234 Takeda— Old World Species of the Genus Mahonia. 



with those of the uppermost pair ; in this case the terminal 

 leaflet possesses a round base. 



12. M. confusa, Sprague. (Plate XXV and Plate XXXVI, 



figs. 168-172.) 



M. confusa, Sprague, in Kew Bull. 1912, p. 339. *9*4> P- 2 32 ; 

 Takeda, ibid. 1915, p. 128. 



M. Fortunei, Fedde, I.e. p. 130, pro parte ; Schn. I.e. 

 p. 380, pro parte. 



M. Zemanii, Schn. I.e. p. 378, 1913. 



Hab.— Chung Ching (Chiing tsing in Shensi ?) (Bourne! 

 fr.). Hupeh : Ichang and immediate neighbourhood (Henry! 

 Nos. 31 17, 3351, 3351 a) ; Nant'o and mountains to northward 

 (Henry ! No. 2689, fl.) ; Western Hupeh (Wilson ! No. 2680, 

 fl.). Szechwan : Mt. Omei (Wilson! No. 3143; Hugh! 

 1899). 



Obs. — This species obviously comes near the preceding, 

 differing however in many respects, as pointed out by the writer.* 

 The petal is bifid in this species, while in M. Fortunei it is entire. 

 The stamen also differs from that of the other species in having 

 a truncate connective. Sprague lays great stress on the 

 " stalked " character of the terminal leaflet. This character 

 is however subject to variation and cannot always be relied 

 upon. A good distinguishing character in a sterile specimen 

 is the length of the petiole, as first noticed by Schneider, f 

 While M. confusa has a very short petiole, M. Fortunei possesses 

 a comparatively long one (about 5 cm.). It may also be men- 

 tioned that the leaflets of M. confusa are narrower and thinner 

 than those of M. Fortunei and have shallower teeth on the 

 whole. 



It may be pointed out that some specimens above referred 

 to (including those which form the type specimens of M. 

 confusa) have the terminal leaflet " stalked " while others have 

 the terminal leaflet " sessile." Moreover, those specimens with 

 the " stalked " terminal leaflet often have broader lateral 

 leaflets than the others. These facts might induce some 

 botanists, especially those who consider the " stalked " or 

 " sessile " features as very important, to attempt to separate 

 the material into two species or at least varieties. There are 

 however no other dividing characters. Certain specimens bear- 

 ing the broader leaflets have a " sessile ■" terminal leaflet together 

 with those of the more usual type (e.g. Henry, No. 3351), while 

 another specimen collected by Henry (No. 2689) which bears 



