86 ANNALS OF ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. 
of which becomes involved in the interstitial growth of the torus, so that the angles of the latter 
become winged; in the Sikkim specimens this wing-like appendage is, however, wanting, so that it 
cannot be made use of as a generic character; it is hardly of sufficient importance to found a 
separate species on. If Cultha be upheld as a genus the definitions of Сайла, Calathodes, and 
Trolius would be as follows :— 
Caltha, Linn. ; leaves entire; nectariferous staminodes none; torus between the insertion of the 
calyx and the gynocium not elongating after flowering; seeds usually inserted all along the ventral 
suture; chalazal part of seeds more or less spongy. 
Caiathodes, H. f. et T.; leaves palmately divided ; nectariferous staminodes попе; torus elongating 
after flowering between the insertion of the calyx and the head of follicles; seeds баа below the 
middle, chalazal part not spongy. 
Trolius, Linn. ; leaves palmately divided; nectariferous staminodes present; torus not elongating by 
interstitial growth; seeds inserted all along the ventral suture of the follicles, chalazal part not 
spongy. 
Varieties of Calathodes palmata— 
Var. а. Ахавтема, Р. B.; ovaries exappendiculate. (Flowers solitary.) Sikkim, 10,000’ (Hooker 
{ À 
Var. В. APPENDICULATA, Р. В.; ovaries and follicles dorsally with a wing-shaped appendage 
near the base. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate. Hupeh (Henry, 1885-86, Жо. 
6977!) See also Hooker’s Icones, plate 1935. 
Рглте 112. Calathodes palmata, M. f. Th. 1, flowering plant from Sikkim; 2, head of follicles of variety @; 8 
; 4, stamens; 6, gynocium of variety а; 6, pistil of variety д; 7, the same, with the ovary cut longitudinally; 
8, pistil of variety 8; 9, the same cut longitudinally; 10, а pistil less magnified; 11, head of ripe follicles seen 
from above; 12, «ross section through torus below head о: follicles; 13, ripe seed; the figure at the lower right 
edge represents а ripe follicle just before dehiscence. 
TROLLIUS PuMILUS, Don. 
The genus Trollius is composed of two form-groups—one group which is characterized by the 
nectariferous staminodes being usually long-clawed, and more especially by their being distinctly 
thickenad at the upper edge ; whilst the staminodes of the second group have a very short claw and 
their upper margin is thin, like the margin of an ordinary petal. The former comprises the 
various varieties of T. pumilus; to the latter belong the difficultly separable species T. europaeus, 
T. asiaticus, T. larus, anl Т, lilacinus, with their subspecies T. altaicus, T. acaulis, and others. Accord- 
ing to Maximowiez the discrimiuation of the Northern Asiatic and European species would be 
according to the following вепеше:— 
A. Flores lilacini is kes ... Т. lilacinus. 
B. Flores flavi vel aurantiaci— 
a. Styli discolores in ... Т. altaicus. 
$. Styli coneolores— 
a. Petala stamina superantia ... Т. asiaticus. 
В. Petala staminibus subequilonga 
vel iis subbreviora $5 co 1. ахи. 
y. Petala staminibus breviora ... T. europaeus. 
The relative length of stamens and staminodes is, however, an unreliable character, even in 
T. asiaticus. This is shown by figures /, m, n, of which / is from an old specimen of Schangin’s 
and s is from a specimen on the same sheet and in nearly every respect exactly like the former; 
but whilst in Z the stamens are distinctly longer than the staminodles, in п the staminodes are 
about twice the length of the stamens; т is from another old Siberian specimen of T. asiaticus in 
