YE. J. MIEBS ON MOQUILEA. 371

Notes on Mopuilea, with the Description of a new Species. By J O ~ MIEBS, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c., Dignit. et Commend. Ord. Bras. Rosa.

[Read April 3,1679.1

LICMIA differs from Mopilea more widely than has been sus- pected ; for the two genera have been often confounded together. In their floral structure a notable difference exists. I n Zcania one half of the stamens are fertile and unilateral, the rest are anantherous, and all are seated consecutively upon the margin of an elevated membranaceous deciduous ring. On the other hand, ,in Mopuilea the stamens vary in number in the several species, are altogether free and distinct to their base, uniserially seated in the mouth of the short calyx and most frequently exserted, all bearing versatile anthers, their number varying from 410 t o 6.

It is, however, in the different organization of the fruit and seed that the greatest difference exivts between the two genera.

The fruit of Licania,'according to AubIet, at first very thick and fleshy, becomes hard and ligneous; in the fresh state the pericarp is lined with a white fleshy coating, which is edible and of a sweet taste ; it is 18 lines long, 7 lines in diameter ; it is fur- nished within with rigid hairs (filnndreux) : the fleshy lining vanishes in drying; and it then adheres firmly to the nucleus, which is unilocular and monospermous, of a pointed oval shape, 6 lines long, 3 lines broad, is osseous and contains a dicotyledo- nous embryo.

The fruits in other species of Licania are variously described by Mr. Bentham, and'perhaps denote the existence of several yet undefined genera, In one species the fruit is obovate, pyriform, ligneo-coriaceoue, containing an erect seed with a membranaceous testa, with an embryo having thick fleshy plano-convex cotyle- dons*. My analysis of Licania prisrnatocarpat may serve to throw additional light on the subject.

Here the fruit is pentagonally cylindrical, subcostate at the angles, falcately attenuated aud incurved at the base, obtusely pointed at the suminit ; includiug the stiyitiform base i t is 13 lines

* Gen, Plant. i. p. 606. I FLor. Bras. fwc. 48, 1'. 19.

372 ME. J. YIEBS ON MOQUILEA.

long, 4; lines in diameter : the pericarp is fuscous, 6 line thick, is hard, with transverse ligneous cellules ; it contains a single seed, which is erect, nearly as long as the cell, and, though once filling its space,ishow reduced in size by drying, being10 lines long and 2 lines broad. The seed is of a dark brown colour, and when cut open shows in the middle a white embryo, 6 lines long, formed of two extremely thin, almost pellicular cotyledons 4 lines long, 1 line broad, the inferior slender radicle being 2 lines long ; after its removal the fleshy envelope in which it was imbedded shows, inside of each half, an impressed figure of the embryo-; as this en- velope shows no indication of a raphe or chalaza, it must be albumen ; for the spiral vessels of the raphe were observed in the integument which lines the pericarp.

The existence of albumen in the seed of Zicawia is not singular in the family, as it exists in Hirtella, as was well demonstrated by Qaertner*; this was acknowledged by DeCandollet. Kunth, in 1828 $, considered that the albumen of Gaertner consisted merely of two large foliaceous cotyledons of the embryo, conferruminated together along their margins ; this supposition was adopted by Endlicher in 1840$. This theory wa0 disproved by my analysis of two species of Hirtel la examined by me in a living state : the first was mentioned on a former occasion 11 ; the second is shown in my analysis of H&rtelh Pohlii from the Corcovado: in the latter case the albumen is 6 lines long, a lines broad, enclosing an embryo with a small basal radicle and two very thin oblong white cotyledons 3 lines long, 1 line broad. The presence of albumen in the seed of these two species of Hirtel la is therefore incon- testable.

