201 
ON IIEDERA CANJRIENSIS AS AN IPJSII PLANT. 
. Br Berthold Seemanx, Ph.D., P.L,S. 
(Plate XXXII.) 
The existence of Sedera Canarienm in Irekncl has Leen so often 
asserted and denied that most botanists seem to look upon the plant 
as one of those phantom species which occasionally flit across the 
botanical forum. Before publishing my I'evision of the ^^ims Hedera * 
(Joum. of Bot. Vol. II. p. 303) I had made many inquiries about the 
subjectj and looked at every book I could think of; nevertheless I was 
compelled to state that I had ^' not been able to examine any specimens 
of wild Irish Ivy," and **that our British Floras did not alibrd any 
information respecting it," With the help of Dr. D. Moore, of Glas- 
nevin, whose kind aid no man of science ever invoked in vain, 1 am 
able to clear up much of what formerly appeared douljtful. 
There is in gardens a very fast-growing, large-leaved plant, com- 
monly called "Irish or Scotch Ivy" {Hedera Hibernica v. Scotica 
horlulanorum). This plant, as 1 understand the species, is one of 
the many varieties of H. Helix. There is, besides, a plant which gar- 
deners call " Sharp-leaved Irish Ivy/' and this I hold to be one of the 
The genus Hedera^ as now circumscribed, is very natural, and easily dis- 
tinguished from all other Hederacece by its climbing and rooting branches, 
simple leaves, five petals and stamens, semi-inferior ovaiy, single style, and 
ruminate albumen. Dr. F. Miiller recently referred to it an Australian species, 
which I cannot admit, as it has a completely inferior ovary and compound 
leaves. I hold it to be the type of a new genus, which maj be briefly described 
as : — Kissode}idron. Pedicelli inarticulati. Calycis limbus 5-dentatu8. Petala 
, . . Stamina . . - Stylus 1, elongatus, Drupa infera, baccata, 3-5-pyrena. 
Albumen ruminatum. Arbor glabra Novse Hollandise, inermis, foliis pinnatis 
plurijugis, foliolis mtegen'imis ovatis v. lanceolato-ovatis br^evi-acumiiiatis, basi 
obtusa inaquilateris, pedunciilis primariis clongatis, secundariis inferioribus 
oppositis, supcrioribus aliquot verticillatis, summis umbellatis, umbellulig 
8-12-flori3. Species nuiea, K. AiistraUanum, Seem,— II jder a Ausirallana^ 
F. Muell. Fragra. iv. p. 120. Polyscias Anslrallana ,V . SlnelL Coll.— Eocting- 
liam Bay, E. C. of Australia (Dallachy! comm. cl. F.Muelh). This new genus 
is allied to Tentapanax, Seem. (Journ.of Eot. YoL 11. p. 29J), both having pin- 
nated leaves and an arboreous habit, but they differ in the following points : 
Pentapanax, Pedicelli articulati. Flores ecalyculati. Drupa exsucca. Al- 
bumen sequabile. India orient. — Kissodendron, Pedicelh inai-ticulati. Flores 
ecalyculati. Drupa baccata. Albumen rununatum. Nov. Hoil. 
VOL. III. [jULY \y 1865,] 
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