Plate 2557 



POUPARTIA FORDII, ffemnl. 



Anacardiace.e. 



P. Fordii, jffemsl, (sp. nov.) ) species unica Asire incola hactenus 

 cognita. 



A rbor dioica (vel polygama) 20-40 ped. alta, foliis deeiduis (Ford), 

 ramulis floriferis crassiusculis glabris. Folia imparipinnata, fere 

 omnino glabra, distincte graciliterque petiolata ; foliola 9-13, opposita, 

 graciliter petiolulata, tenuia, fere membranacea, oblique lanceolata, 

 2-4 poll, longa, longe acuminata, integra, subtus glauca. Flores 

 pseudohermaphrodite atque masculini, cymoso-paniculati, paniculis 

 angustis quam foliis multo brevioribus. Flores feminei in axillis 



foliorum superiorum solitarii, brevissime pedunculati. Stamina 10. 

 Ovarium 5-loculare, ovulis solitariis pendulis ; styli laterales, stigmati- 

 bus peltatis. Fructus edulis, drupaceus, ovoideus, circiter 1 poll, 

 longus. — Mkus sp. ? Hemsl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxiii. p. 148. 



Hongkong: Wright, 107, 473 ; woods in Happy Valley, Ford, 612. 



Imperfect specimens of this tree, collected on the United States 

 Pacific Exploring Expedition, have lain in herbaria for nearly fifty 

 years, and Mr. Ch. Ford, the Superintendent of the Hongkong Botanic 

 Garden, sent good specimens of the male to Kew in 1881. He has 

 since sent copious material from which the accompanying plate wa 

 prepared. From Mr. Ford's notes we learn that about 100 trees exist \ 

 and in a later communication he mentions that only about five per 

 cent, of them are female. We have followed Engler {DC. Monogr. 

 Fhaner. iv.) in retaining the genus Poupartia, previously only known 

 from Bourbon and Mauritius, and referred to Spondias. The floral struc- 

 ture of the Hongkong plant is exactly the same as that represented by 

 him {Joe. cit. t. 7) ; but it is difficult to decide which is the best course 

 when dealing with a single species. — \Y. BoTTIHG Hemsley. 



Fig. 1, a branch bearing pseudo-hermaphrodite flowers ; - j, portion of the under-side 

 of a leaf, showing tufted hairs in the axils of the veins ; 3. a pseudo-hermaphrodite 

 flower ; 4, a petal from the same ; 5, genitalia ; 6, a portion of a male inflorescence ; 7, a 

 male flower ; 8, the same laid open ; 9, a branch bearing solitary axillary female flowers ; 

 10. a female flower; 11, barren stamens from female flower; 12, vertical section of 

 ovary ; 13, cross section of ovary; 14, a branch bearing fruit ; 15. fl fruit from which 

 he epicarp has been removed ; 16, a seed ; 17. embryo. All. except 1, 6, 9, 14. 15 v >l 

 in, men or less oil a rged . 



