Plam 2589. 



SMILAX TJTILIS, HemsL 



LlLIACEJE. Tribe SMIULCSJB. 



S. Utilis, IlemsL (sp. nov. ?) ; ex affinitate S. ornata \ Lemaire (Tint. 

 Mag. t. 7054) differt umbellis simplicibus longe pedunculitis. 



Frutex alte scan dens, omnino glaber, aculeis paucis parvis armatus, 

 caulibus vel raniissterilibusquadrai)gularibus,ramulisfloriferisteretibus. 

 Folia distincte petiolata, tenuiter coriacea, circumscriptive valde 

 variabilia, inferiora late corclato-ovata, apice rotundata, interdum 

 pedalia vel ultra, 7-nervia ; folia ramulorum floriferorom multo minora, 

 ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, 5-nervia, cirrhis gracilibus quam foliis 

 dimidio brevioribus et in ramulis floriferis minus evolutis. Umbella 

 florum femineorum solitarhe, axillares, graciliter pedunculate, multi- 

 florae, pedicellis brevibus gracilibus. Perianthii seginenta suba*cjuali«i, 

 oblonga, obtusa. Ovarium glabrum, stigmatibus subsessilihus. Bacca 

 ignota. 



Jamaica : cultivated, D. Morris. 



Tins Smilax is the one cultivated in Jamaica, and believed to be of 

 Venezuelan origin, though this cannot be verified by any specimens 

 Kew possesses from that country. It has also been propagated at 

 Kew, and sent to Ceylon and other colonies ; yet it is important to 

 remember that it does not yield the sarsaparilla known in commerce as 

 ' Jamaica sarsaparilla.' In consequence of the original Smilax officinalis. 

 H.B.K. having been founded on leaves only, much confusion has 

 arisen, inasmuch as the leaves vary greatly on the main stems and 

 flowering branches, and again according to the vigour of the plant. 

 Sir Joseph Hooker (Botanical Magazine, cxv. (1889) t. 7054) has shown 

 that the plant accepted by Fliickiger and Hanbury (Pharmacographia. 

 ed. 1, p. 639), and Bentley and Trimen (Medicinal Plant*, iv. t. 289) 

 as S. officinalis, H.B.K., is different, and he figures it under the name 

 of S. ornata, Lemaire. He also expresses the opinion that the plant 

 cultivated in Jamaica differs from both, and with this we agree. He 

 further mentions that only the female was known there. Since the 

 accompanying plate was prepared, Kew has received from Mr. J. C. 

 Willis, the Director of the Ceylon Botanic Garden, specimens of a 



