55 





British East Africa. Nyasaland : Blantyre, Scott; Mount 

 Mlanji, Whyte\ Mlanji Plateau, McClounie ; Uvera, Mm E. 

 Kenyan ; Nyika Plateau, McClounie, 30. 



In the Flora of Tropical Africa, v. 342, these plants were included 

 under O. affine, Hochst., which differs in having broader leaves 

 and non-denticulate corolla-lobes. 



900. Dasystachys nervata, CM. Wright [Liliaceae-Asphodeleae]; 

 D. Grantii, Benth., affinis, quae bracteis quam fiores multo longi- 

 oribus foliisque flaccidis recedit. 



Rhizoma ignotum. Folia per anthesin 15 cm. longa, 1-5 cm. lata, 

 oblonga, acuminata, rigida, a})ice cucullata, utrinque glaberrima, 

 nervis primariis circa 17 prominentibus. Scapus 22 cm. longus. 

 cylindricus, parte superiore minute puberulus : racemus 10 cm. 

 longus, rhachide pedicellisque glabri ; pedicelli 2 mm. longi. 

 Perianthii segmenta oblonga, valde concava, obtusa, 3*5 mm. lontra, 

 1*5 mm. lata, alba, extus ad apicem luteo-puberula, uninervia. 

 Stamina perianthii segmentis paullo breviora ; filamenta e basi 

 lanceolata complanata subulata ; antherae 1 # 5 mm. longae, 1 mm. 

 latae, obtusae. Ovarium trilobum ; lobis globosis ; stylus ovario 

 aequilongus, columnaris ; stigma punctiforme ; ovula in quoque 

 loculo 4-6. Capsula 4 mm. diam. 



Rhodesia. Between Broken Hill zinc mine and Bwana M'cuba 

 copper mine, C. E. F. Allen, 338. 



XL-SASSAFRAS IN CHINA. 



{Sassafras Tzumu, Hemsl.) 



W. B. Hemsley. 



A few days before Mr. Wilson left on his third journey to China, 

 he brought me some specimens of a laurel, collected by himself in 

 the Patung district of Hupeh, which he had identified with the 



North American Sassafras offi 



¥ 



392) 



He was quite right as to the two 



last, which were described from imperfect materials ; the former 

 from a specimen bearing young fruit, and the latter from a 

 specimen bearing flowers of one sex only and no leaves : both 

 instances of imprudence in founding species on imperfect speci- 

 mens. He was also right, I think, as to the Chinese tree being a 

 species of Sassafras ; but, although there is a striking similarity 

 between the dried specimens from China and those of *$'. officinale 

 from North America, an examination of the flowers has revealed 

 differences that are almost of generic importance, as the genera of 

 Lauraceae are limited. Both species have heteromorphic, deciduous 

 leaves with the same kind and range of variation, and the inflor- 

 escences of both sexes, which appear before the leaves, present no 

 obvious differences. The flowers of the North American species 

 are, however, somewhat larger, and the floral diagram is quite 

 different. I have not examined a large number of flowers, but 



27247 



B 2 



