1903.1 OBSERVATIONS ON THE FLORA OF JAPAN. 73 



slender, branched, rooting at the nodes. Stems erect, slender, erect- 

 patently ramose above, quadrangular, retrorsely muricate on the angles ; 

 Leaves 6-verticillate, patulose, linear-oblanceolate or narrowly oblong, 

 rounded-re tuse and minutely apiculate, gradually attenuated below, retrorsely 

 spinuloso-strigose on the margin, attaining 3 J cm. long, 9 mm. wide, the 

 midrib prominent and retrorsely pilose beneath. Cymes corymbose, - 

 terminal and lateral ; trichotomously peduncled ; peduncles erect-patent, but 

 divaricate in fruit ; bracts and bracteoles spathulato-linear-oblong. Flowers 

 numerous, small, 3 mm. across, pure white ; pedicels gracile, slightly shorter 

 than the flower. Corolla patent, 4-parted ; lobes ovato-elliptical, acute or 

 acutish. Stamens 4, short ; filament filiform, longer than the oval 

 anther. Styles 2, stigma capitate. Fruits glabrous, mericarp oval-elliptical, 

 about 2 mm. long. Flowers May- June. 



Hah. Prov. Musashi : Koiwa-mura (T. Maldno ! May 25, 1884, June 

 23, 1895), Omiya in Wada-mura {T. Maldno ! June 3, 1888), Toda-hara 

 {T. Maldno ! June 10, 1888). 



Common in fields of the environs of Tokj^o. 



Galium japonicum Makino in Bot. Mag., T'okyo, IX. (1895) p. 311. 



Perennial, flaccid, blackish in drying in flower, 1J~3 decim. high. 

 Roots finely fibrous. Stems caespitose, many, erect, but procumbent-ascend- 

 ing and often rooting at the base, usually simple, usually smooth or some- 

 times very slightly muricate on the angles, shining, pilose at the nodes, 

 the internodes slender. Leaves 6-(or 5-4 rarely 7-) verticillate, patent or 

 erect -patent, shortly petiolate, elliptical-lanceolate, oblong, narrowly oblong, 

 or lanceolate, cuspidato-acute or cuspidato-obtuse, acute at the base, attain- 

 ing 25 mm. long, 11 mm. wide, the lower ones smaller and ovato-elliptical 

 or linear-lanceolate, glabrous but finely antrorsely scabro-ciliated and some- 

 times thinly .pilose towards the margin, membranaceous, 1-nerved, with 

 loose veins, the midrib glabrous. Cyme terminal, 1-1 J cm. across; 

 peduncles twice di- or trichotomous, erect-patent, but lengthened and 

 divaricate in fruit, glabrous ; bracts and bracteoles linear or lanceolate, 

 the latter often minute. Flowers small, about 3 mm. across, pure white, 

 pedicellate ; pedicels 2-3, erect-patent and l|-3 mm. long in flower, divari- 

 cate in fruit. Corolla erect-patent, 4-parted ; lobes ovato-elliptical, 

 acutish, li mm. long. Stamens 4, short ; filament incurved ; anther minute. 

 Styles 2, short, erect-patent ; stigma capitate. Ovary globose, densely hispid 

 with uncinate white hairs. Fruit densely uncinato-hispid. Flowers May. 



