Rhamnus Catalinae; Davidson, sp. nov. 



Tall evergreen shrub ; young shoots puberulent. leaves ovate 

 or ovate lanceolate apiculate, 1 in. long, ^ in. wide, finely ser- 

 rate throughout, dull green in color, smooth but not glistening, 

 lighter below with slight puberulency on mid-vein, veins not 

 prominent; petioles 1^^ to 2 lines long; fruit as in R. illicifolia. 



Type No. 2344, Catalina Island, author's herbarium ; cotype 

 Smithsonian Institute. Mr. P. S. Standley of the latter informs 

 me that a specimen of Grants from Catalina in the Smithsonian 

 resembles mine. My thanks are tendered to Messrs. Standley 

 and Hall for their kindly help with specimens. In the Univer- 

 sity of Cal. herbarium Hall's 8270, Swain's Canyon, Catalina, is 

 a typical R. Cataliiiac. Brandegee. Catalina Island, May, 1889, 

 shows two specimens of the same. One is similar to Hall's, the 

 other has the leaf broader, emarginate and with the apiculation 

 more marked. 



Of allied species we have accredited to S. California 

 R. crocea Nutt. R. ilHcifoIia KelL. and R. insulare Greene. 

 The latter I have not fovmd, the other two are common. In the 

 neighbourhood of Los Angeles R. crocea is always a deciduous 

 shrub, R. illicifolia is an evergreen. This with other distinctive 

 differences is sufficient to keep them specifically distinct rather 

 than class illicifolia as a variety of R. crocea. If that distinc- 

 tion holds good and R. insulare is reduced from specific rank to 

 the variety, it necessarily becomes R. illicifolia insulare as it too, 

 is an evergreen. This latter plant with its large orbicular or 

 obovate polished leaves seems to me worthy of the specific rank 

 accorded it by Greene. 



Anstruther Davidson, C. M., M. D. 



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