1917-18.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 273 



The Genus Nomocharis. 

 By Professor Bayley Balfour, F.R.S. 



(Read February 14, 1918.) 



Of the many remarkable plants which recent exploration 

 of Western China has brought to our knowledge, none take 

 precedence over those which Franchet included in his new 

 genus Nomocharis. They are liliaceous, and occupy a 

 position in the family between Lilium itself and Fritillaria. 

 In that area are several plants whose relationship with 

 Lilium on the one hand and Fritillaria on the other are 

 subjects of discussion, and if Nomocharis adds another to 

 this group of forms, it also brings information which throws 

 light upon the affinities of debatable species. Franchet 

 named only one species — N. pardanthina — when he de- 

 scribed the genus Nomocharis, and by vf&y of introduction 

 to what I am to say about the genus, I give hear a transla- 

 tion of Franchet's description of both genus and species : — 



Nomocharis,- Franch} 



" Perianth deciduous, segments spreading dissimilar ; 

 calycine segments ovate, shortly acuminate, quite entire, 



' Franchet in Journ. de Bot. iii (1889), 113. Franchet's words are : — 



Nomocharis. — Perianthium deciduum, seguientis patentibus dissmiili- 

 bus ; calycis segmenta ovata, breviter acuminata, integerrima, foveola 

 destituta ; petaki late ovata, margine dentato-iiuibriata, basi foveolata ; 

 foveola magna, flabelliformis, e medio a limbo soluta, multifida, lobis 

 oblongis incisis ; stamina 6, basi segmentis breviter coalescentibus 

 illisque duplo breviora ; filamenta inferne circiter ad medium usque 

 inflato-claviformia, parte inflata cava apice rotundata, exinde subulata ; 

 antherae oblongo-ovatae, medio dorsofixae, e latere longitudinaliter 

 dehiscentes ; discus tenuis, annularis, integer, parvus ; ovarium sessile, 

 ovato-oblongum, triloculare, loculis multiovulatis ; stylus capsulae 

 subaequilongus, apice paulo incrassatus, stigmate obscure trilobo ; 

 capsula ignota. 



Bulbus squamosus, squamis albidis oblongis, carnosis, imbricatis ; 

 librae radicales crassae, nunc fusiformes, villosae ; caulis pedalis vel 

 paulo ultra ; folia lanceolata, sparsa vel 3-6 verticillata ; Hores 1 vel 

 3-4 axillares, speciosi, virginei subnutantes ; sepala pallide rosei, saepius 

 immacuiati ; petala rubesceutia, maculis violaceis conspersa, foveola 

 nigro-purpurea. 



Genus inter Lilium et Fritillariam medium ; bulbi indole, antheris 

 dorsofixis styloque Liliis vere aflBnis ; petalis foveolatis ad Fritillariam 

 vertitur. Ab utroque genere differt : stammum filamentis parte iu- 

 feriore inHatis, cavisque ; foveola multifida et seniilibera, quod in nullo 