The structure of the fruit of Xicafiia glaabra, Mart. (L. costata 8pruce)B shows many points of analogy between it and L. p r k - Pnatocwpa. The drupe is of considerable size, seated upon a peduncle terminated by two minute, recurved, dmost obsolete bracts. In the flower the small urceolated calyx grows to a large size. The fruit is ovate, 1+ inch long, 1 inch broad, marked by 8 or 10 prominently costate ridges : the ferruginously tomentose pericarp is hard, composed of numerous ligneous cellules ; it is unilocular, and contains a nucleus considerably reduced in size by drying, and is attached to the base of the cell by a small hilum.

* Fmtus, iii. p. 40, tab. 186. $ H. B. K, vi. p. 254, tab. 565. 11 Journ. Linn. Boc.

t Prodr. ii. p. 628. $ Gem Plant. p. 1252. 7 Fl. Bms. fnsc. 42, p. 10.

ME. J. MILRS ON MOQUILEA. 873

This nucleus is globular, with a small nipple (chalaza) at its apex ; it has a roughish surfhe, is 7+ lines in diameter, the indurated integument being closely agglutinated to it ; it is solid, and when cut transversely exhibits a homogeneous hard h k albumen, showing in the axis a longitudinal chiuk, corresponding to the position of the slender embryo & Licania primatocarpa ; but here the embryo cannot be seen on account of its extreme tenuity, and I did not like to injure my specimen in searching for it.

My analysis of the fruit ofGca& Lteromorpha* shows a very analogous structure.

I will, now proceed to show the very different organization of the fruit of Mopilea. I first observed it in examining that of M. ! l ’what . This species is well described by Sir J. Hooker, who noted the size of the fruit but did not analyze it.

The fruit is a dry drupe, fusiform in shape, 13 lines long, 4; lines broad in the middle, acute at the summit, shortly narrowing at the base to a breadth of liline, where it fits intg the hollow of the persistent almost unchanged calyx, which is 5-toothed to its base ; the pericarp, + line thick, is fuscous brown, opaque, coria- ceous, and when macerated gives out a red dye ; it is unilocular and monospermous. The most ready way of examining its struc- ture is in its dry state, without softening it by maqeration, when, by making two opposite longitudinal incisions through the peri- carp alone, it becomes separated into two halves without difficulty. In one half will be found the nucleus, covered by part of the integument of the seed, the other half of the integument remaining adherent to the inside of the other moiety of the pericarp. The integument or testa thus severed is found to be bilamellar in that part where the raphe is codned within it. The raphs thus exposed to view is seen to be a network of longitudinal bundles of numerous fine spiral Vessels, with other threads or bundles anastomosing with them, forming a reticulated network quite white. The integument at its summit is terminated by a polished, fleshy, conical chalaza. The embryo, after the integument is re- moved, appears like a solid body, cylindrical, somewhat pointed at its chalaza1 extremity, obtuse at its base, faintly grooved longi- tudinally ; it is 10 lines long, 2; lines broad in the middle ; in its

Licalcia aperla, Benth. in Hook. Joum. Bot. ii. p. 218. Licania pubijlora, Benth. 1. C. p. 210. Mopilea turiuua, Hook, in Nor. Bras. I s c . 42, p. 25.

.

* Nor. Bras. fasc. 42, p. 11. t L k a n h Twriuva, Cham. & Schlect. Linnea, ii. p. 550.

374 ME. J. MIERS ON MOQUILEA.

transverse section. It is solid for some distance within the peri- pbery, and acrom it an indistinct line shows where the margins of the two cotyledons are there agglutinated together, while in the centre it is hollow, where the cotyledons are free from one another ; a minute inferior radicle is hidden in the base of the cotyledons.

