Rhammeai.] 



CHINA. 



177 



denticulis incurvatis, floribus 5-6-fidis, pedicellis axillaribus, masculis aggregatis petiolum 

 vix superantibus, foemineis solitariis petiolo plus duplo longiofibus. 



Rami lignosi, teretes, glabri, cortice fusco. Folia petiolata, alterna, membranacea, decidua, ovato-vel 

 elliptico-lanceolata, basi subacuta, apice in acumen plus minusve elongatum sublineare obtusiusculum, 

 attenuata, denticulato-serrata, denticulis uncinatis parvis subspiniformibus incutvis, subtus glaberrima, 

 supra punctis minutis brevissime piliferis hinc illinc adspersis asperata. Flores polygami. Calyx 5-6-fidus, 

 adpresse sub-pilosus, segmentis rotundatis margine minute ciliatis. Petala 5-6, calycem plus duplo super- 

 antia : ungues ope staminum alternantium coaliti : limbi rotundati. M.vsc. Discus nullus. Pistilli rudi- 

 mentum. Fcem. Flores breviter pedicellati, aggregati. Discus hypogynus nullus. Pistilli rudimentum. 

 Herm. Flores solitarii, longe pedunculati. Stamina fertilia. Pistillum oblongum : germen 5-6-loculare, 

 ima basi toro tenui cupuliformi arete cinctum, at discus expansus nullus. Stylus nullus. Stigma capitatum, 

 lobatum. 



This is very closely allied to P. decicluus of North America. The male and hermaphrodite flowers appear 

 to be always on different plants. 



Tab. XXXVI. Prinos asprellus. Fig. 1, Male flower; Jig. 2, Hermaphrodite flower: — magnified. 



Ord. XXVI. RHAMNEiE. Juss. 

 1. Paliuvus Aubletia ; aculeis duobus stipularibus rectis, foliis ovatis crenato-serratis 

 trinerviis, corymbis axillaribus, fructu turbinate apice piano marginato, ala crassa triloba. — 

 Schult. St/st. v. 5. p. 343. De Cand. Prodr, v. 2. p. 22. — Aubletia ramosissima. Lour. 

 Cochin. 1. p. 348. 



Only one specimen, and that in a very imperfect state, is in the Collection, but we have received others 

 from Mr. Millett, gathered near Macao. There seem to be two forms of the plant, the one with 

 glabrous leaves and branches, the other with both very pubescent. The last only we possess in fruit, 

 which is also very pubescent. The ala is by no means membranaceous, nor so broad as in P. aculeatus, but 

 of the same texture as the pericarp; it is three-lobed, the lobes rounded, and very slightly crenulated. 

 In P. aculeatus the rim of the fruit is broad, membranaceous, crenulated, but not lobed. Loureiro unfortu- 

 tunately mistook the convolute petals for a series of stamens; " filamenta 10 basi fissurarum calycis per 

 paria insidentia : horum .5 brevissima (the petals), 5 alia (the true stamens) triplo longiora : anthera? brevi- 

 orum oblongse, magna? (the limb of the petals), longiorum parvse, ovata;." This error, indeed, De Candolle 

 has hinted at, when he states that he had examined a specimen from Loureiro himself, and found only 5 

 stamens, and these concealed by the hollow limb of the unguiculate petals. We trust that the above descrip- 

 tion of the fruit will not only suffice to distinguish the species, but show the propriety of its being left in 

 the genus Paliurus, where it has been hitherto placed, though doubtfully, on account of the obscurity in which 

 the plant has been involved. 



1. Berchemia lincata ; inermis, foliis ellipticis integerrimis retusis cum mucronulo, 

 pedunculis terminalibus vel versus ramorum apices axillaribus paucifloris, calycis limbo 5- 

 partito, segmentis linearibus tubo multo longioribus petala stamina stylumque filiforme 

 aequantibus. (Tab. XXXVII.) — De Cand. Prodr. v. 2. p. 23. — B.? Loureiriana. De Cand. 



I. c — B. Poiretiana. De Cand. I. c Rhamnus lineatus. Linn. — Pair. Encycl. Meth. 4. p. 



473. Lour. Cochin. 1. p. 196. Pluckn. Aim. t. 408. / 3. 



Rami diffusi, nonnunquam subvolubiles, glabri, nitidi : ramuli ultimi pubescentes. Folia alterna, brevi- 

 petiolata, elliptica, retusa, mucronulata, integerrima, bistipulata, stipulis minutis, subulatis, planis, submem- 

 branaceis vix induresccntibus, juniora subplicata, glabra, penninervia, supra viridia subtus pallida, nervis 

 plurimis obliquis parallelis purpureo-fuscis promiuulis, venis tenuibus transversalibus reticulatis instructa. 

 Flores breviter pedicellati, hermaphroditi vel diclines. Calyx tubo brevi hemisphaerico : limbi laciniis 



z 



