CAPRIFOLIACEAE — VIBURNUM 309 



spreading, coarser and shorter teeth; the very wide and loose inflorescence is 

 densely and finely pubescent and the aborted flowers are smaller and fewer; ripe 

 fruit I have not seen, but according to Hooker, Hutchinson and others the fruit 

 is black; even if the color of the fruit should be incorrectly stated, the other 

 characters are sufficient to separate it from S. javanica. 



All the species enumerated above form a group of closely related species charac- 

 terized by the valvate aestivation of the corolla, the sufTruticose stems and the ten- 

 dency of the upper leaflets to be adnate to the rachis. On account of the aestivation 

 of the corolla and of the sufTruticose habit they are best referred to the section 

 Ebulus, though they differ from the type of this section in their spreading stamens 

 with yellow anthers, smaller flowers and smaller fruits red or yellowish, except in 

 S. Hookeri, which is described as black-fruited. On the presence of abortive flowers 

 in one of the species Miquel based his section Scyphidanthe, which was erroneously 

 placed by Fritsch and by Schworin as a subsection in the section Eusamhucus 

 in which the aestivation of the corolla is imbricate. I agree with Hance that the 

 presence of abortive flowers is hardly a sufficient character upon which to base a 

 section, and Scyphidanthe therefore should be merged into the section Ebulus. 

 Of the six species of this section S. Ebulus L. stands quite by itself on account of 

 its larger flowers, upright stamens with violet anthers and of its rather large purplish- 

 black fruits and always distinct leaflets. A second group is formed by S. Wighti- 

 ana, S. Schwcriniana and S. adnata, similar in habit to S. Ebulus, but differing 

 in the smaller flowers, spreading stamens with yellow anthers, red fruits (finally 

 black in S. Wightiana) and usually adnate upper leaflets. The third group com- 

 prises S. javanica and S. Hookeri and is characterized by the presence of abortive 

 flowers and by the very wide and loose inflorescence with the rays partly sub- 

 thyrsoid, while in its other characters this group is nearest to the second group. 



Sambucus Sieboldiana Blume. See p. 106. 



The Nos. 4020 and 4490 referred (p. 106) erroneously to S. Sieboldiana represent 

 S. Wightiana Wallich and S. Schweriniana Rehder, 



VIBURNUM L.i 



Vibixmum brachybotryum Hemsley. See p. 108. 



Yunnan: Mengtze, alt. 2000 m., A. Henry (Nos. 10065, 10065a); 

 Szemao, southeastern forests, alt. 1700 m., A. Henry (Nos. 12790, 

 12790a). 



Henry's specimens present apparently the normal development of the inflores- 

 cence, which is borne on very short spurs lateral on two year old branches, without 

 any leaves at the base, and only with caducous scales. The very loose and lax appar- 

 ently pendulous inflorescence is, including the 1.5-7 cm. long peduncle, 10-22 cm. 

 long and 10-15 cm. wide; the name V. brachybotnjxim therefore seems very inap- 

 propriate for this species, which has one of the largest inflorescences in the whole 

 genus. It is highly interesting that Henry's specimens show conclusively that 

 V. brachybotryum has indeed dioecious flowers; Nos. 10065 and 12790 represent the 

 pistillate and Nos. 10065a and 12790a the staminate plant. In the pistillate flowers 

 the corolla-lobes are spreading as they are in the staminate flower, and also in the 

 shape of the inflorescence the two sexes are alike except that the staminate inflores- 

 cence is generally somewhat larger and laxer. 



1 Sec also p. 108. 



