174 
genus Meliosma, and until recent Chinese explorations, that genus 
was only known in the out-door garden by a single rather tender 
species—M. myriantha. M. Veitchiorum is a deciduous tree 40 to 
50 feet high with very thick young shoots covered with a rust- 
coloured pubescence. The leaves are pinnate, 2 to 3 feet long, with | 
usually 9 or 11 leaflets, the largest of which are 6 to 8 inches long, 
3 to 34 inches wide, ovate or oblong, pointed. The flowers are 
white, small (4 inch in diameter) and appear in an erect terminal 
panicle, or cluster of panicles, pyramidal in outline and up to 
18 inches high, 
Asa foliage tree, this new species--which was discovered for 
Messrs. Veitch in South Wushan, W. China, and introgzuced in 
1900, promises to equal the finest of the walnuts, sumachs, and 
other popular pinnate-leaved trees in cultivation, and it promises a 
.considerable beauty of flower also. There are exceedingly few 
trees in Europe, but Messrs. Veitch have kindly presented one to 
Kew. It has been planted between No. [. (Aroid) House and. the 
Main Entrance to the Gardens. So far as can be judged at present, 
it is quite hardy. Mr. Wilson found it in flower in June at eleva- 
tions of 5000 to 7500 feet. 
Portya sinensis, Oliver [Compositae] ; Hooker’s Icones Plantarum, 
t. 224. 
_ Whilst this shrub is not likely to become in any way popular 
in gardens, it is an interesting addition to the hardy shrubby 
Compositae, which at present form but a small group in gardens. 
It was originally discovered in the province of Hupeh, China, by 
Mr. A. Henry, in 1889, and was again found by Mr. Wilson in 
1901. From seeds sent home by him to Messrs. Veitch, plants 
were raised at Coombe Wood, one of which was presented to Kew, 
where it has proved very hardy and flowers in June annually. It 
is a deciduous shrub, 4 to 6 feet high, of bushy habit with slender 
ribbed. branches. Leaves alternate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 
2 to 3 inches long, ? to 1 inch wide, on the shoots of the year ; but 
on the year-old branches produced four or six together in fascicles, 
and less than half the size of the others. Flower-heads pink, $ inch 
across, surrounded by an involucre of oval, membranous, imbricating 
scales, solitary in the centre of each fascicle of leaves and produced 
on a slender peduncle 4 to 1 inch long. The young leaves are 
extremely bitter. 
Picea complanata, Masters [ Coniferae]. 
The spruces belonging to the Omorika, or flat-leaved section of 
the genus, exist in curiously separated parts of the globe. The best 
known and commonest is the Sitka spruce (P. sitchensis), from 
N.W. America, and for a good many years two or three from 
Japan and one from §.E. Europe (P. Omorica), have been in 
cultivation. Recently, a Himalayan species (P. morindoides), has 
been discovered in various gardens. The last comer is P. complanata, 
found by Wilson in, Western Szechuan in 1901, and introduced at 
the same time to the Coombe Wood nursery. Messrs. Veitch have 
recently presented a plant to Kew. 
In its foliage P. complanata ver much resembles P. sitchensis 
and P. morindoides, hatte neddleeahagel leaves 2 to 1 inch long; 
