Lindera] XCI. LAURACE^ 541 



«liriib, 1. scattered, tliinly coriaceous, blade 2-5, pet. slender, J in. long, sec. n. 

 arching, slender 6-8 pair, anastomosing under tlie margin S fl.-lieads white, -J in. 

 diam. before opening, on slender glabrous peduncles J in. long, solitary or in short 

 axillary racemes. Involucre of 4 bracts, 3~5-nerved, minutely hairy at the 

 base, otherwise glabrous, fl. J in. long, 4-5 in each head, shortly pedicelled, 

 pernaith-segments 6, hairy, hyaline, obovate, stamens 9, the 3 inner biglandular, fila- 

 ments haiiy, anthers mostly 4-, sometimes 2-celled. Fr. globose, seated on the thick 

 pedicel I m. long, pericarp fleshy, very aromatic, edible. The fr. is sold. Closely 

 allied to this remarkable shrub are specimens collected m Yunnan, ^ by Hancock 244, 

 5,000 ft , fl. yellowish-green, by Henry 10439, 6,000 ft., 11395, 11395a, 5,000 ft., fl. 

 white, single fl. I in. long, per. -segments and filaments glabrous, anthers all 4-oelled, 

 and in Tonkin ? by Balansa, " a shrub wild and cultivated for its aromatic fruit." 

 .Species X-3 ought to be placed in a separate genus, together with Lbidera citriodora, 

 Hemsley, an e^jceedingly fragrant deciduous shrub of Japan, Formosa and China, with 

 4-celled anthers. 



4. L. latifolia, Hook. f. Khasi hills. A small tree, branchlets, petioles and underside 

 of 1. along nerves rusty- or tawny-tomentose. L. membranous, elliptic, blade 5-9, pet. 

 ^ in. long, sec. n. 6-10 pair, impressed above, prominent beneath. S heads tomentose, 

 I in. diam. before opening, in axillary fascicles, peduncles i in., fl. 10-12. Fr. globose, 

 J in. diam., up to 8 from one fl. on pedicels J in. long, in pedunculate umbels. 



B. Leaves persistent, penninerved, <J flower-lieads sessile or nearly sessile. 



5. L. Mfaria, Benth. — Syn. Daj^/nuWiwm &i/«?nwm, iSTees; BrandisF.M.383. Himalaya, 

 from Kumaon eastwards. Assam. Khasi hills, Manipur, China. A shrub or small 

 tree, branchlets, underside of 1. and inflorescence brown-tomentose. L. coriaceous, 

 blade 1^-5 in., pet. ^ in. long. Fl.-heads sessile in compact axillary clusters, fl. in each 

 head 6-10, hairy, on hairy pedicels up to ^ in. long. Fi% globose, -} in. diam., seated on 

 the small shallow cup-shaped perianth-tube. 6. L. Laureola, Coll. et Hemsl. in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. xxviii. 119. Shan hills, Upper Burma, at 4,000 ft. Similar to 5, but glabrous, 

 excepting the silky pedicels. 7, L. reticulata, Benth. Assam. Silhet, Eusty-tomentose, 

 1. obovate to broadly oblanceolate, blade 6-9, pet. | in. long. Heads 4-9-fld., fr. ellipsoid, 

 i in. long. 8. L. venosa, Benth. Bhutan A moderate-sized tree, nearly leafless in 

 winter. G-labrous, branchlets stout, 1. approximate towards the ends of branches, char- 

 taceous, elliptic-lanceolate, blade 6-10, narrowed into slender pet. |-1 in. long. Heads 

 on short peduncles, J in. diam. before opening, 6-10 fl. in each head. 



C. L. persistent with 3 (sometimes 5) basal nerves. 



9. L. caudata, Benth.— Syn. Daphnidmm caudatiim^ Nees. Khasi and Naga hills. 

 Hills south-east of Toungoo at 4,000 ft. (D. B. 1859 and 1880). A small tree, wood 

 reported to be very durable. Young shoots silky, branchlets and young 1. thinly 

 rusty pubescent, 1. chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, caudate-acuminate, 3 basal nerves 

 extending to the apex of 1. Fl.-heads f^ in. diam. before opening, sessile on dense very 

 short axillary spikes. Involuoral bracts 2, one fl. in each head, perianth and filaments 

 pilose. Fr. globose ^ in. diam. seated on the 6-cleft perianth. 10. L. pTilclierrima, 

 Benth.— Syn. Baphnidium pulcherrimum, llSTees ; Brandis F. Fl. 383. Himalaya from 

 Kumaon eastwards, 4-9,000 ft. Khasi hills. Manipur. Hills east of Toungoo (Kurz). 

 A large tree, terminal buds silky, branchlets with a few minute hairs. L. glabrous, 

 chartaceous, pale or glaucous beneath, ovate-lanceolate, long caudate-acuminate, blade 

 2-5, pet. slender, J-| in. Heads sessile, solitary or few together, 5-6-fld., involucral 

 bracts 4-(], deciduous, pedicels hairy, J-J in. long. Fr. ellipsoid, J in. long, perianth 

 almost entirely deciduous. 11. L. melastomacea, Benth. Khasi hills. Bhutan. A 

 shrub or small tree similar to 10, but perfectly glabrous, 1. coriaceous, acute or shortly 

 acuminate. 



D. L. deciduous, basal nerves 3-7, fl. appearing before the I. 



12. E. lieteropliylla. Meissnf Sikkim, 8-11,000 ft. Bhutan. A small tree, branchlets, 

 petioles and underside of 1. rusty-tomentose. L. coriaceous when full grown, broadly 

 ovate, base rounded or cordate, blade 3-5, pet. ^ in. long, basal nerves 5-7, tert. n. 

 parallel. Fl. when leafless, heads solitary, nearly sessile, involucral bracts 8-5, very 

 <joriaceous, each fl. in the axil of a hairy bracteole, pedicels short villous. Fruiting 

 pedicels villous, ^-| in. long. 13. L. Neesiana, Benth. Nepal. Sikkim, 6-9,000 ft. 

 Mishmi hills. Martaban and Upper Tenasserim, 4-5,000 ft. (Kurz). A middle-sized 

 very aromatic tree, quite glabrous, excepting the hairy pedicels. L. membranous, 

 ovate or lanceolate, blade 2-5, pet. slender |-1 in. long, basal nerves 3, the lateral short, 

 not reaching the middle of 1. Fl.-heads J in. diam. before opening, on peduncles 

 J-J in. long, solitary or fascicled, 5-7-fl. in each head. Fr. globose J in. diam. seated on 

 the 6-lobed unaltered perianth. 



Imperfectly known: 14. L. bootanica, Meissn. Bhutan. 15. L. Gnffithii, Meissn. 

 Bhutan. 16. L, (?) slKMmensis, Meissn. Sikkim 11-12,000 ft. 17. Daplmipliyllum argen- 

 tetim, Kurz. Thaukyeghat forest, Marfcaban. 



