33 



REHMANNIA CHINENSIS. 



{Chinese Rehmannia.) 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. SCR0PHULARIACE2E. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Rehmannia (Libosch.) Calyx campanulatus, 5-fidus. Corolla ringens, tubuloso-ventricosa ; 

 limbo 5-fido; lobis subajqualibus, 2 superioribus reflexis. Stamina didynama. Antherm 

 terminales ; loculis divergentibus muticis. Stigma bilamellatum. Capsula ovata, polysperma, 

 unilocularis, bivalvis ; valvulis in media parte septiferis, marginibus liberis. Semina albuminosa, 

 ovata, membrana spongiosa, reticulata, involuta. — Fisch. et Meyer, Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. 

 p. 36 j' quibusdam mutatis. Lindl. 



Calyx campanulate, 5-cleft. Corolla ringent, tubular, swelling unequally on one side ; limb 

 5-lobed; lobes rather equal, the two upper ones reflexed. Stamens didynamous. Anthers 

 terminal ; cells diverging, pointless. Stigma bilamellar. Capsule ovate, many-seeded, 1 -celled, 

 2-valved, valves bearing septa in the middle, margins free. Seeds albuminous, ovate, membranes 

 spongy, reticulated, involute. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



R. chinesis. — Fisch. et Meyer. 

 R. chinensis. — Bot. Reg. t. 1960. 



Digitalis glutinosa. — Geertn. in Nov. Comment. Acad. Imp. Petrop. xiv. p. 544, t. 20. 

 Gerardia glutinosa. — Bunge Enum. pi. Chinens., p. 49. 

 Rehmannia glutinosa. — Libosch. in Herb. Imp. Petrop. 



Descr. — Perennial, viscid, hairy, about a foot high. Leaves for the most part obovate, 

 unequally toothed, rugose, alternate, uppermost smaller, somewhat lanceolate. Raceme lax, of 

 from five to eight or ten flowers. Flowers pendulous, two inches long in the axils of the leafy 

 bracteae, the upper ones with short, the lower ones with long peduncles. Calyx very hairy, 

 5-toothed, teeth reflexed. Corolla tubular, or somewhat funnel-shaped, a little curved, hairy, 

 terminating in an oblique, 5-lobed, spreading border ; lobes somewhat surrounded, veined, with 

 an irregularly and obscurely crenated margin, and an acute apex, the lower one with a fold or 

 plait on each side ; colour a dark, reddish purple, which becomes gradually paler, especially in 

 the border, which, when the flower is fully expanded, assumes somewhat of a pale rosy tint. 

 Stamens 4, didynamous, smooth, included within the tube, and inserted near its base. Ovarium 

 ovate, one-celled, with two double, reflexed, many-seeded placentae) ; style filiform ; stigma with 

 two equal lobes. 



This rare and interesting plant was received by the Birmingham Botanical 

 and Horticultural Society, in the autumn of 1835, from the Royal Botanic 



