Note on the Varieties of Geum elatum, Wallich. 
BY 
W. EDGAR EVANS, B.&c., 
Assistant in Herbarium, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. 
With Plates Nos. CXCV and CXCVI. 
Wui.e working out certain Chinese specimens, which had been 
regarded as forms of the well-known Himalayan Geum elatum, 
Wall., I had occasion to examine somewhat critically a consider- 
able number of authentic examples of that species. In the hope 
of helping to elucidate its varieties, the results obtained are here 
set down. 
The sub-genus Sieversia of the genus Geum, distinguished by 
the permanent attachment of the whole style to the achene, is 
represented in the Himalaya by two alpine species only, which 
may be recognised as follows :— 
Radical leaves having well-developed lateral leaflets; the 
terminal leaflet or lobe not greatly exceeding the upper lateral 
ones, not cordate. : ‘ : . G. elatum, Wall. 
Radical leaves having only very much reduced lateral leaflets ; 
the terminal leaflet or lobe very greatly exceeding the lateral 
ones, deeply cordate. : . G. sikkimense, Prain.* 
Of these, the latter seems to be both rare and local, having 
apparently been collected only on three occasions, always in Sik- 
kim ; the former, on the other hand, has a wide range throughout 
alpine Himalaya, extending from Kashmir to Sikkim at least ; 
while Dr L. Diels in his ‘‘Flora von Central China’’} states that 
the form of it known as var. humile, Royle is distributed through 
China from Kansu and Shansi to Yunnan, and Franchet records 
that it was collected by Delavay in the latter province. 
The Chinese distribution, just referred to, seems to be based, 
largely at least, on misidentification and will in consequence re- 
quire careful revision.§ I have, it is true, seen only three 
Chinese gatherings of reputed Geum elatum, all from Yunnan 
* Journ. As. Soc. Beng., Ixxiii (1914), P. 200, PL 7. 
+ Engler’s Jahtbuch., xxix (1900), p. 404. 
+ Plantae Delavayanae, p. ‘ 
§ See Cardot in Notul. System. Paris, iii (1916), p. 225. 
(Notes, R,B.G., Edin., No, LXVII, April 1923] 
