440 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



Spiraea alpina Pallas, Fl. Ross. I. 35, t. 20 (1784). — Maximowicz in 

 Act. Hort. Petrop. VI. 182 (1879). — Zabel, Strauch. Spir. 38 (1893). — 

 Diels in Bot. Jahrb. XXIX. 382 (1900). — Schneider, III. Handh. 

 Lauhholzk. I. 456, fig. 289 i, 290 e-e^(1905). 



Western Szech'uan: Ta-p'ao-shan, north-east of Tachien-lu, 

 heaths, alt. 4000-5000 m., July 7, 1908 (No. 2771; shrub about 1 m. 

 high, flowers white); without precise locality, grasslands, alt. 3700- 

 4700 m., June 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 3548; shrub 0.50-1 m. high). 

 Shensi: Tai-pei-shan, 1910, W. Purdom (No. 5). Western 

 Kansu: Min-chou district, alt. 3000 m., 1911, W. Purdom. 



Wilson's specimens differ somewhat from the typical plant in the loosely ap- 

 pressed villose pubescence on the upper surface of the leaves. The calyx is deep red. 



Spiraea myrtilloides Rehder, n. sp. 



Frutex 2-3-metralis, ramosissimus, divaricatus; ramuU hornotini 

 sparse villosuli, annotini angulati, castaneo- v. fusco-brunnei, glabre- 

 scentes, angulo saepe fere recto divergentes, vetustiores lamellis tenu- 

 ibus decorticantes ; gemmae ovatae, acutae, circiter 2 mm. longae, 

 brunneae, perulis 6-8 sparse pubescentibus v. fere glabris ciliolatis 

 obtectae. Folia subchartacea, ovalia, v. ovali-oblonga v. obovato- 

 oblonga, integra, obtusa, rarius acutiuscula, minute mucronulata, 

 basi cuneata v. late cuneata, 6-10 mm. longa et 3-6 mm. lata, 

 supra glabra, obscure coeruleo-viridia, minute rugulosa, subtus 

 pallidiora, laxe accumbenti-pilosa, margine villosula, nervis utrinsecus 

 3-5 inconspicuis subtus vix elevatis; petioli, circiter 1 mm. longi, 

 tenues, villosuli. Inflorescentia umbellato-racemosa multiflora, densa, 

 hemisphaerica, in apice ramulorum brevium paucifoliatorum, inter- 

 dum fere sessiles, basi paucifoliatae ; pedicelli graciles, 3-6 mm. longi, 

 ut caljrx sparse pilosi v. glabri; flores albi, 5-6 mm. diam.; sepala late 

 triangularia acuta, margine villosula v. glabra; petala rotundata, basi 

 vix contracta plerumque emarginata, 2.5 mm. diam. ; discus conspicuus, 



erectis; folliculi erecti, 2.5 mm. longi, sepala duplo superantes, brunnei, nitidi, 

 apice intus gibbosi, dorso stylum patentem subapicalem gerentes. 



Yunnan: Mengtze, barren dry hills, alt. 1600 m., A. Henry (No. 10662). 



This species seems most nearly related to S. aquilegiifolia Pallas and S. anatolica 

 Haussknecht, but the first is easily distinguished by its thin glabrous leaves cuneate 

 at the base and the second by the pubescent calyx, pubescent carpels, and by the 

 cuneate leaves. It also resembles S. yunnanensis Franchet, but in that species the 

 umbels are borne on short branchlets and the calyx is pubescent. The numerous 

 short spurs densely covered with the persistent fulvously pubescent bud-scales 

 and bases of the petioles give to the two and three years old branches a peculiar 

 appearance. 



