Page:TheTreesOfGreatBritainAndIreland vol04B.djvu/279

A small tree. Branchlets glabrous. Leaflets seven to nine, 2 to 4 inches long, coriaceous, shortly cuspidate at the apex, crenately serrate ; terminal leaflet the largest, obovate-oval, and long-stalked; lateral leaflets oval or elliptic, subsessile or with short pubescent winged stalklets, unequal and broadly rounded or tapering at the base ; dark green and glabrous above ; under surface pale green and pubescent on the sides of the midrib and lateral nerves. Leaf-rachis deeply channelled throughout, with brownish tufts of tomentum on the upper side of the nodes; base of the rachis of the uppermost two leaves fringed with brown hairs.

Flowers (section Ornaster) in terminal and lateral glabrous panicles; calyx 4-toothed; corolla absent. Fruit, about 1½ inch long, ¼ inch wide, oblanceolate, acute or rounded at the apex.

This species in the wild state is very variable as regards the shape of the leaves, five varieties being distinguished by Lingelsheim. The above description is drawn up from small specimens cultivated at Kew, which were received in 1891 from St. Petersburg under the name F. Bungeana. A distinct variety has been in cultivation at Kew for some years under the erroneous name F. longicuspis, which has five or seven leaflets, obovate-lanceolate or narrow-oblong, 2 to 3½ inches long, about 1 inch wide, cuspidate at the apex, cuneate at the base, indistinctly serrate. It agrees exactly with a dried specimen at Kew, gathered in the Ningpo mountains, where the broad leaflet form also occurs.

This species is widely spread throughout the central and southern provinces of China, and is noteworthy as being one of the trees on which the wax insect lives. It is very rare in cultivation, the only specimens we have seen being those at Kew and a small shrub at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. (A.H.)

A small tree. Branchlets glabrous. Leaflets five or seven, 2 to 3 inches long, membranous, terminal one largest and long-stalked ; lower pairs shortly-stalked,