179 
as a synonym, whilst Osmanthus ilicifolius of the nurseries was 
proposed to stand “for garden purposes ” as a name for the “ more 
deeply cut form” which “ botanists will with greater propriety call 
- . « Osmanthus Aquifolium var. ilicifolius.” A figure was 
added of a leaf of the latter which makes it perfectly clear that 
this O. ilicifolius is the ‘ Hiragi’ of Japan, that is the genuine 
O. Aquifolium. Yet the authors of the note themselves thought 
so little of those “ forms” that they considered it doubtful whether 
botanists “ would think it worth while to keep up such a variety,” 
and in another passage actually say that “the so-called O, ilzc7- 
folius is the same as O. Agquifolium,” adding “that in the wild 
plant it is easy to pick leaves of both so-called species from the 
same bough,” There is no justification for this statement so far 
as herbarium specimens go. nor is there any evidence that either 
Lobb or Fortune, who might have supplied the information, ever 
collected those species of Osmanthus in the wild state. In fact, 
. Fortune is still unknown in that state, and O. Aquifolium is so 
generally cultivated in Japan, and apt to run wild, that even 
Japanese botanists were until recently doubtful as to its spontaneous 
occurrence. Further, the authors themselves admit that “in 
would seem to be no reason why Osmanthus Aquifolium and 
Subsequently the figure of O. Fortunei published in the Gardeners’ 
hronicle (sub O. Aguifolium) was reproduced in Regel’s Garten- 
flora (1879), p. 276, and in Dippel’s Laubholzkunde, vol. i. (1889), 
p- 140, under Olea aquifolia, but no new information was added. 
Some fresh light is thrown on the origin of O. Fortunei by 
an observation by Makino concerning O. japonicus. Of this 
Makino (Bot. Mag. Tokyo, vol. xvi., 1902, p. 31) says “= ? O. Agqui- 
folium x fragrans” and after a very full description of the plant, 
again on p. 34% “This may be the hybrid between Osmanthus 
Aquifolium, Sieb. and O. fragrans, Lour., as given above, having 
leaves and flowers which are just intermediate to them. It is only 
known in cultivation.” Now this O. japonicus is the O. Fortune’ 
of Carriére. That this is so is evident from the description 
- 19444 A 2 
