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 Caltha be upheld as a genus the definitions of Сайла, Calathodes, and 
Trolius would be as follows :— 
Сайла, Linn.; leaves entire; nectariferous staminodes none; torus between the insertion of the 
calyx and the gynecium 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 none; torus elongating 
after flowering between the insertion of the calyx and the head of follicles; seeds inserted below the 
middle, chalazal part not spongy. 
Trolius, Linn. ; leaves palmately divided; mectariferous staminodes present; torus not elongating by 
interstitial growth; seeds inserted all along tho ventral suture of the follicles, chalazal part not 
spongy. | 
Varieties of Calathodes palmata— 
Var. а. Anartema, P. B.; ovaries exappendiculate. (Flowers solitary.) Sikkim, 10,000” (Hooker 
ft 1). 
Var. В. aPPENDICULATA, P. B.; ovaries and follicles dorsally with a wing-shaped appendage 
near the base. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate. Hupeh (Henry, 1885-86, No. 
6977!) See also Hooker’s Icones, plate 1935. 
Piare 112. Calathodes palmata, Н. f. Th. 1, flowering plant from Sikkim; 2, head of follicles of variety 8; 3, 
sepal; 4, stamens; 5, gyneciam of variety а; 6, pistil of variety а; 7, the same, with the ovary cut longitudinally; 
8, pistil of variety 8; 9, the same cut longitudinally; 10, a pistil less magnified; 11, head of ripe follicles seen 
from above; 12, cross section through torus below head of follicles; 13, ripe seed; the figure at the lower right 
edge represents a ripe follicle just before dehiscence. 
TROLLIUS PUMILUS, Don. 
The genus Trollius is соры 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. lazus, ani Т. lilacinus, with their subspecies 7. altaicus, Т. acaulis, and others. Accord- 
ing to Maximowiez the discrimination of the Northern Asiatic and European species would be 
&ceurding to the following scheme :— 
A. Flores lilacini - i ... T. lilacinus. 
B. Flores flavi vel aurantiaci— 
a. Styli discolores ER ... T. айатив. 
The relative length of stamens and staminodes is, however, an unreliable character, even in 
Т. asiaticus. This is shown by figures با‎ m, n, of which lis from an old specimen of Schangin’s 
. and n is from a specimen on the same sheet and in nearly every respect exactly like the former; 
but whilst in 7 the stamens are distinctly longer than the staminodes, in » the staminodes are 
m: سام‎ the T of the stamens; m is from another old Siberian specimen of T. asiaticus in 
