1915-16.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 101 



that would come under the designation tomentose which 

 differ markedly in construction and ai-e useful diagnostic 

 marks. I may here direct attention to a short paper by 

 Miss E. M. Jesson ^ dealing with the indumentum of 

 Rh. Falconer i, Hook. f. and RJc. Hodgsoni, Hook. f. in 

 which the diagnostic value of the indumentum is clearly 

 pointed out. 



The indumentum of the ovary in RJi. lacfeuvi, Franch. 

 and RJi. lacteum, var. 'niacrophylliiin, Franch. is of the 

 same character composed of fasciated longer or shorter 

 hairs. 



h. The colour of the flower: — 



The colour of the flower in Rh. lacteum, Franch. is 

 variously described by the collectors as " blanc de lait," 

 "jaune soufre," "pale yellow," "pure canary j^ellow." 

 In one of Mr. Forrest's specimens the dried flowers show 

 quite a yellow tint. Franchet uses the word " lactee." 



The flowers of Rh. lacteum, var. onacrojjJtylht'^n, Franch. 

 are described by collectors as " blanches avec une legere 

 teinte lactee," " white with a blotch of rich crimson at 

 base." Franchet says : " corolla lactea cum maculis fuscis." 

 In all the dried sjDecimens the blotch is evident. 



One concludes from the evidence that the flower in 

 Rh. lacteum, Franch. has always a yellow tint becoming- 

 bright yellow at times and there is no crimson blotching. 

 Rh. lacteum, var. macrophyllum, Franch. has white 

 flowers sometimes creamy white and with a crimson blotch. 

 It is this Rh. lacteum, var. macrophylluvi, Franch. which 

 has come into cultivation under the name Rh. lacteum, 

 Franch. How did the name hicteiim become attached 

 to it ? 



In 1889 - Hemsley cited Rh. lacteum, Franch. as a species 

 of the Chinese Flora in his Enumeration, but he makes no 

 special reference to Rh. lacteum, var. macy^ophylluvi, 

 Franch. published in 1887. He must have known of the 

 variety, for his reference to Chinese localities for the species 

 runs — "Yunnan: a tree forming woods on the Koulapo 

 Mountains and on Yengtzehay near Lankong at 3200 

 metres (Delavay)," and "Koulapo" is the station given by 



1 Jesson in Ann. of Botany, xxix (1915), 635. 

 - Hemsley in Journ. Linn. Soc, xxvi (1889), 26. 



