XXXIV. A iVonogrqIh of Streptopus, with the Description of a new Genus

By DAVID DON, Esq., L i b . L.S., Prof. Bot. now$rst separated f rom i t . King's Coll. Lond.

Read December 3rd. 1839.

W H I L E engaged in investigating the affinities of Disporum, my attention was naturally directed to the examination of various genera, either belonging to Melanthacectz, or to families nearly related to it, and among others to the two genera which form the subject of the present paper. I n my former com- munication I have already adverted to the new genus, of which Streptopus Zanuginosus is the type, and I have also noticed the position which i t occupies in the series of natural affinities, and that the chain of connexion between MeZanthacee and SmiZacectz is rendered complete by means of it and Disporum. The new genus in question agrees with Disporum in its perianthium, in its binary ovula, and in its habit and inflorescence ; but i t differs in the position of its anthers, in its ovula being pendulous, and in its less deeply separated styles.

The genus Streptopus was first proposed by the elder Richard in Michaux's Flora Boreali-Americana, and was intended to include not only the Uvularia amplexifolia of Linnzus, but two other plants therein described for the first time, namely, S. roseus and lanuginosus. The two last are exclusively con- fined to North America, while the first is common to Erirope and America.

The characters of the genus consist in its hexaphyllous campanulate peri- anthiurn, with the sepals deciduous, and furnished with a nectariferous furrow at their base ; erect sagittate anthers, with short dilated filaments ; three separate stigmata ; and in its baccate pericarpium with polyspermous cells. These characters will be found united in S. amplexifolius, which must be considered as the type ; and a careful comparison of it with the other species included by Richard clearly shows that Zanuginosus must be removed from the genus. The genus, as here proposed to be limited, will comprise S. am-

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526 Prcf . DON'S Monograph o f Streptopus, @c.

plexifolius, roseus, and another species, first described by me under the name of sirnplex in the Prodronius Florcc Aepalensis. These plants have a11 n peculiar habit, cylindrical leafy stems, broad amplexicaul leaves, glaucous beneath, and axillary, solitary, mostly single-flomered peduncles, which in nmplesifolius are curiously twisted at their middle. The genus undoubtedly belongs to the &nilare@, and is nearly allied to Coizvallariu and Sirailtrcina, but is essentially distingnished from both by its distinct sepals, each furnished with a nectariferous furrow, separate stigmas, and polyspermous berry. With Ilvularia i t accords in habit, and in its solitary, axillary, carnpanulute flowers ; but its innate anthers, furnished with short filaments, baccate pericarpium, and noncarunculate seeds, remove it widely from that genus.

I shall now proceed to the description of the genera, and of the species belonging to them.

STREPTOPUS. Rich.

UVULARIZ SP. L.

Periarzfhium 6-phyllum, petaloideum, campanulatum, aequale, deciduum : foliolis tzestivatione im bricatis, basi foveb oblongA nectarifera instructis. Stamina 6, basi sepalorum adnata, sirnizlque decidaa : Jilamenta brevis- sima, compressa, dilatata : nntherct? erectae, innate, basi subsagittatae rimb duplici longitudinalitik dehiscentes. Buurium 3-loculare : 20culis inulti- ovulatis : ouulis erectis. Stigntnta 3, recurvatn. Pericurpiicrri baccatuni, mernbranaceum, 3-loculare : loculis polyspermis. Serninn dtiplici serie ordinata, oblonga, curvula, sulcata, test& rugosb subcoriacea.

H e r h e (hemisph. bor.) perennes, rlzizonzate diuiso,Jibroso, nzulticipite. Caules cylirzdracei. Folia antplexicaulia, dilatatn, multineruia, mbtirs glazicti. Flores axillares, solitarii, pedunculuti, cernui, lutescentes, albi 9. rosei. Baccae globosct., rubrct..

1. S. amplexi$olius, glaber ; pedunculis ineclio convolutis appendiculatis, se- palis obtush acurninatis, antheris sagittatis acurninatis, stigrnate trilobo, baccae loculis 6-spermis.

Lam. et DeCund. Fl. Fronc. iii. p . 174. n. 1856.

Red. Liz. v. t. 259. Sm. in Rees' c[yclop. in loco. Dub/ Bot. Gull. i. p . 459. Schult.fi1. Syst. vii. p . 310.

Streptopiis amplexifolius.

