96 TAKEDA—CLADRASTIS AND MAACKIA. 
any actual specimen or consulting the original description, but 
depending simply on the figures given in Maximowicz’s Primitiae 
Florae Amurensis.t At that time there was known only one 
species in each of these two genera, which seems to have im- 
pelled even Maximowicz later to consider that the characteristics 
of Maackia amurensis were only of specific difference but not of 
generic value.?_ All the species of this unfortunate genus published 
later have been described therefore under Cladrastis. The 
examination of all known species of Maackia and Cladrastis has 
led the present writer to the conclusion that Maackia should 
be retained as an autonomous genus, being characterised above 
all by the axillary unenclosed bud, opposite and subcoriaceous 
leaflets with few veins, strictly erect and compact racemes with 
small bracteate flowers, 4-lobed calyx, the standard very much 
thickened at the base, connate stamens, and strongly veined pod. 
As to the Platyosprion there seem to be no reasons to regard 
it as a subgenus of Sofhora or to retain it as a distinct genus. 
The bud enclosed in the swollen base of the leaf-stalk suggests 
at first glance that the plant would belong to Cladrastis, and 
the thin non-moniliform pod forbids the placing of it in Sophora, 
On the other hand, the only marked points which might separate 
Platyosprion from Cladrastis are the stipellate leaf and winged 
These seem to me, however, of no generic value, since all 
other characters agree very well with those of Cladvastis. Maxi- 
mowicz says? that the stamens of the Platyosprion are shortly 
connate at the base. This statement is, however, an erroneous 
one, since the dissection of the co-type specimens has shown 
that they are quite free at the base. 
The genus Cladrastis is defined by the following characters :— 
Cladrastis, Rafin. Neogenyton, p. 1 (1825) ampl. 
Arbores magnae. Folia alternata, petiolata, imparipinnata, 
foliolis alternatis, membranaceis, pluricostatis, exstipellatis vel 
stipellatis. Inflorescentia terminalis saepe pendula, paniculata, 
bracteata, bracteis caducis, floribus conspicuis laxe dispositis, 
ebracteatis. Calyx cylindrico-campanulatus, 5-lobatus, lobis 
subaequalibus. Vexillum orbiculatum, emarginatum vel integrum, 
tenue, recurvum ; alae oblique oblongae, biauriculatae ; carina 
leviter incurva, petalis dorso arcte imbricatis, liberis, oblongis, 
semisagittatis. Stamina 10, libera, antheris versatilibus, quadrato- 
ellipticis. Ovarium stipitatum, pauci-ovulatum ; stylus leviter 
incurvus, subulatus, stigmate minuto, terminale. Legumen vel 
lineari-lanceolatum, exalatum atque margine tantum subincras- 
satum, vel * atque utrinque alatum, plano-compressum, 
1 Published in 
? Maximowicz, * Ball. Acad. Imp. Sc. St. Petersb., xviii, p. 400. 
* Ibid., p. 399. 
