This species is readily distinguished by the peculiar buds, which are formed early, and by the scars at the base of the shoot, left by the fall of the bud-scales of the previous year. The buds at first are long, conical, with a curved beak, and are covered by a funnel-shaped membranous sheath, which is composed of two external and two to three internal glabrescent glandular scales. The scales fall off in November, leaving four or five narrow scars at the base of the buds, which in this stage resembles in structure those of P. caucasica, but are whitish and densely tomentose. Lateral buds usually solitary at some distance above the leaf scars. Twigs quite glabrous, otherwise as in P. caucasica. (A. H.)
In Japan this is a large tree known as Sawa gurumi, which I saw in the central provinces of Hondo, where it grows to a height of 50 to 60 feet, old trees attaining a girth of 8 or ro feet. It generally grows on the banks of streams in mixed forest, and did not seem to be very common or to be valued for its timber, though I got a specimen of the wood from the Government sawmills at Atera, which is now at Kew.
Sargent found it very abundant on the slopes of Mt. Hakkoda, in the north of Hondo, at 2500 to 4000 feet elevation, where it attains as much as 80 feet in height, being next to the beech the largest deciduous tree in the forest. It is a broad- topped tree with stout spreading branches, and when covered with its long hanging slender racemes of fruit, is very handsome. It is hardy at the Arnold Arboretum near Boston and produces seeds there.
Pterocarya rhoifolia is recorded by Diels’ as having been collected by Von Rosthorn in the province of Szechuan in China.
It seems to have been introduced into cultivation by the Duke of Bedford, to whom seeds were sent from Japan in 1889. Young plants from some of this seed were raised at Kew in 1890; and these have now attained about 12 feet in height. They are the only specimens we have seen in England. (H.J.E.)
PTEROCARYA STENOPTERA
- Pterocarya stenoptera, C. de Candolle, Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. IV. xviii. 34 (1862); Lavallée, Arb. Segrez. Icones, 65, t. 19 (1885); Franchet, Journ. de Bot. 1898, p. 317.
A tree, 50 to 60 feet in height, with a girth of stem of 6 or 8 feet. Bark rough. Leaves (Plate 125, fig. 2) about a foot in length; rachis covered with bristles, slightly swollen at its insertion, and having on each side a conspicuous irregular membranous wing, occasionally slightly serrate in margin. Leaflets nine to twenty-five, opposite or alternate, terminal leaflet often wanting; coriaceous ; under surface with a few scattered glands, and some pubescence on the midrib and nerves and in their axils; oblong or oblong-lanceolate ; acute at the apex, unequal and rounded or narrowed at the base, finely and sharply serrate in margin, 3 to 5
1 Flora von Central China, 274 (1901).