Prof. DON’S Mmogruplt of Streptopus, 4 ~ . 527

S . amplexicaulis. Poit-. in Lam. Dict. vii. p . 467. S. distortus. illich. FI. Bor. Atner. i. p . 200. Piirslr FI. Ainer. Sept. i. p . 232.

S~mwg-. Syst. ii. p . 9s. Uvularia arnplexifolia. Li17n. Sp. PI. i. p. 436. Lam. 111. t . 247.f. 1. (tnnla).

Vill. De,$fi. ii. p . 274. Hofltn. Fl. Gerwi. p . I IS. Host Syn. 11. lS7. Schk. Hand. t . 93. (bona). c.t/lkd. Sp. PI. ii. p . 93. Pers. S’)2. i. p . 360. Wukdst. et Kit. PI. H L O I ~ . ii. p . 1SS. t . 167. (optirna). Ait. Hort. Kezu. ed. 2. u. ii. p . 246.

‘IT. foliis aniplexicaulibus. Mill. Dirk 11. 1 . Hull. Helu. 12. 1237. N a t t . Sil. n. 237.

U. foliis cordato-oblongis. Roy. Prodr. p . 29. Convallaria dichotoina. Polygonatutn latifolium ratnosum, flore albo minore. Barr. Ic. t . 720. Polygonatuni latifoliuni ranlosum. Bauli. Pin. p . 303. Bauh. Hist. iii. p . 530.

Polygonatum latifolium quartum ra~~iosum. Clus. Hist. p. 276. Ger. em.

Polygonatuni tertium latifolium. lhbern. p . 1137. Polygonaturn tertium. C h . Pann. p . 267. cuni fig. bonb (266). Laurus alexandrina.

ZYiib. in Pers. S’n. i. p . 373.

Moris. Hist. iii. p . 537. s. 13. t . 4.f. 1 I . Raii Hist. p . 665.

p . 904.

Matth. Yalgr. ii. p . 556. cum figurB pessimb. C ~ i t ~ ~ .

Epit. p . 936. cum figurk mediocri. Hab. in Austriae, Styriae, Boherniae, Silesiae, Saxoniae, HungariE, Helveti=,

Delphinatus, et Pyrenzorum miontibus umbvosis ; inque Pennsylvania et Canadb. 2. F1. Junio et Julio. (v. v. c. et s. sp. in Herbb. Smith et Boo tt.)

Coulis erectus, ramosus, teres, glaber, IEvissirnus, pedalis v. sesquipedalis, infern& nudiusculus. FoIia amplexicaulia, cordato-oblonga, acaminata, utrinque margineque glabra, membranacea, multinervia, suprd I;et& viridia, lzevissima, s u b t h glauca, nervisque prominolis subcostata, 3-4 pollices Ionga, sesquipollicern et ultr8 lata : lobis posticis rotuntfatis, invicein se im- b r ican t i bus. Pedunculi capi I lar es, g lab ri, uni fl o 1. i , m ed io con val u t i, i bi de ni - que appendiculk (pedicelli alterius rudimento) subulata brevissirnb stipati, sesquipollicares. Flores odorati. Sepala lanceolata, obtusk acuminnta, unguicularia, pallid& lutescentia, basi fovea oblongb nectariferb munita,

528 Prof. DON’S Monograph of Streptopus, 8/c.

apice recurvato-patentia. Filameiita brevissima, compressa, dilatata, hinc plana, inde angulo elevato carinata. A n t h e m sagittat=, acuminatae, fila- mentis ter longiores, apice integrze. Stjlus trigonus, ovario dapl3 longior. Stigma levitkr trilobum. Bacca globosa, miniata, pisi magnitudine.

This species is pretty generally diffused throughout the mountainous parts of central and southern Europe, occurring in shady moods, and flowering in the months of June and July. I t was originally discovered in the year 1576 by the accurate and indefatignble Clusius, as he himself states, in shady woods on Mount Wechsel, and at Durrenstein in Austria; and a faithful woodcut and description of the plant were given by hiin in his Rariorum Stirpiitm Historia, which appeared in 1583. This woodcut is repeated in his Historia Ptantarunz, published in 1601 ; and copies from the same occur in the works of Taberimmontanus, Gerarde, Rlorison, and Barrelier. There are

two other original woodcuts of the plant, namely, those given in the Epitome of Camerarius, which appeared in 1586, and in the Valgrisian edition of Matthiolus, published a t Venice in 1583. This last represents the plant wholly in fruit, and with straight peduncles. I n the cuts of Clusius and Camerarius, wliich last is repeated in Bauhin’s Historia Plantarum, the singular twisting of the peduncles is rudely represented. I am not satisfied that the apparent originality of the cut given by Camerarius is not due to the artist, who may have copied from Clusius, and introduced some alterations of tiis own, for the figure is very faulty.

