346 



Schoch, in monographing the genus Ghironia (Bot. Centralbl. 

 Beik., xiv. pp. 177-242) in 1903, has not recognised the sections 

 adopted by Gilg. He has not attempted to group the species, but 

 has arranged them in a sequence based on the exigencies of an 

 artificial key. 



As might be expected in a genus where, as in Chironia, some of 

 the forms are so nearly allied that they have been accorded now 

 specific now only varietal rank, this arrangement is not always 

 satisfactory. Considering in the first place those discrepancies 

 which amount only to differences of opinion, it is found that the 

 sequence adopted by Schoch occasionally divorces what are mani- 

 festly closely allied forms. Thus, G. nudicaulis (n. 8 of Schoch) 

 and G. lychnoides (his n. 14) are both varieties of G. jasminoides, 

 Linn. ; C. mediocris (n. 12 of Schoch) is a variety of G. arenaria 

 (his n. 17) ; G. melampyrifolia (n. 13 of Schoch) and G. Schlechteri 

 (his n. 18) both belong to G. laxa y Gilg ; C. maxima (n. 24 of 

 Schoch) is identical with G. rosacea (his n. 32) ; G. laxi flora 

 (n. 27 of Schoch) is the same as G. vuhro-coerulea (his n. 29). 

 In addition, however, we find that the artificial arrangement 

 adopted by Schoch deviates unnecessarily from a natural sequence 

 owing to certain inadvertencies. Thus, the fruit of G. serpyllifolia 

 is stated to be berry-like, whereas it is, as Grisebach originally 

 described it, a capsule ; the leaves of C. madagascariensis are 

 described by Schoch as glabrous, whereas they are, in the original 

 specimens, pubescent ; the whole plant in the case of C. lancifolia 

 is said to be glabrous, whereas the stems, the leaf-veins, and the 

 leaf-margins are scabridulous-hispid. 



The species referred to Ghironia, Linn., in the restricted sense 

 proposed by Bentham and Hooker and adopted by Gilg and by 

 Schoch, arrange themselves in three natural groups of apparently 

 equal rank, but of very unequal size. The first of these, (1) Boes- 

 linia, corresponds to the genus so named by Moench, and includes 

 only one species, G. baccifera, rather variable in appearance, and 

 fairly widely spread in South Africa. The group is characterised 

 by having glabrous leaves and stems, and globular baccate fruits, 

 which readily drop off, leaving behind the persistent calyx. The 

 next group, (2) Euchironia, includes all the species from the 

 African continent so far known, except C. baccifera. This group 

 is characterised by having glabrous leaves and stems, though in 

 one species, G. Bansei, the pedicels and calyx-tubes are faintly 

 puberulous ; the fruits are oblong not globose, and capsular not 

 baccate. 1 he two valves of the capsule are leathery, and remain, 

 like tne calyx, permanently attached to the torus ; the valves 

 moreover continue partially connate at the base, often also at the 

 apex. ine remaining group, (3) Neochironia, includes two species, 

 O. madagascariensis t (with a variety pubescens) and C. lancifolia, 

 S n „ c fS *° Madagascar. This group is characterised by 

 IZ iZ \l du i ou . 8 ; 1 ! ls P id or softly pubescent leaves and stems, 



valvpl rff Jv\ mt 1S kn0Wn ' b y haYin S ovoid capsules, the two 

 va^es of which are crustaceous when lira. h fl ,,L .IrlAtelv 

 separated 



Avhen ripe, become completely 



mav beTmln?. h l 0nly 5 e P^ si8tent ^^ These three groups 

 may be com emently considered subgenera. 





V 



