranged in oblique series. In the Hongkong tree the involucre is 4 

 lines in thickness, and 6 if the section is made through one of the crests. 

 Some of the fruits are more or less deformed, but I have drawn my 

 description from perfect ones exhibiting the normal form. This species 

 seems plainly to confirm IT. Alphonse De Candolle's judgment that 

 the tubercles of Miquel's original species are rather similar to the 

 aculei of the ordinary species of Caatanopsis than to the cup-scales of 

 Quercus. It is strange that this very fine tree, which grows in a loca- 

 lity which must have been many times visited by former collectors, 

 should have so long remained undetected. The nuts are edible. It 

 is a pleasure to me to dedicate it to my excellent friend the discoverer, 

 who, since his residence in the island, has added several species to its 

 flora, and will, I trust, do much more towards its elucidation. 



16. Castasovsis {C'allcdocarpus) Pieerei, sp. nov. — Ramulis angu- 

 latis cinereis glaberrimis, foliis coriaceis e basi cuneata lanceolatis 

 acuminatis integerrimis 6 poll, longis If -2 poll, latis petiolo semipoUi- 

 cari supra glaberrimis parum nitentibus subtus ochraceo-sublepidotis 

 costulis in utroque latere 9-10 tenuibus sub angulo 45 "^ egressis cum 

 costa satis conspicua subtus prominulis arcuatis marginem baud ad- 

 tingentibus venularum rete tenuissimo, fructibus 8-10 secus ramum 

 satis tenuem adfixis dissitis paucis tantum maturatis sessilibus bienni- 

 bus, involucro subgloboso 1^-2 poll, diametro lineam tantum crasso 

 cinereo-velutino zonis 5-6 baud distincte squamosis (iis nempe Q. 

 lanceifolice^ Roxb. non dissimilibus) sedmargine aculeis prismaticis vel 

 complanatis pungentibus 2 lin. circ. altis basi coalitis apice curvatis ob 

 evolutionem irregularem quae fere semper veram involucri apicem fora- 



* As in the Prodromus M. A. De CandoUe marks the position of the abortive 

 ovules in Castanopsis as uncertain, I had supposed I was the iSrst to detect it. I 

 have since found, however, that, two years previously to the publication of the 

 Cupulifcrce in his great work, he had himself distinctly stated " les Castanopsis 

 portent leurs ovules avortes au sommetdela graine." (An. Sc. Nat,, 4e ser., 

 xviii., 53.) I do not know why this character was subsequently withheld. 



t Mr. Kurz has identified this with Castama inermis, Lindl. Miquel (Fl. 

 Ind. Bat., i., 1. 868) has strangely quoted Quercus glomerata, Roxb., as a synonym. 

 A mere reference to Roxburgh's character (Fl. Ind., iii., 640), who describes it 

 with an " acorn ovate, smooth, half hid in the tubercled cup," would have shown 

 him his error. 



2 B 



