EHAMNACEAE. — RHAMNUS 235 



At the first glance this species looks very much like R. Bodinieri L6veill6, f. 

 silvicola Schneider, but R. Hemsleyanics may be distinguished at once by its acu- 

 minate leaves, short petioles and tetramerous flowers. 



Rhamnus Sargentianus Schneider, n. sp. 



Frutex 2-6 m. altus, inermis; ramuli alterni, ab initio glabri v. par- 

 cissime pilosi, annotini purpurascentes, leviter nitentes, vetustiores 

 cinerascentes; gemmae parvae, obovatae, circiter 4 mm. longae, 

 squamis paucis ciliatis obtectae; stipulae lineares, mox caducae, 

 circiter 10 mm. longae. Folia alterna, decidua, matura crasse mem- 

 branacea, oblongo-elliptica v. fere late lanceolata, basi cmieata, apice 

 subito acuta v. plerumque breviter acuminata, toto margine tenuiter 

 sed distincte crenato-serrata dentibus callosis, minora circiter 4.3 cm. 

 longa et 2 cm. lata, majora circiter 12 cm. longa et 4.3 lata v. 15 cm. 

 longa et 12 cm, lata, supra viridia, tantum juniora ad nervos pilosa 

 V. etiam matura tota pagina sparse pilosa, subtus paullo pallidiora, 

 tantum ad nervos v. tota pagina sparse pilosa, nervis utrinque 12-18 

 parallelis; petioli brevissimi, 2-5 mm. longi, supra pilosi. Pseudo- 

 umbella axillaris, 4-5-flora; flores masculi perparvi, virides, tetra- 

 meri, apetali; pedicelli floriferi 2-3 mm. longi, minute pilosi, fructi- 

 f eri ad 5 mm. longi ; sepala late ovata, apice subito breviter acuminata, 

 1-1.5 mm. longa, plerumque glabra; stamina sepalis triplo breviora. 

 Fructus ut videtur purpureo-niger,obovato-rotundus, ad 5 mm. longus; 

 semina 3, brunnescentia, obovata, basim versus angustata, 3-3.5 mm. 

 longa, dorso impressa, tantum ima basi sulco brevi aperto instructa, 

 ventre carinata. 



Western Szech'uan: Wa-shan and vicinity, woodlands, alt. 

 2300-3000 m., common, June and September 15, 1908 (No. 862, 

 type); Mupin, thickets, alt. 2300-2800 m., June 1908 (No. 862^); 

 Wa-shan, June 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3339"^); without precise 

 locality, alt. 2800 m., May 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 3339). 



At the first glance this species recalls R. costatus Maximowicz by its multi- 

 costate leaves, but the Japanese species may be readily distinguished by the dif- 

 ferent shape of its broader leaves, the long winter-buds and by the very long pedicels 

 of its larger flowers and fruits. Nevertheless these two species are closely related 

 and may represent a subdivision of the special group formed by all the species 

 with similar multicostate leaves, namely R. alpinus Linnaeus, R. fallaz Boissier, 

 R. imeretinus Booth, R. purpureus Edgeworth and others. The arrangement of 

 the different groups of the genus, especially of the subgenus Eurhamnus, as adopted 

 by Weberbauer and other authors must probably be changed, but a really nat- 

 ural classification of the species can only be reached by a careful examination of all 

 the species now known. 



