172.2 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



at the apex ; upper side of the short broad petiole pubescent, the leaf elsewhere 

 being glabrous. Flowers of both sexes sessile, similar to those of B. sempervirens, 

 but with the rudimentary ovary of the staminate flower much enlarged and as long as 

 the inner sepals. 



This is wild in the mountains of Japan, where it has given rise in cultiva- 

 tion to several peculiar forms, one of which with almost orbicular leaves, puckered 

 and uneven on the surface, has been introduced into Europe. The typical form 

 is rare ; but is represented at Kew by a shrub about 3 ft. high. 1 



2. Buxus microphylla, Siebold and Zuccarini, in Abh. Ac. Miinchen, iv. 2, p. 142 



(8 4 5). 



Buxus sempervirens, var. microphylla, Blume, ex Miquel, in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. iii. 128 



(1867); Hayata, in Journ. Coll. Set'. Tokyo, xx. 3, p. 83, t. vi. D. (1904). 

 Buxus japonica, var. microphylla, Miiller, in De Candolle, Prod. xvi. 1, p. 20 (1869). 



A low shrub, with very slender branchlets, which are glabrous or with a few 

 minute hairs above the nodes. Leaves thin and membranous, spatulate, lanceolate 

 or elliptic, about \ in. long and \ to \ in. broad, emarginate at the apex, slightly 

 pubescent on the upper side of the very short broad petiole. Flowers, as in 

 B. japonica. 



This species 2 occurs wild in Japan, in the provinces of Shimosa, Awa, and 

 Tosa. It is a very distinct plant, with small thin leaves, and has lately been intro- 

 duced into Kew. 



3. Buxus Harlandi? Hance, in Journ. Linn. Soc. {Bot.) xiii. 123 (1873). 



A small shrub, attaining 1 to 2 ft. in height, with densely crowded foliage. 

 Young branchlets very slender, glabrous or occasionally with a few minute hairs above 

 the nodes. Leaves oblanceolate, very narrow in proportion to their length, J to i\ 

 in. long, \ to \ in. wide, emarginate at the apex, very tapering at the base, quite 

 glabrous throughout, or with slight pubescence on the upper side of the petiole. 

 Flowers similar to those of B. japonica, sessile in both sexes, with the rudimentary 

 ovary of the staminate flower as long as the inner sepals ; but with the style of the 

 pistillate flower as long as the ovary. 



This shrub, which is very distinct in appearance, occurs in central and 

 southern China, where it is found growing in the shingly or rocky beds of rivers and 

 streams. It has been in cultivation about ten years at Kew, where it is a dwarf shrub. 4 



II. Branchlets minutely puberulous. 



4. Buxus balearica, Lamarck, Encyc. i. 511 (1753); Willdenow, Sp. PL iv. 337 

 (1805). 



Buxus sempervirens, var. gigantea, Loiseleur, in Duhamel, Tratti des Arbres, i. 82, t. 23 (1801). 



1 B. Fortunti rotundifolia, of some French nurseries, is probably a prostrate form of B. japonica. 



3 B. slenophylla, Hance, in Journ. Bot. vi. 331 (1868), wild in the province of Fukien, in China, is closely allied to, if 

 not identical with B. microphylla. B. sempervirens, var, riparia, Makino, in Tokyo Bot. Mag. xxvi. 293 (19 12), a shrub 3 ft. 

 h>R n > growing beside the river Yoshino, in the province of Tosa, is said to be intermediate between B. japonica and B. 

 microphylla. 



This species was founded by Hance, on specimens gathered in Hong-Kong ; but his sheet, No. 322, so-named, includes 

 two different plants, one, the true B. Harlandi, and the other, resembling B. japonica in the shape of the leaves, but differing 

 in having pubescent branchlets. 



* B. Fortunei, Carriere, in Rev. Hort. xlii. 519 (1871), also sometimes known as B. longifolia, Hort, judging from 

 specimens cultivated under this name in France, is identical with B. Harlandi. 



