spicileCtIA flor^ sinensis. 108 



In Baker's ' Flora of Maiuitiiis and the Seychelles,' a Diptero- 

 carpeous tree which occurs in the Sej^cheUes is mentioned (p. 17) 

 as coming very near in habit and leaf to Vateria ceylanica. At 

 that point in the j^rinting of the book nothing but foliage was 

 available for description, ^id no identification or diagnosis of the 

 species was possible. Subsequently, through the exertions of Mr. 

 Home, Director of the Mauritius Botanic Garden, flowers and 

 fruit were procured and sent to this country preserved in spirit. 

 From these I drew up a diagnosis, which is printed in the additions 

 and corrections (p. 526) ; as, however, in this position it will pro- 

 bably be overlooked, I take the opportunity of appending it to 

 these notes. 



Vateria Seychellarum, Dyer, in Baker Flor. Maur. and Seycli., 

 p. 526. Arbor elata, ramulis lepidotis ; foliis longe-petiolatis, 

 ellipticis vel obovato-oblongis breviter apiculatis, basi rotundatis, 

 coriaceis, utraque j)agina glaberrimis, nervis lateralibus utrinque 

 ad 20 erecto-patentibus subtus prominentibus ; petiolo tereti ; 

 stipulis . . . .; racemis axillaribus, |brevibus, paucifloris; floribus 

 glabris ; sepahs ovatis, obtusis, fructu minime accretis, nequaquam 

 reciu'vis; petalis obovatis, erosis ; staminibus XDerpluribus, antherse 

 valvis exterioribus majoribus ; fructu globoso, pericarpio carnoso ; 

 cotyledonibus carnosis, plano-convexis, radiato-sulcatis. Baker, 

 I. c, p. 17. 



Seychelles, near Port Glean, Home. 



Folia 6-8 poll, longa, 4-6 poll, lata ; petiolo 2-3 poll, longo. 

 Flores diametro f pollicares. Fructus diametro sesquipoUicaris. 



The occurrence of this single endemic species in the Seychelles 

 is, like that of Nepenthes Fervillei, an interesting connecting-Hnk 

 between the Indo-Malayan Flora and its westward outlying exten- 

 sions in Madagascar and Central Africa. In themselves, the 

 characters of Vateria Seychellarum make its systematic position 

 somew^hat difficult of determination. In the absence of the 

 reflexed fruiting calyx, it is without one of the most distinctive 

 points in the genus. On the other hand, it is separated from 

 Vatica by its indefinite stamens, of which Vateria affords a few 

 other examples. In general habit, as already stated, it agrees with 

 V. ceylanica, but differs in the two points already referred to, and 

 in the longer petioles. 



SPICILEGIA FLORAE SINENSIS : DIAGNOSES OF NEW, 

 AND HABITATS OF RARE OE HITHERTO UNRE- 

 CORDED CHINESE PLANTS. 



By H. F. Hange, Ph.D., Menib. Acad. Nat. Cur., &c., &c. 



(Coutii^ued from p. 15.) 

 II. 



1. Clematis {Viticella) Stronachii, sp. nor. Fruticosa, scandens, 

 tomentosa, caule sulcato, foliis bijugo-pinnatim biternatis petiolulis 



