﻿388 ON THE BOTANY OF JAPAN. 



has the cells more developed downward during the subsequent growth, so that in fruit 

 only the villous and convex summit of the pericarp is free. 



I cannot avoid here interpolating the statement that Mr. Wright found the Cali- 

 fornian Photinia arhutifolia at the Bonin Islands, along with the Osteomeles of the 

 Sandwich Islands. The latter was likewise gathered in the Loo Choo Islands, still 

 nearer to Japan. 



Besides Pyrus spectahilis, a specimen was gathered at the northern end of Nippon, 

 which appears to be identical with the P. rivularis of Oregon. And Cratccgiis alnifolia, 

 Sieb. & Zucc, certainly resembles C. rivularis of Oregon. Pyrus (Sorbus) gracilis, 

 Sicb. & Zucc, is very probably the same as P. sambucifolia, var. microphylla, of Rus- 

 sian America. 



Calycanthacecc consist of three species of Cali/caiithus in the United States east of 

 the Alleghany Mountains, one in California, and one, Chimonanthus, in Japan. 



Onaffvacece. Circcea alpina was gathered at Cape Soya. Zuccarini has a C. mollis, 

 probably a mere form of C. Lutetiana, which is found nearly round the world, except 

 in Western America. 



Grossulacece. On Cape Soya, Small gathered Ribes laxiflonmi, of Northwestern 

 America, which Steller had long ago collected in Eastern Siberia; where also grows 

 R. nigrum, of which the American representati\e is JR. Hudsoiiianum. The species of 

 Gooseberry which Thunberg referred to R. Cj/nosbati, of the Northern United States, 

 has not been rediscovered. 



Saxifragacea. I have not seen the Japanese analogue of the Mitella pentandra of 

 Northwestern America, Mitellopsis Japonica, Sieb. & Zucc. Nor did the expedition 

 collect any Astilbe. Zuccarini's second species, Hoteia Thunbergii, if distinct, is cer- 

 tainly a very close representative of our Alleghanian A. decanclra, since it is said to 

 resemble Spircca Aruncus much more closely than does A. Japonica. The other two 

 species of the genus, as is Avell known, belong to the Himalayas, one species extending 

 to the mountains of Java. The union of the carpels at their base, and with the base 

 of the calyx, are Saxifrageous characters ; yet the scarious-dilated bases of the petiole 

 are better apologies for stipules than anything which Spircea Aruncus can show. 



One of the most interesting plants of the collection belongs to the present order, and 

 forms the type of a new genus in it, allied to Astilbe, and still more to Bunge's little- 

 known Oresitrophe from the North of China. I give expression to Mr. Wright's wishes, 

 as well as to my own sentiments, in dedicating this genus to the commander of the 

 expedition, in acknowledgment of the enlightened and generous interest he took in the 

 naturalists of his squadron, and of his constant care to facilitate their explorations. 



