©n'gmal ilrttdcs- 



ON ABISTOLOCHIA LOXGIFOLIA, Champ. 

 By H. F. Hance, Ph.D. 



This very fine species, characterized by Mr. Bentham as the 

 handsomest of all the East Indian Aristolochiw,'-^ is one of the 

 rarest plants in Hong-Kong. The late Colonel Champion, its 

 discoverer, never saw it hut twice in bloom ; and the only flower 

 Mr. Bentham was able to examine had been too much crushed by 

 undue pressure m drying to allow of his making out the structure 

 of the stamens and stylar column, so that up to the ]3resent time 

 its exact position in the genus has remained uncertain. My excel- 

 lent friend the Rev. James Lamont, who has added several most 

 interesting species,. which it has been my privilege to describe, to 

 the flora of the island, during his five years' residence, has 

 on different occasions been so fortunate as to meet with the 

 j)lant ; but the flowers he gave me were never in a condition to 

 admit of proper examination. Indeed, very great care is necessary 

 in di-}TLng them, as they are apt to get pulpy and rotten, imless 

 the paper is very frequently changed. In 1877, at my request, 

 Mr. Lamont put up a freshly-gathered flower or two in alcohol ; 

 and a dissection of these enables me to give a more i^recise character 

 than has yet been published, and to determine the systematic place 

 of the plant. 



Aristolochia longifolia, Champ. Rhizomate crassiusculo cortice 

 griseo obducto hmc inde fibras tuberoso-incrassatas emittente, 

 caulibus pluribus decumbentibus v. erectiusculis subsimplicibus 

 tomento denso sordide ferrugineo vestitis, foliis approximatis 

 anguste lanceolatis v. lanceolato-oblongis basi obtusis apice 

 acuminatis coriaceis supra glaberrimis venisque concoloribus 

 subtiliter et fere sequaliter reticulatis subtus hirsutis parenchymate 

 vh'idi costa valida nervis venulisque pallidis prominulis reticulatis 

 6-10 poll, longis 7-12 Im. latis petiolo 4-10 lineali, racemis 3-5- 

 floris ex apice rhizomatis necnon ad caulium bases fasciculatis 

 tomento sordide fulventi dense hirsutis, bracteis parvis lanceolatis, 

 ovario oblongo subclavato hirsutissimo 5 -lineali, perigonii extus 

 ferrugineo-hirsutissimi valde 12-nervosi utriculo basilari baud 

 distmcto tubo semel refracto 2^ poll, longo inferne amplo supra 

 flexuram parum constricto intus x^raeter basin xnlis articulatis 

 consitam glaberrimo ore anulo calloso notato, limbi bilabiati extus 

 reticulato-nervosi margine undulati 6-dentati labio superiore 10 lin. 

 longo erecto mtus glaberrimo inferiore saccato intus creberrime 

 papillato-ruguloso, columna stylina crassa oblonga in lobes 



* Hook., ' Jburn. Bot.,' vi. 117. 

 N. s. VOL. 7. [October, 1878.] 2 p 



