(2) DAVID PRAIN. CORYD.VLIS PERSICA CHAM. ET SCHLECHT. 163 



used in a generic sensé by Scliolt ;ind Kolschy*. The group is one tliat is 

 almost entirely confinée! to tlie Oriental and Central Asian régions 

 though one of Ihe species extends some considérable dislance along the 

 Xorth-Western Himalaya. 



Il may be considered donblfiil how for il is advisable to employ either 

 of Ihese terms. Il is triie that M. de Candolle's section includes Iwo of the 

 species thaï conslilute the group, but it bas to be borne in mind thaï the 

 establishement of Leonticoides as a section depended on a misinterprela- 

 tion of the structural characlers of the plants that compose it.and it should 

 be remembered too that M. de Candolle placed in his section Capnites 

 the only plant that belongs to this group (C. rutœfolia) of which he did 

 fuUy know the structure. It may also be remarked in passing that 

 authors so careful and so eminent as Hooker and Thomson ^ bave 

 reduced both thèse species of the Leonticoides section to this particular 

 plant, considering one (C. oppositifolia) to be identical with, and the 

 other (C. verticillaris) to be only a variety of C. rutssfolia. Another autho- 

 rily of equal rank, M. Boissier ^, bas kept C. verticillaris apart as a species. 

 but bas followed Sir J. Hooker and D'" Thomson in Iheir Ireatment of 

 C. oppositifolia. 



The account that Schott and Kolschy bave given of their proposed genus 

 (^ryptoceras is. on tlie other band, very accurate and complète so far as ail 

 Ihe forms known to them are concerned, and, with the single exception 

 perhafis of C. darivasica, it applies very well to ail those that bave been 

 recorded since llieir description was writlen. Nevertheless it is difficull 

 lo see on whai characlers they relied in sépara ting their proposed genus 

 from Corydulis. The salienl characlers in their diagnosis are a. the solid 

 liiber-like corm — but this is common to overy member of the section 

 l'es fjnHinaceus ; b. the opposite stem leaves — but this characterrecursin 

 species of other .sections; c. the nectariform process in front of the anterior 

 sliiminal i)halanx — but Ihischaracter occurs in species of other sections. 

 and oflen to a more markcMl oxtonl llian in any sjiecies oïWxiiCrijploceras 

 j.'roup. Their description of llic; lowcr lip • inferne saccalo-gibbum, apice 

 t.iiKJfMn rellexum • is very cbaractcristic of iiioslof the spcciesof tbegroiip. 

 \et C diijhylla, which bas (lie lowcr lip bulged b(^low', does not bave il 

 reflexed alove, and (^. darirasini ncillicr lias the lower lip reflexed abovc 



• 0,-j/r. hul. Wochnihl. IV. 121 (1854). 

 » rior. Ind. I. 2(H M«.mi. 

 » Flor. Or. I. 120. 127 (1H(}7). 



