SABIACEAE. — MELIOSMA 201 



Meliosma subverticillaris Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 



Arbor 6-metralis, trunco tenui, ramis erecto-patentibus; ramuli •=: Jr . /vt-A^, 

 hornotini dense tomento initio ferrugineo demum cinerasccnte et per 

 secundum annum persistente vestiti; gemmae tomentosae. Folia 

 pcrsistentia, subcoriacea, 3 v. 4 subverticillata, rarius alterna, oblongo- 

 oblanceolata v. oblanceolata, subito longe acuminata, basi sensim 

 attenuata, basi excepta remote et breviter spinuloso-serrata, 12-20 

 cm. longa et 4-5 cm. lata, supra initio dense sericeo-strigosa, demum 

 glabra, levia, subtus tomento fulvo-cinereo dense obtecta et reticulata, 

 nervis utrinsecus 15-20 subtus elevatis curvatis infimis exceptis in 

 dentes excurrentibus; petioli graciles, tomentosi, 1.5-2 cm. longi. 

 Paniculae (nondum florentes) terminates et axillares, pyramidales, 

 10-15 cm. longae, totae bracteis alabastrisque inclusis dense tomento 

 brevi strigoso-villoso obtectae; florum alabastra subsessilia; sepala 5, 

 ovato-lanceolata, acutiuscula, pubescentia. Flores evoluti et fructus 

 desiderantur. 



Eastern Szech'uan: Taning Hsien, thickets, alt. 1000 m., June 

 29, 1910 (No. 4600). 



The subverticillate leaves readily distinguish this species which is perhaps 

 most closely related to M. rigida Siebold & Zuccarini. That species has alternate, 

 less coriaceous leaves which are glabrous above even when very young and much 

 larger terminal panicles. M. pilosa Lecomte has leaves pilose on the under side 

 as in our new species, but differs from it in the membranous, deciduous leaves, 

 terminal panicles and pedicellate flowers, and is obviously more closely related to 

 M. cuneifolia Franchet than to M. subverticillaris. 



Meliosma parviflora Lecomte in Bull. Soc. Bot. France, LIV. 676 

 (1907). 



Western Szech'uan: Kiating Fu, thickets, alt. 300-600 m., 

 August 1908 (No. 3036; small tree, 5-8 m. tall, flowers white); same 

 locahty, July and October 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3314, type; thin 

 tree 8 m., flowers white, fruit red). 



This small tree is rather common in thickets and by the sides of streams in the 

 neighborhood of Kiating Fu and throughout the Chengtu plain up to an altitude 

 of 800 m. The slender trunk is covered with smooth, firm, dark gray bark, which 

 peels off in large roundish, rather thick flakes which leave brown scars on the 

 trunk. The wood is very hard and heavy. The large lax panicles of small white 

 flowers and the bright red fruits make this tree very conspicuous in late July and 

 September. 



Here may be added the description of four new Chinese species of the section 

 Simplices, not collected during the Arnold Arboretum Expeditions. 



Meliosma platypoda Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 



Frutex v. arbor parva, 3-6-metralis; ramuli annotini initio strigoso-pilosi, 



