PLATE XII. 
AUCUBA HIMALAICA, a, e 7. 
Nat. Ord. Cornea. 
Frutex 5—7-pedalis, ramis ramulisque teretibus ultimis appresse pubescentibus, foliis lanceolatis longe acuminatis serratis 
v. subintegerrimis, junioribus appresse sericeis, paniculz ramis ramulisque sericeo-pilosis, calycis limbo truncato, 
petalis ovatis subciliatis longe acuminatis, filamentis brevibus, bacca oblonga. 
Ilan. In sylvis densis Himalayze orientalis temperate: ; Sikkim, alt. 7—10,000 ped. 2. Mai. 
The only hitherto described species of Awcuba is the well-known 4. Japonica of our gardens, the 
variegated-leaved variety of which has been in cultivation in Hurope for many years: of this the female 
plant alone is cultivated, the male never having been introduced into this country. For an account of 
the latter we are indebted to Siebold and Zuccarini, ‘Flora of J apan,’ where both sexes are well figured. 
Tm all important characters the Japan and Himalayan plants resemble one another very closely indeed, the 
only differences which I have been able to detect, and which I doubtfully regard as constant, being that 
the Himalayan species has considerably longer and narrower leaves, with longer narrower points, and long 
acuminate points to the petals. These characters, together with the immense geographical distance between 
the native localities of the two, have induced Dr. Thomson and myself to consider the present as distinct. 
It must not be overlooked, however, that these differences are only of degree ; for though the acuminate points 
of the petals may be considered of more importance than the similar character of the leaves, these differences 
are analogous in each organ; and the petals being modified leaves, a character of the former is often found 
to be repeated in the latter. It is very possible that this ducubda extends to the northward and eastward 
in Central Asia, along the lofty chain of snowy humid mountains which bound China on the west; and that 
specimens from the countries which are intermediate between Japan and Sikkim would be found to unite 
the characters of both species, and prove them to be varieties of one. 
The Aucuba Himataca is one of the many striking cases of botanical affinity between the temperate 
flora of the Himalaya, and especially of the Eastern Himalaya, and China and Japan, and which affinity is 
not shared by the flora of Europe; of this other instances are Hnkianthus, Skimmia, Camellia, Deutzia, 
Helwingia, Stachywrus ; besides Panax, Hydrangea, Diclyira, Kadsura, Hollbillia, Magnolia, Sassafras, and 
Trillium, which eight latter are also common to North America. All these genera become scarce in the 
Western Himalaya, few of them reaching Kashmir; whereas, on the other hand, many Huropean trees and 
shrubs, not natives of China, Japan, and North America, are abundant in the Western Himalaya, few of 
which advance so far east as Sikkim. 
