68 



Plant 8-l'.''cm. high, yellowii^h-pale. Rhizome clothed with mem- 

 branaceous scale.s, provided with 1 to few scapes ; roots ramose, without 

 root-hairs. Scapes erect, 1-3 (or more ?), terete, loosely scaly ; scales small, 

 adpressed, pellucid, embracing, entire, 1-nerved, attaining 5mm. in length, 

 the superior ones subulato-lanceolate and acuminate, the lower ones ovato- 

 subulate and obtuse, the basal ones shorter and usually imbricated. Sub- 

 paniculated raceme narrow, 2-6|cm. long, 3-15-flowered ; rachis gracile, erect, 

 flexuous ; bracts usually shorter than the pedicel but sometimes scarcely 

 longer than it, deltoid-subulate, acuminate, hyalino-membranceous, entire, 

 1-nerved, l-3lmm. long ; bracteoles usually 1-2, smaller than the bracts. 

 Flowers 3^-5mra. across ; pedicels erect-patent, strict, continued to the flower, 

 slightly shorter to scarcely longer than the flower, li-3Jmm. long, the inferior 

 ones often 2-branched. Perianth entire, smooth, 1-nerved; the outer 3 

 much smaller, deltoid, obtuse, 1mm. or less long ; the inner 3 2mm. long, 

 ovato-deltoid, obtuse or subobtuse or submucronato-obtuse at the apex. 

 Stamens perigynous, shorter than the inner perianth, about 1-imm. long ; 

 filament stout, linear-subulate, as long as two-thirds of the inner perianth, 

 thickish, 1-nerved, the inner ones slightly adherent dorsally to the perianth 

 at the base ; anther minute, didymous, auriculate at the base. Ovary : 

 the inferior portion subtrigono-short-obconical, shghtly shorter than the inner 

 perianth, thick-walled, the superior free 3-separated portions erect and 

 short-conical ; styles erect or slightly declined outwards, slightly lower than 

 the inner perianth ; stigma depressed-subcapitate ; ovules minute, obovato- 

 oblong, the superior ones slightly ascending, the middle ones horizontal, and 

 the inferior ones slightly descending. Capsule 3mm. long and across, the 

 superior free portions globose-ovoid, inflated, divaricato-patulous, shortly 

 beaked with the persistent style, carpel membranaceo-coriaceous. Seeds 

 obovato-oblong, §mm. long ; nucellus obovately oblong-fusiform ; the inner 

 coat about 9-11-striate. Flowers July- August. 



Nom. Jap. Sakurm-so (nov.). 



Hah. Prov. Mino : Foot of Mt. Ena (H. Sakurai ! July 27, 1903). 



This grows in the shady forest in middle Japan, having the habit 

 of the aphyllous Burmannia, and undoubtedly it is a rarest species. I 

 have named this species in honour of Mr. Hanzaburo Sakurai, a botanist 

 in the Imperial Household Museum of Tokyo, who discovered and collected it 

 and generously sent me specimens of this most interesting species. 



Explanation of PI. V. — Fig. 1, Whole plant, with a dried fruiting 

 scape of last year ; figs. 2, 3, Do., destitute of rhizomes ; fig. 4, Fruiting 

 subpaniculated raceme of last year ; fig. 6, Scale and a portion of the scape ; 



