2 



With specimens of this bush from numerous distant localities before 

 us we have now no hesitation in separating it specifically from the 

 arboreous D. racemosum, Sieb. & Zucc, but it is difficult to define the 

 species by floral characters. Distylium and Sycopsis are genera in 

 which the floral structure is inconstant and imperfect, owing to irregu- 

 larity in the placement of the organs. Sycopsis differs from Distylium 

 in the flowers having an urceolate receptacle and in the stamens being 

 perigynous. Apparently the flowers in both genera are functionally 

 either male or female, never hermaphrodite. 



By way of illustration of the absence of uniformity, we may talco 

 a male inflorescence, which consists of a number of separate flowers, 

 arranged in a spicate or racemose manner, some of the flowers being 

 sessile, others shortly stalked, Bracteoles and sepals are sometimes 

 indistinguishable, though the organs representing these series vary 

 considerably from the outermost to the innermost, or from the lower- 

 most to the uppermost, on the same axis. Beginning at the base of the 

 male inflorescence selected, the composition of the flowers is as follows : — 



(1) One bracteole, one sepal and three stamens, one imperfect. (2) One 

 bracteole, five spirally arranged sepals, five perfect stamens, one 

 imperfect stamen, a fully developed pistillode with styles overtopping 

 the stamens, a single cavity in the ovary, but no trace of OAOiles. (3) 

 One bracteole, five sepals imperfectly whorled, three stamens. (4) 

 Three bracteoles or (in part) displaced sepals, two very unequal petaloid 

 sepals, five perfect stamens, a w^ell-developed pistillode with styles 

 longer than the stamens, no trace of ovules. (5) Two bracteoles or 

 sepals, four unequal stamens. (6) Three bracteoles or (in part) sepals, 

 two unequal stamens. (7) Six unequal petaloid sepals, five perfect 

 stamens, small undeveloped pistillode. 



A second inflorescence gave : (1) Four sepals and three stamens. 



(2) Three sepals and two stamens. (3) One bracteole (?), one petaloid 

 sepal and three stamens. (4) Five petaloid sepals and three stamens. 



(5) Three bracteoles, two sepals, six stamens and pistillode- The terms 

 bracteole and sepal have no definite meaning in the foregoing descrip- 

 tions. 



Fig, 1, a male inflorescence; 2, a male flower with pistillode; 3, anthers; 

 •A, luiigitudinal isection of an ovary ; 5, capsules ; 6, a seed. All enlarged. 



There are two other apparently undescribed species at Kew : 



HemsL isv. nov.) : a D. chinensi 



nitidis 



bracteohs quam sepalis duplo latioribus ; etiamque a D. racemoso, Sieb, 

 et Zucc, foliis dentatis recedit, 



Arhw circiter 12 m. alta, novellis stellato-puberulis. Rami floriferi 

 graciles, cortice cinereo ; internodia brevissima. Folia breviter 

 petiolata, coriacea, glabrescentia, lanceolata vel oblanceolato-oblonga. 



