RHAMNACEAE 
Rhamnus subapetalus sp. nov. lens. 2@a 23,129 ,1742 
Species Rhamno napalensi (Wall.) Laws. affinis, differt foliis inflorescen- 
tiisque in sicco pallidis, haud nigrescentibus, foliis acutissime subcaudato- 
acuminatis, inflorescentiis glabris vel sub lente minutissime puberulis, petalis 
0 vel quoad visis 1-3 tantum, minutis, lineari-lanceolatis, acuminatis, quam 
filamentis bene brevioribus, planis. Frutex scandens vel subscandens, omni- 
bus partibus glaberrimis vel inflorescentiis sub lente minutissime puberulis, 
ramis brunneis, teretibus, subverrucoso-lenticellatis, ramulis ultimis ad 1 
mm. diametro; foliis plerumque oblongo-ellipticis, firmiter chartaceis, in 
sicco pallidis utrinque subconcoloribus nitidisque, 10—15 cm. longis, 4-8 cm. 
latis, basi late acutis, apice graciliter subcaudato-acuminatis, acuminibus 
rectis vel falcatis, ad 2 cm. longis, distincte apiculatis, margine anguste 
cartilagineis, leviter recurvatis, irregulariter subcrenato-serrulatis, dentibus 
3—5 mm. distantibus, minute subatro-apiculatis; nervis primariis utrinque 
6-8, curvato-adscendentibus, subtus elevatis, perspicuis, ad marginem plus 
minusve arcuato-anastomosantibus, reticulis ultimis distinctis, transverse 
parallelis, leviter undulatis; petiolo 12-25 mm. longo, glabro; stipulis 
lanceolatis, acuminatis, 1—1.5 mm. longis, deciduis; inflorescentiis axillari- 
bus, racemosis, efoliatis et 1-3 cm. longis, vel depauperato-paniculatis, ad 
6 cm. longis, ramis folia parva (1-2.5 cm. longa) gerentibus: floribus soli- 
tariis vel depauperato-fasciculatis, pedicellis circiter 1 mm. longis, minutis- 
sime obscureque puberulis; floribus 4 ut videtur viridibus, 5-meris, circiter 
4 mm. diametro, in sicco pallidis haud nigricantibus; sepalis oblongo-ovatis, 
acutis vel leviter acuminatis, ad 1.5 mm. longis; petalis O vel 1-3, minutis, 
deciduis, lineari-lanceolatis, acuminatis, vix 0.5 mm. longis, quam fila- 
mentis bene brevioribus, planis, filamenta haud includentibus; floribus 
9 4 simillimis, calycis lobis mox deciduis; stylis brevibus, 3-partitis, mox 
deciduis; fructibus junioribus globoso-obovoideis, glabris, circiter 5 mm. 
longis. 
Ixpo-CHINA, Tonkin, Chapa, Pételot 2605 (Type), 3119, 3121, July 1927 and 1940, 
scandent in forests, alt. about 1500 m. 
When the first material of this apparently distinct species was received in 
1928, it was tentatively placed in Rhamnus napalensis (Wall.) Laws. in 
spite of certain manifest differences, especially in the pale rather than black 
or blackish color of the branchlets, leaves, inflorescences, and flowers, when 
dry. Rhemnus napalensis (Wall.) Laws. is currently credited with a dis- 
tinctly wide geographic range. To it I have reduced Rhamnus sumatranus 
Ridl. and Rehder has reduced the Chinese Rhamnus paniculiflorus 
Schneider. It is suspected that other proposed species should also be re- 
duced, such as Rhamnus javanicus Miq. (already reduced by Koorders), 
the Philippine Rhamnus philippinensis C. B. Rob., and Rhamnus nigrescens 
Lauterb. of New Guinea. In spite of the striking differences in the actual 
color of the dried.specimens of Rhamnus napalensis (Wall.) Laws. and R. 
subapetalus Merr., I should have hesitated in proposing the latter as a new 
species but for the very striking petal characters of the latter, these being 
totally different from the petals of the Rhamnus napalensis (Wall.) Laws. 
complex; as noted in the description the petals may be entirely wanting, 
or, if present, then only from 1 to 3 in a flower, slender, obscure, acuminate, 
flat, shorter than and not wider than the filaments, and not enclosing the 
latter. 
