204 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



brevius, ovario ovoideo compresso, stylo filiformi, stigmate simplice. Fructus 

 desideratur. 



Yunnan: Szemao, forests, alt. 1600 m., A. Henry (No. 11737, type); same 

 locality, A. Henry (Nos. 11737% 11737''). 



This species is apparently most closely related to M. lancifolia Hooker f., which 

 we have not seen, but according to the description that species differs in its larger, 

 broader, entire leaves, longer, more dense pubescence and in its coriaceous inner 

 sepals. This new species is also related to M. rigida Siebold & Zuccarini, which 

 has chartaceous, oblanceolate to obovate-cuneate abruptly acuminate leaves, 

 more ferruginous tomentum and thyrsoid panicles. Nos. 11737% 11737*^, differ 

 from the type in their smaller and more densely villose panicles with shorter 

 lateral branches and in their chartaceous persistent leaves, while the type specimen 

 has only young membranous leaves. 



Sect. 2. PiNNATAE Warb. 



Meliosma Veitchiorum Hemsley in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform. XIX. 

 155 (1906). — Bean in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform. 1910, 173, t. 



Meliosma longicalyz Lecomte in Bull. Soc. Bot. France, s6r. 4, VII. 675 

 (1907). 



Western Hupeh: Hsing-shan Hsien, woods, alt. 1300-2000 m., 

 May 20, June 3 and September 1907 (No. 322, in part; tree 5-15 m. 

 tall, 0.3-2 m. girth, flowers yellow, fragrant, in large drooping panicles; 

 fruit black); Fang Hsien, woodlands, alt. 1600-1800 m., not common, 

 June and September 1907 (No. 322, in part; tree 5-16 m. tall, girth 

 0.3-2 m., flowers yellow, fragrant, fruit black); same locality, alt. 

 1600-2300 m., October 1910 (No. 4457; tree 10-16 m. tall, 1.5-2.5 m. 

 girth, fruit black) ; Changyang Hsien, woods, alt. 1500 m., very rare, 

 June 1907 (No. 322, in part; tree 5-13 m. tall, flowers greenish 

 yellow). Eastern Szech'uan: Wushan Hsien, woodlands, 1500- 

 2000 m., June 1901 (Veitch Exped. No. 1046, type). 



This remarkable tree is abundant in moist woods throughout Hsing-shan Hsien 

 and Fang Hsien between 1300-2300 m. altitude, but is rare in other parts of Hupeh 

 and is not recorded from western Szech'uan. It is a tree of medium height with 

 a relatively thick trunk and ascending and very slightly spreading branches forming 

 a loose pyramidal head. The bark is gray, slightly fissured and with age exfohates 

 in small irregularly-shaped flakes. The large leaves are deciduous, crowded to- 

 gether at the ends of the branches and in falling leave very prominent scars. The 

 honey-scented flowers are greenish yellow, with incurved ferruginous stamens. 

 The loose panicles, produced at the same time as the leaves, are pendulous, much 

 branched, often 60 cm. or more long and wide, with the basal lateral branches ex- 

 ceeding in length the main rhachis. The corky lenticels on the inflorescence are 

 most conspicuous. The undescribed fruit is black, globose, and from 10 to 12 mm. 

 long and wide. 



Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 581 and 053 of the collection 

 Wilson's photographs and also in his Vegetation of Western China, No. 313. of 



