ROSACE AE . — COTONE ASTER 1 55 



Niu-tou-shan, west of Kuan Hsien, alt. 2600 m., June 1908, (No. 227, 

 in part; prostrate over rocks, flowers pinkish); Wei-kuan, Yu-li-pa 

 A. von Rosthorn (No. 2549). 



This species is common in western Szech'uan, but rare in Hupeh. It was prob- 

 ably from the district of Mupin in western Szech'uan that David sent the seeds 

 from which the plants on which the species was based were raised. 



Cotoneaster horizontalis Decaisne, var. perpusilla Schneider, III. 

 Handh. Lauhholzk. I. 745, fig. 419 e^ (1906). 



Cotoneaster microphylla Hemsley in Jour. Linn. Soc. XXIII. 261 (non Wallich) 

 (1887). — Diels in Bot. Jahrb. XXIX. 386 (pro parte, non Wallich) 

 (1901). — Pampanmi in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. n. ser. XVII. 288 (non 

 Wallich) (1910). 



Western Hupeh: north and south of Ichang, bare, rocky ground, 

 alt. 1300-2000 m.. May and October 1907 (No. 496; prostrate, fruit 

 red); Chang-yang, alt. 1500 m.. May 1900 (Veitch Exped. No. 564); 

 without locality, A. //enr?/ (No. 2858). Szech'uan: without locality, 

 A. von Rosthorn (No. 303). 



This small-leaved form of C. horizontalis is the common Cotoneaster of the moor- 

 lands in western Hupeh, being abundant in open rocky ground. It is probably 

 merely a climatic form of the type, since the seedling plants under cultivation 

 have the larger leaves of the type. 



With its small leaves this variety bears some superficial resemblance to C. mi- 

 crophylla Walhch, and has been confused with this species by several botanists. 

 The true C. micropyhlla which belongs to the sect. Chaenopetalum is readily distin- 

 guished by the spreading white petals of its flowers and the thick coriaceous leaves 

 glaucous and usually whitish-tomentose on their lower surface. 



Cotoneaster adpressaBois in Vilmorin & Bois, Frut. Vilmorin. 116, 

 fig. (1904); in Fedde, Rep. Nov. Sp. III. 226 (1906). 



Cotoneaster horizontalis, var. adpressa Schneider, III. Handh. Lauhholzk. I. 

 744, figs. 418 k-m, 419 e' (1906). 



Western Szech'uan: Tachien-lu, rocky places in alpine regions, 

 alt. 2800-3230 m., June and September 1908 (No. 2187; fruits bright 

 red); Tachien-lu, uplands, alt. 2800-3500 m., October 1910, (No. 4136; 

 prostrate over rocks, fruit red). 



Cotoneaster adpressa is undoubtedly closely related to C. horizontalis Decaisne, 

 but seems to differ sufficiently to be considered specifically distinct. The chief 

 differences are the nearly glabrous thinner leaves usually somewhat wavy on the 

 margin, the larger subglobose fruits ripening several weeks earlier than those of 

 C. horizontalis, and the habit, the creeping and often rooting stems being irregularly 

 branched with often tortuous or flagellate branchlets forming a dense carpet closely 

 appressed to the ground, while in C. horizontalis the stems are horizontally spreading 

 or procumbent with the straight spreading branchlets regularly distichous. 



