Gentiana Linnaeus 



Merr. JAA 21 î 382. 1940 

 Gentiana Greenwayae sp. nov. § Chondrophylla, Humiles. 



Gentiana quadrifaria sensu Wernham, Jour. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam 4: 140. 

 1921, non Blume. 



Planta annua, 2.5-6 cm. alta, simplex et 1-flora vel pauciramosa et 

 subconfertim 2-6-flora, caulibus gracilibus, minute puberulo-scaberulis, 

 floribus sessilibus, pallide coeruleis, circiter 1.3 cm. longis; foliis numero- 



1940] MERRILL, RECORDS OF LNDO-CHINESE PLANTS, II 383 



sis, subconfertis (internodiis 1-5 mm. longis) oblongis vel oblongo- 

 ellipticis, sessilibus vel caulinis breviter petiolatis, 1-2.5 cm. longis, 

 3-6 mm. latis, haud nervosis, costa supra obsoleta, subtus subdistincta, 

 sicco viridibus, subtus pallidioribus, subcoriaceis, utrinque subaequaliter 

 angustatis, basi acutis, apice acutis vel brevissime acute acuminatis, 

 margine anguste hyalino-cartilagineis, obscure brevissime ciliatis; flori- 

 bus erectis, sessilibus, circiter 1.3 cm. longis; calycis tubo membranaceo, 

 5 mm. longo, lobis anguste lanceolatis, acute acuminatis, suberectis, 3 

 mm. longis, obscure carinatis, 3-nerviis, margine carinaque obscure 

 breviter pubescentibus; corollae tubo circiter 10 mm. longo, lobis ovatis, 

 acutis, 2.5-3 mm. longis, plicis membranaceis, subalbidis, late ovatis, 

 integris vel obscure paucidentatis (haud fimbriatis), leviter inaequi- 

 lateralibus, acutis vel obtusis, circiter 2 mm. latis et 1.5 mm. longis; 

 ovario stipitato, lanceolato, glabro, leviter compresso, 3.5-4 mm. longo, 

 stipite 1.5 mm. longo; stylo 1.5-2 mm. longo, cylindrico, obtuso; 

 staminibus aequilongis, filamentis 3 mm. longis, antheris oblongis, 1.6 

 mm. longis. 



Indo-China: Annam, Langbian Peak, Dalat, Mrs. H. Greenway 18, 

 March 12, 1939, in open forests at 2000 m., flowers very pale blue. 

 Type deposited in the Gray Herbarium. 



In 1914, Gagnepain and Dop credited only two species of this genus 

 to Indo-China, Gentiana Loureirii Griseb. and G. Hesseliana Hosseus, 

 to neither of which the présent one is closely allied. Seven years later 

 Wernham, Jour. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam 4: 140, listed Gentiana quadrifaria 

 Blume from Langbian Peak and Dalat, and I am convinced that this 

 record actually represents the species hère proposed as new. In any case 

 the very broad interprétation of Blume's species in Hooker's Flora of 

 British India, on which probably Wernham's identification was in part 

 based, covers several distinct and not too closely allied species, and there 

 is no good évidence that Blume's species actually occurs in continental 

 Asia. Fyson's rather crude sketch of "Gentiana quadrifaria" Blume 

 (FI. Nilgiri & Pulney Hill-tops 2: 193. 1915) represents a species in 

 habit very similar to the Indo-Chinese one hère considered, but it cer- 

 tainly represents a species not the same as Blume's Javan type. 

 FoUowing Marquand's arrangement of the 184 known Chinese species 

 of Gentiana (Kew Bull. 134-180. 1937), the présent one clearly falls 

 in the section and séries indicated and I judge in the gênerai alliance of 

 Gentiana praticola Franch. of Yunnan, differing notably in its larger 

 leaves, its acuminate (not obtuse) calyx lobes, and its broadly ovate 

 (not lanceolate) plicae. 



