288 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxxii 



only specific value in themselves. Morphologically and 

 physiological!}' the construction is the same. Its occurrence 

 in the series Oxypetala detracts from its value as differ- 

 ential of Nomocharis. It is not a solitary character dis- 

 tinguishing tlie series Oxypetala. I have pointed out that 

 in bulb-form also these series agree, and the individual 

 differences of their other flower characters^none of them — 

 negate near natural relationship. The series is markedly 

 divergent from the tj'pe of Fritillaria. It is further away 

 from Lilium, It touches Nomocharis at several points. 



I have yet more to sa}' about this character. The dual 

 basal glandular area confined to the petaline segments has 

 not always the crested form seen in Nomocharis and the 

 Oxypetala series :— 



In the Forrestian plant, No. 10,620,^ from E.N.W. Yunnan, 

 the gland-construction of Nomocharis is repeated with this 

 sole difference — the flap is not fringed. 



Another Forrestian plant, No. 493,- from the Mekong- 

 Salween divide, shows the petaline dual basal gland 

 separated by midrib with flaps which are not fringed and 

 are much smaller than in Forrest's No. 10,620. 



In a plant collected by Kingdon Ward in S.E. Tibet, 

 under No. 801,^ there is the petaline dual basal glandular 

 area separated by midrib, but each of the areas is most 

 minute with mere trace of flap and without fringe. 



Here, then, we have three plants from W. China which 

 have the petaline dual gland-character of Nomocharis and 

 the Oxypetala series but without the cresting. They are 

 not yet described. They have scaly bulbs, perianth-seg- 

 ments more or less equal, more or less spreading, stamens, 

 as we shall see immediately, with slightly inflated filaments. 

 What is their position ? 



Androecitiin. — Of all the characters of his genus Nomo- 

 charis given by Franchet that of the stamens is the most 

 individual. The filament, which is about 12 mm. long, shows 

 in each of the six stamens two distinct areas. A lower, 

 some 10 mm. or so long, which is swollen into a club-shape, 

 or one might compare it with that of a jargonelle pear. It 



' Named Noraocharis Forrestii on j). 293. 

 ^ Named Nomocharis sahunensis on p. 294. 

 •'* Named Nomocharis tricolor on p. 296. 



