THEACEAE. — THEA 393 



lated to T. cuspidata Kochs, which has stouter branches, large elliptic-lanceolate 

 leaves, broad flowers on very short pedicels, paleaceous much larger sepals, ovate 

 petals and shorter stamens. 



This new species is common at low altitudes round the base and on the lower 

 elopes of Mt. Omei. 



Sect. Camellia Szyszyl. 

 Thea oleifera Rehder & Wilson, n. comb. 



Thea oleosa Loureiro, Fl. Cochin. 339 (1790), quoad nom. chinensia et notam. 

 Camellia oleifera Abel, Narr. Jour. China, 363, t. p. 174 (1818). — Lindley 



in Bot. Reg. XI. t. 942 (1825). — Loddiges, Bot. Cab. XI. t. 1065 (1825). — 



Booth in Trans. Hort. Sac. Lond. VII. 524 (1830). — Seemann in Bonplandia, 



VI. 278 (1858); in Trans. Linn. Sac. XXII. 344 (pro synon.) (1859).— 



L^veiUe, Fl. Kourj-Tcheou, 414 (1915). 

 Camellia sasanqua Staunton, Embas. to China, II. 466 t. (non Thunberg) 



(1797). — Ker in Bot. Reg. I. t. 12 (1815). — Hance in Jour. Bot. XVII. 



9 (1879). — Franchet in Nouv. Arch. Mus. Paris, s^r. 2, V. 210 {PI. David. 



I. 58) (1883). — Hemsley in Jour. Linn. Soc. XXIII. 82 (1886). — Dunn 



& Tutcher in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform, add. ser. X. 46 (Fl. Kwangtung & 



Hongk.) (1912). 

 Sasanqua oleifera Rafinesque, Sylva Tellur. 140 (1838). 

 Thea sasanqua, var. oleosa Pierre, Fl. For. Cochin. II. t. 116, figs, b', b* 



(1887). — Kochs in Bot. Jahrb. XXVII. 594 (1900). 

 Camellia Sasanqua, var. oleifera Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. Hort. 1. 225 (1900). 

 Camellia Sasa7iqua, var. oleosa Rehder in Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. II. 641 



(1914). 



Kiangsi: Kiukiang, foothills, alt. 300 m., August 1, 1907 (No. 

 1532; bush 2-3 m.); Kuling, side of stream, alt. 1300 m., July 31, 

 1907 (No, 1527; bush 2 m.). Western Szech'uan: An Hsien, cul- 

 tivated, alt. 600 m., August 1910 (No. 4554; bush 2-6 m.); Hung-ya 

 Hsien, Wa-wu-shan, thickets, alt. 800 m., September 1908 (No. 2205; 

 bush 2-2.5 m.); Kiating Fu, banks of Min River, June 1903 (Veitch 

 Exped. No. 3265); Mt. Omei, October 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 4756). 

 Fokien: Dunn's Exped., April to June 1905 (Hongkong Herb. Nos. 

 2457, 2452). 



This shrub is abundant on the foothills of the Lushan mountains near Kiukiang 

 and is much cultivated in the warm eastern parts of China for the sake of its seeds, 

 which, when crushed, yield a sweet oil much esteemed in cooking. In parts of 

 western Szech'uan it is not uncommon and is also occasionally cultivated. 



In China Wilson paid considerable attention to this plant and when in Japan in 

 1914 to Thea Sasanqua Noisette, and he cannot agree that these plants are specifically 

 identical. In herbaria they look very similar, it is true, but the Japanese plant may 

 be distinguished by its thinner leaves with more crcnate serration and by its buds 

 which are glabrescent or clothed with short, very close appressed gray pubescence 

 exactly like those of Thea japonica Noisette, whereas in the Chinese T. oleifera the 

 buds are covered with pale, loose, shaggy villose hairs. There are differences in 

 the degree of hairiness of the branches and in degree of union of the stamen-filaments, 

 but these are perhaps not constant. The Uving plants are markedly different in 



