226 Takeda— Old World Species of the Genus Mahonia. 



Planta robusta variabilis. Folia 5-9-juga, jugo infimo a 

 stipulis paulo distante, ejus foliolis minoribus. Stipulae defici- 

 entes vel obsoletae vel raro bene evolutae ad 10 mm. longae. 

 Foliola coriacea, crassa, inter se distantia vel valde approxi- 

 mata, quadrato- vel oblongo-ovata, raro ovato-deltoidea, basi aut 

 truncata aut rotundato-cuneata, apice cuspidata, margine saepius 

 revoluta, plerumque pauci-dentata, dentibus in latere inferiore 

 3-5-8, in superiore 2-4-6, supra nitida, flavido-viridia, nervis 

 venisque vix vel paulo conspicuis, subtus opaca, nervis venisque 

 elevatis ; foliolum terminale aliis simile vel paulo ma jus. 

 Racemi 6-15 fasciculati, simplices, densi- et multi-flori, rhachi 

 crassa 8-15 cm. longa. Bracteae norum ovatae, acutatae, 

 squamiformes, 2-3 mm. longae, ad 2 mm. latae. Flores flavi 

 vel initio rubicundi, pedicellati, pedicellis filiformibus usque ad 

 6 mm. longis fructiferis nutantibus. Sepala externa ovata, 

 acutata vel obtusa, 2-2.5 mm - longa, 1.5-2.5 mm. lata, 5-nervia, 

 mediana ovalia, 4-6 mm. longa, 5-nervia, interna ovalia vel 

 oblongo-ovalia, 5-8 mm. longa, 3-4 mm. lata, 5-nervia. Petala 

 cum sepalis internis subaequilonga, apice bifida, basi nectariis 

 binis distinctis praedita, 3-nervia. Stamina petalis breviora, 

 filamento apice dilatato sed edentato antheris subduplo longiore, 

 connectivo depresso-triangulari. Ovarium oblongo-ovoideum, 

 2- vel 3-4-0 vulatum, stylo brevissimo, stigmate punctiformi. 

 Bacca ovoidea, coeruleo-nigra, pruinosa, ca. 10 mm. longa, 

 6 mm. lata. 



Hab.— Hupeh : Ichang (Henry ! No. 3283, fl. No. 3250, 

 alabastr.) ; Nant'o (Henry ! No. 3913, den.) ; Patung (Henry ! 

 No. 1450 fl.). Szechwan : Omeisan (Hugh ! 1899). Kwantung : 

 North River (Comm. Ford ! No. 17, native collect., xi. 1888, fr.). 



Obs. — Hooker distinguishes var. planifolia as having sub- 

 deltoid leaflets which are subimbricate and have a truncate 

 base, and smaller flowers. In the course of the present study 

 it was often found that the small-flowered form possesses two 

 ovules whereas the " typical " form has 3-4 ovules. This 

 character was not found to be constant. There is no difference 

 whatever in the nature of the leaflets, although this was re- 

 garded by Hooker as the main point of distinction. All the 

 specimens from China have been found to belong to the so-called 

 var. planifolia, as they have small flowers and usually 2 ovules. 

 So far no specimens of the large-flowered form collected in China 

 have come under observation. Hooker's original specimens of 

 these two forms sent from Messrs. Standish and Noble consist 

 of leaf only, so that it is impossible to investigate these further. 

 The leaf of the " type " form is however a rather abnormal 

 one, having leaflets with cuneate base, whereas that of the 

 var. planifolia represents a normal leaf of M. Bealei. It appears 



