EDITORIAL NOTE 



The publication of part III. of the third volume of the Plantae 

 Wilsonianae finishes the enumeration of the trees and shrubs col- 

 lected by Wilson during his two journeys in western China under- 

 taken for the Arboretum. In this work, the first part of which 

 appeared in July 1911, there are enumerated 2716 species and 640 

 varieties and forms of woody plants representing 429 genera in 100 

 natural families. Among these collections have been found 4 pre- 

 viously undescribed genera, 382 previously undescribed species, and 

 323 varieties and forrhs of species now first described. In addition 

 to these, 18 new species and 11 new varieties collected by Wilson 

 have been described in other works before the publication of the 

 Plantae Wilsonianae. In earlier journeys in China, Mr. Wilson dis- 

 covered 121 new species of plants and 22 undescribed varieties of 

 species; of these 52 species and 13 varieties are first described in 

 this work. His four journeys in China, therefore, have added to the 

 ligneous flora of that country 4 genera, 521 species and 356 varieties 

 and forms of species not previously known. 



In addition to the descriptions of the new plants collected by 

 Wilson there will be found in this work descriptions of 150 pre- 

 viously undescribed species, 51 new varieties, and 17 new forms 

 found in China outside the region visited by Wilson and princi- 

 pally collected in Yunnan by Dr. Augustine Henry. 



The study of the material in American and European herbaria 

 necessary for the preparation of this work has made it possible to 

 prepare partial synoptical accounts of about 30 important genera. 

 A large part of these synoptical accounts in addition to those of 

 the Chinese Empire include the species of Japan, and in several 

 cases also those of the Himalayas. Among such synopses are those 

 of such important genera as Salix, Populus, Ulmus, Carpinus, Corylus, 

 Betula, Magnolia, Rhamnus, and the subgenus Cerasus of Prunus. 

 Of Celtis, Sorbus, and Mains accounts are given of all the species 

 which grow in China and Japan, and the treatment of Smilax in- 



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