Araliacece.] 



CHINA. 



189 



Ord. XXXIX. FICOIDES. Juss. 



1. Mesembryanthemum cordifolium. Linn. — De Cand. Prodr. v. 3. p. 449. PI. Grass, 

 t. 102. 



Most probably cultivated. 



1. Tetragonia expansa. Ait. Hort. Kew. 2. p. 178. De Cand. PI. Grass, t. 114. Prodr. 

 v. 3. p. 452. 



Ord. XL. SAXIFRAGES. Juss. 

 Trib. EscALLONiEiE. De Cand. 



1. Itea Chinensis ; foliis elliptico-oblongis acutiusciilis denticiilatis, racemis spiciformibus 

 axillaribus solitariis binisve folium subaequantibus. (Tab. XXXIX.) 



Frutex? glaber. Rami lignosi, teretes. Folia alterna, exstipulata, breviter petiolata, elliptico-oblonga, 

 vix subiter obtuse attenuata, margine supra medium denticulato-serrata, dentieulis versus apicem frequenti- 

 oribus, infra medium integerrima, coriacea, glabra, penninervia, nervis obliquis distantibus sursum prope 

 marginem curvatis, venosa, venis transversalibus plurimis, 3 uncias longa vix 1 J lata. Petioli semiunciam 

 longi, rugulosi. Racemi axillares, solitarii binive, versus apice ramorum conferti, multiflori, ad basin fere 

 usque floriferi folio subsequantes : racbi angulata. Florcs albi, vix approximati ; pedicelli solitarii, bini, 

 ternive, flores subrequantes, fere H lineas longi, filiformes, basi bracteola parva subulata instructi. Calyx 

 o-partitus; segmentis subulatis ; sinubus obtusis. Petala 5, summo calycis tubo inserta, ejusque lobis 

 alterna iisque duplo fere longiora, lineari-lanceolata, medio nervo fusco longitudinali notata. Stamina 5 } 

 petalis alterna, et iis longiora: anthcrce cordato-ovatse, biloculares, longitudinaliter debiscentes. Pistillum 

 oblongum, attenuatum, bipartibile, ad basin glandula anuulari crassa ciuctum. Gcrmcn pubescens, liberum, 

 2-loculare, e carpellis duobus margine introflcxis et placentiferis conflatura ; ovitla plurima suspensa. Stylus 

 simplex ; stigma capitatum, sulco medio bilobum. Fructus .... 



We trust tbere can be no doubt of this being a true species of Itea. In some points it approaches to 

 I. macrophylla, Wall, in Iloxb. and Wall. Fl. Ind. 2. p. 419; but that is described with a half inferior germeu, 

 surrounded by an obscurely lobed concave fleshy disc, and bas lately been referred, with doubt, to Wallich's 

 new and undescribed genus, Kurrimia, among the Celastrincce. The present does not appear to be rare at 

 Canton, but we do not find it in Loureiro's Flora Cochinchensis. Mr. Lindley, some years ago, according 

 to a specimen in Dr. Hooker's Herbarium, considered it as perhaps a species of Astranthus, but this opinion 

 was probably given more from the general habit of the plant, than from an examination of the flowers. 

 Itea Rasmurinus, Iloem. and Schult., or Cedrela Rosmarinus, Lour., has surely nothing to do with this genus. 



Tab. XXXIX. Itea Chinensis. Fig, 1, Flower; fig. 2, Stamen ; Jig. 3, Petal; Jig. 4, Pistil, with its annular 

 gland : — magnified. 



Ord. XLI. UMBELLIFERvE. Juss. 

 1. Torilis Japonica; caule glabriusculo tereti ramoso, foliis pubescentibus bipinnatisectis, 

 segmentis oblongis pinnatifidis, umbel! is pedunculatis axillaribus et terminalibus 5-7-radiatis, 

 involucro utroque oligophyllo brevi-subiilato, mericarpiis oblongis, setis rigidis apice un- 

 cinate. De Cand. Prodr. v. 4. p. 219 T. scabra. De Cand. I. c. — Caucalis Japonica. 



Houtt. — C. orientalis. Lour.? {won Linn.) — Chaerophyllum scabrum. Thurib. PI. Jap. p. 119. 



Ord. XLII. ARALIACES. Juss. 

 1. Paratropia Cantoniensis ; caule arborescente, foliis longe petiolatis digitatis, foliolis 5-9 

 ellipticis basi acutiusculis apice subiter brevi-acuminatis subcoriaceis glabris, racemo terminali 



