1913—14.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 277 



Yunnan plant ; the leaf-buds are more pointed and the 

 scales white-ciliolate. 



2. The flowers are white or rosy-white, fragrant, and 

 considerably larger than those of R. Thomsoni, which have 

 a beautiful deep blood-colour and are inodorous ; the con- 

 sistency of the corolla of R. cyanocarpum is much thinner 

 (in the dry state membranous) and very different from the 

 firm, fleshy texture of R, Thomsoni. 



3. The ripe fruits are erect on a stiff peduncle, while 

 those of R. Thomsoni have a distinct downward curve. 



/: 



An Himalayan Variety of Plumbagella micrantha, 

 Spach. By W. W. Smith, M.A. 



(Read 9th April 191L) 



Plumbagella. micrantha, Spach, the only species known 

 of the genus, was first described in 1829 in Ledebour's 

 " Icones Flor. Ross.," p. 7, under the name of Plumbago 

 micrantha, Ledeb., and was accompanied by a good 

 figure (tab. 21). 



The genus Plumbago was afterwards divided by Spach 

 (" Hist. Veg. Phan.," x. (1841 ), p. 333) into three genera. 

 Of these, Plumbago and Plumbagella are retained in 

 Engler's Pflanzenfamilien IV., 1, 122, while Plumbag- 

 idium is taken as a section of Plumbago. Plumbagella 

 seems distinct enough generically, with its small funnel- 

 shaped corolla and with its calyx much enlarged after 

 flowering. The habit of the plant is also very different 

 from what we find in Plumbago. 



I quote Spach's pertinent remarks in support of the 

 validity of his genus Plumbagella, as the book in which 

 they occur is one not readily accessible. He points out 

 that it differs from Plumbago as follows : — 



" 1. Par un calice profondement 5-fide, ecoste, scarieux 

 seulement aux bords des segments a tube finalement garni 

 de 5 cretes longitudinales, fougueuses, dentees, alternees 

 avec les segments ; 



" 2. Par une corolle a peine plus longue que le calice, 

 tubuleux-cylindracee, tres courtement 5-fide ; 



" 3. Par un style court, a peine aussi long que les stigmates. 



