RANUNCULACEAE. — CLEMATIS 335 



0.4-1 cm. longo, plerumque basi cuneatum; petioli villosi, robusti, 

 3.5-8.5 cm. longi, ea turionum cirrhosi. Flores solitarii v. bini, e 

 gemmis perulatis in axillis ramulorum anni praeteriti simul cum 

 foliis orientes, albi, 6-8.5 cm. diam.; pedicelli teretes, robusti, 8-18 

 cm. longi, dense villosi; sepala 4, obovata v. fere orbicularia, 3-4 cm. 

 longa et 2-3.5 cm. lata, apice emarginata v. mucronata, extus dense 

 flavido-villosa, marginem versus glabrescentia; stamina glabra, stylis 

 paullo longiora, filamentis brunneis compressis linearibus 1-1.5 cm. 

 longis, antheris pallidis lineari-oblongis 3-4 mm. longis. Achaenia 

 numerosa, ovoidea, compressa, 4-5 mm. longa, brunnea, dense pilosa, 

 stipitata, apice in stylum persistentem longe plumosum circiter 3 cm. 

 longum attenuata. 



Western Szech'uan: Mupin, alt. 2300-2600 m., June and August 

 1908 (No. 868, type); same locality, alt. 1600-2000 m., October 1908 

 (No. SeS^'); same locality, thickets, alt. 2600-3000 m., October 1910 

 (No. 4373); vicinity of Tachien-lu, thickets, alt. 2000-2600 m., June 

 and October 1908 (No. 1331); without precise locality, alt. 2600 m., 

 July 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3114). 



The relatively thick leaves densely covered with yellowish silky hairs, the 

 sericeous flowers and particularly the densely pilose achenes readily distinguish 

 this species from C. montana Buchanan-Hamilton and all its numerous varieties 

 and forms. It appears to us more closely allied to C. chrysocoma Franchet in which, 

 however, the flowers are pink and produced on the shoots of the current season. 

 The flowers of C. Spooneri are of much substance and very beautiful. The plant 

 grows naturally in rocky places fully exposed to the sun and is very floriferous. 

 The varietal name sericea applied by Franchet to this plant cannot be used specifi- 

 cally as there is a C. sericea Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth; there is also another 

 American species of the same name, C. sericea Michaux.i 



In raising this plant to specific rank we have thought it advisable to draw up 

 a complete description since the distinguishing characters given by Franchet are 

 very brief. 



Ser. ViTALBAE Prantl. 



Clematis Fargesii Franchet in Jour, de Bot. VIII. 273 (1894).— 

 Finet & Gagnepain in Bull. Soc. Bot. France, L. 523 (1903); Contrib. 

 Fl. As. Or. I. 8 (1905). 



Western Szech'uan: west of Kuan Hsien, Pan-lan-shan, thick- 

 ets, alt. 2600-3000 m., October 1910 (No. 4144; climber 3-6 m.). 

 Western Kansu: Tow river, alt. 3000 m., 1911, W. Purdom. 



' Named for my friend, Herman Spooner, who assisted in the distribution of 

 my early collections and to whom I am indebted for valued services on many oc- 

 casions. — E. H. W. 



