308 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxix. 



hand, the upper surface is pubescent and is not glabrescent. 

 The scape, like the petioles, hairy at first, may become 

 nearly bare of hairs. The bracts, pedicels, and calyx are 

 always puberulous and have no long hairs or may be clad 

 with them ; the outer surface of the corolla-tube is faintly 

 puberulous. 



Compare now the figures of the Central Chinese 

 P. obconica, Hance, in Plates XXI, XXII, XXIII, with 

 those of the Sikkim P. Listeri, King, in Plates XXVI and 

 XXVII, and note the differences between them. Yet dis- 

 tinct in aspect though the plants are — and the scent 

 character in P. Listeri, King, points to anatomical and 

 physiological differences also — every one of the external 

 differential characters appears in various blendings in a 

 series of intermediate forms, some of which also show 

 isolated variations in directions not foreshadowed in the 

 types from the extremes of the geographical area. To 

 what extent nomenclature is to be called in to designate the 

 intermediate forms is a question that individual botanists 

 will settle for themselves. Already several of the forms 

 have been described as species and named accordingly. 

 That procedure has advantages, particularly in forms of 

 horticultural value, provided that the relations to the 

 external moulding factors are made clear, and the forms 

 are recognised as " microforms " — the term of presentation 

 of the " variety " of the older botanists. 



Hance was not happy in placing his P. obconica, Hance, 

 as an ally of P. sinensis, Lindl., P. cortusoides, Linn., and 

 P. Kaufmanniana, Kegel. To the section "Sinensis" 

 in its widest sense P. obconica, Hance, may be referred if 

 you will, but not one of the species named by Hance 

 suggests a likeness. 



Sir Joseph Hooker was the first to recognise the 

 real affinity. Writing in the Botanical Magazine in 

 September 1881 under t. 6582 — which gives a figure 

 of P. poculiformis, Hook, f., the name by which Hooker 

 designated the plant raised by Messrs. Veitch from Maries' 

 seeds of the Ichang plant described in August 1880 by 

 Hance as P. obconica, Hance — Hooker says the Himalayan 

 P. filipes, Watt, " is very nearty allied to P. poculiformis, 