The new species mentioned in the title may be thus described :-

MOQIJILEA ORQANENSIS, nob. Ramulis glabris, subtenuibus : foliis elliptico-oblongis, imo repente acutis, et in petiolo subde- currentibus, apice in acumen acutum eubito contractis,subcoriaceis, supra pallide ferrugineis, nervis immersis, subtus fere concoloribus, nervis fuscis adscendentibus costaque prominentibus, venis trans- veraim reticulatis, undique glabris, nisi in junioribus, unds pilis mollibus luteo-albis sparse pubescentibus, petiolis canaliculatis limbo 12-15plo brevioribus : racemis axillaribus, subremote alter- natim spicatis, puberulis ; floribus parvis, aggregatis, sessilibus : drupa sicca, majuscula, late obovata, convexa, vix compress&, imo breviter stipitata, calyce 5-dentato persistente et fere immutato suffulta, 1-locularis, monosperma ; seminis structura ills Mopuilem Turiuvm valde analoga. In montibus Organensibus: u. v. et sicca in herb. meo 4095.

It has much the habit of Mopuilea lbriuvm. I t s slender branches are glabrous; its leaves, $ inch apart, are 3 + 4 $ inches long, including the acumen of 6 lines, Fli inch broad, on ehaniielled petioles 3 lines long ; spikes of the inflorescence inch apart, la inch broad, supported on a bare peduncle + inch long ; flowers in bud 2-1 line in dia- meter; drupe 1+ inch long, 1 inch broad, 9 lines thick in the cross direction, rounded at the summit, suddenly narrowed at its base for the length and breadth of nearly 2 lines, where it is seated in the persistent calyx ; the pericarp is opaque, minutely roughened, 2 lines thick, formed of reticulated ligneous fibres, is hard : the seed fills the cell, is covered by a brownish red polished testa, marked by prominent nervures corresponding with the branches of the imbedded raphe ; it is 11 lines long, 8 lines broad. When the opening of the pericarp is properly managed, the testa may be split so as to Ahow the imbedded beautifully snow-white raphe in a fine network of anastomosing spiral vessels, occupying an area of nearly half a square inch. The exalbuminous embryo, nearly as long as tho testa, is oblong, obtuse, subcompressed, formed of two thick flcsliy cotylcdons agglutinated together at

I found this plant in February 1838.

.

ON TEE FLORA OF NORTHERN OHINA. 375

their margins, leaving a hollow space in the axis, where they do not adhere together. I must not omit to mention that when a transverse section of the seed is made (not previously macersted), the embryo is white, extremely hard, with the texture of COW-

horn, or nearly as dense aa ivory.

A Contribution to the Flora of Northern China. B~ J. G. BAKER, F.B.s., F.L.s., ma s. LE M. MOOBE, F.L.S.

[Read June 19,1879.1 (PLATID XVI.)

h- October 1897 there reached Kew a collection of 600 speci- mens, made by Mk John Ross in the province of Schin King, the most northerly portion of the Celestial Empire, and situated betweanlatt. No and 42’N. Owing to the unfrequented nature of this province, and to the rich returns which have accrued to ex- plorers in neighbouring parts of Eastern Asia, it was our hope to be able to note, by way of excursus, some facts of geogra- phical interest. The collection, its a whole, is by no means devoid of noteworthy points, as is sufficiently evinced by the discovery of such forins as Exochorda serratifolia (an addition to a genus that has for rears remained monotypic), Sax83aya Rossii, Brac~ybotyspa~dfomzis, and Bet& exalata. Withal many of the specimens prove to be duplicates, such a number are in too frag- mentary a stata to come to any decision about*, and the flora of Eastern Asia is being so rapidly augmented by the labours of ‘Maximowice, Hance, Franchet, and others as to cauBe the inva- lidation of any code of reeults after a very short period. Hence we have relinquished our original intention, and content ourselves with laying before the Society a list with localities of such of the species as could be determined, together with descriptions of those which seem new to science.

RANUNCULACEE. CLEMATIS PANICULATA, Tkbg ANEMONE HEPATICA, L. (hairy form). * Among the fragments, we may notice a new Prunw, near P. japonica;

. a curious Centaurea (5 Rhaponticum), an apparently undescribed Rhodo- dendron near R. dilatatunt, Miq. ; a very lnrge-fruited Ulmus or Holoptclea, seemingly quite different from any thing hitherto known, several Willows, Caricea, &c.

West of Chienshan ; Jaoling. Kwandien mountains.