A Report on New and Rare Plants, $c. 



celled, with three simple stigmas. The whole plant bears a 

 striking resemblance to some species of Vaccinium. It was 

 introduced from China for the Society, by the late Mr. John 

 Potts, in 1822, it has also been received by the Society from 

 the same country at several other times. Although referred to 

 Diospyrus, the genus to which it strictly belongs is at present 

 uncertain. From that genus it differs in its ovarium being 

 three-celled, but it agrees with it in the other parts of the 

 fructification, especially in the number of the divisions of the 

 calyx and corolla, and of the ovules in each cell, in which res- 

 pect it is distinguished from the neighbouring genera, Maba 

 and Cargilia. The female flowers only have hitherto been 

 seen. The plant has been published by Professor Hooker, 

 in his Exotic Flora, tab. 139, from a drawing made in the 

 Society's Garden. It flowers in the green-house in May and 

 June, but will probably succeed in a cold frame, a plant 

 against a wall in the open air having lived through the two last 

 winters with no other protection than a mat in severe weather. 



II. Ardisia punctata. Lindley. 

 This is a dwarf evergreen shrub, with coriaceous, lanceo- 

 late, stalked, crenate-toothed, thick-edged leaves, and umbels 

 of whitish flowers, curiously dotted over with purple. It 

 differs from A. lentiginosa, in the greater length of its leaves, 

 which are not so regularly crenated as in that species, but 

 have a somewhat toothed edge and are of a much thicker 

 substance. This species does not ripen its berries like A. 

 lentiginosa. It does not appear to have been described till 

 it was published from a plant in the possession of the Society 

 in the Botanical Register, tab. 827. It flowers in May and 



