The Flowering Shrubs and Trees of Hong Kong
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inferior, semi-inferior, or rarely wholly superior, with 2, or rarely more cells, and 1 or 2 ovules suspended from the apex of each cell, or rarely more, on axile placentas, the 2 carpels with distinct styles. Fruit coriaceous or woody; the carpels usually diverging at the top, and each one opening in 2 short valves. Seeds usually solitary, with a copious albumen and straight embryo. -Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, or slightly toothed, with stipules. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, often in compact heads, or rarely in looser racemes. Bentham (1) p. 130.
DISTRIBUTION.-A small family of trees and shrubs showing great diversity in form occurring in sub-tropical and temperate climates, Asia, South Africa, North America.
HONG KONG GENERA. Distylium, Sycopsis, Loropetalum 2, Eustigma, Rhodoleia, Altingia, and Liquidambar.
RHODOLEIA, Hook.
"Flowers about 5 together, united in a compact head, having the appearance of a single flower surrounded by many imbricated bracts. Calyx adherent, the limb forming a narrow rim round the middle of the ovary. Petals 2 to 4 to each flower, all turned to the circumference of the head, those of the inner side of each flower deficient. most of each flower deficient; filaments long. longitudinal slits, without any prominent connective. consisting of 2 carpels united at the base into a 1-celled less free and divergent at the top, with distinct styles Placentas parietal, with several ovules to each, in 2 rows. ing at the top in 2 bifid valves." Bentham (1) p. 131.
Stamens 7 to 10, the inner- Anthers linear, opening in Ovary half-inferior, ovary, and more or and small stigmas.
Ripe Ripe carpels open-
DISTRIBUTION. The species described below is only known from Hong Kong island, two other species are known one of these being from Java.
RHODOLEIA CHAMPIONI, Hook.
Bot. Mag. t. 4,509.
Leaves
"A small tree, perfectly glabrous except the flower-heads. alternate, crowded at the extremity of the branches on petioles of 12 to 2 inches long, evergreen, ovate or oblong, obtuse or obtusely acuminate, 4 to 5 inches long, quite entire, thickly coriaceous, shining above, glaucous under- neath. Flower-heads, including the petals, about 11⁄2 inches diameter, on very short recurved axillary peduncles. Each head surrounded by several rows of imbricate bracts, the outer once very small and glabrous, gradually increasing to the innermost, which are near 1/2 inch in diameter, coloured and rusty-hairy outside. Petals about 3/4 inch long, bright pink, varying in breadth, and from 15 to 20 to each flower-head, giving it the appearance of a semi-double Camellia." Bentham (1) p. 131.
To the above description we add. Anthers very dark almost black, Bentham writes,-" very short recurved axillary peduncles "; we find them to vary in length between 2 and 1 inch.
December 1932.
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