Willdenow and some other writers quote as a synonym under this plant Polygonaturn ramosicm petfoliatum Iuteunt alphum, Barr. Ic. t. 71 9, which evidently belongs to Uvularia grandgora, being clearly made up from Cor- nuti’s figure of Po4ygonatum ramosum $ore luteo minus, with the strange addition of the berries of the present plant.

This species is found likewise in North America, having been first observed by Rlichnux in shady woods in Canada, and since by Pursh on the mountains of Pennsylvania ; and Dr. Beck records it as indigeiious to the State of New York. I t was cultivated by Philip Miller in Chelsea Garden in 1752, but the plant is even now rarely to be seen in collections. The singular contortion of the delicate peduncles appears to be for the purpose of keeping the flowers from being injured, and their fecundation impeded by coming in contact with

Prof. DON'S &Ionogmph of Streptopus, 4 c . 529

the leaves, and also of admitting them to a niore free exposure to the air and light.

The American specimens diRw in no respect from the European ones, escept in their shorter leaves and peduncles.

2. S. roseus, hirtellus ; foliis ciliatis, pedunculis recurvatis subbifloris, sepalis lanceolatis acuniinatis, antheris bicuspidatis filamentorum longitudine, stigrnatibus stylo G-plb brevioribus, baccae loculis 4-6-spermis.

Mich. Fl. Bor. Amer. i. p . 201. t . 18. (mala). PN~S'L E% Amer. Sept. i. p . 23'2. Snz. in Rees' Cyclop. in loco. Elliott Curol. i. p . 392. Spreng. Syst. ii. 13. 98.

Streptopus roseus.

ScIizilt.fi1. S'st. vii. p . 3 12. Uvularin rosea. Pew. Syn. i. p. 3 0 . Ker ii2 Bot. Mug-. t . 1489. (bon:i).

Hab. in Carolinae borealis montibus, et in Canad2 (,MicIzauz) ; in VermontiA (Boott) ; in SinQs Sti Laurentii insulis Esquirnaux dictis. Audubon. 2 . F1. Junio. (v. s. sp. in Herb. Boott.)

Caulis erectus, teres, striatus, simplex v. ramosus, pedalis v. sesquipedalis, i n f e d nndiusculus, foliisque imperfect& evolutis convoluto-vaginatjs mu- nitus : striis pilis brevissimis patulis copiosh ornatis. Folia amplexicaulin, cordato-lanceolata, acuminata, multinervia, rnernbranacea, margine tenu- issimE ciliata, utrinque glabra, suprA viridia, lzvia, subths glauca, nervis- que prorriinulis subcostata, 3-pollicaria, pollicem et ultra lata ; suprema minhs cordata, atque vix amplexicaulia. Flores rosei, parhm Inajores. Pedunculi capillares, subbiflori, recurvati, nec medio convoluti, dens& pubescentes, semi- v. pollicares, in superiore parte caulis plerumque sim- plices, uniflori, appendiculati. Sepala lanceolata, acuminata, apice recur- vato-patentia. Stamina perianthio vix cliinidio breviora : jlarnenta lon- giuscula ! hinc plana, inde line& elevath carinata : untheri~ filarnentoru~~i longitudine, basi sagittatae, spice bicnspidato-aristatae ! Stigmata 3, t'e- curvata, truncata, stylo 6-plb breviora. Stylzcs staminibus longior. Bacca sphaerica, przwedentis magnitudine, 3-locularis : Zoculis 4-G-spermis. Sernina obovato-oblonga, parhm curvula, longitudinalitkr sulcata, apice chalazh orbiculat& fulvb aucta.

A very elegant species, bearing numerous drooping pink blossoms, which I t was discovered by are rather larger than those of the preceding species.

530 Prof. DON’S Monograph of Streptopus, &c.

RIicliaux in Canada, and on the mountains of North Carolina; and Pursh states it to be likewise a native of the mountains of Peiinsylvania. I t is evidently a scarce plant, having been seen by but few American botanists in a wild state ; and Elliott, i n liis interesting Flora of South Carolina and Georgia, was obliged to describe it frorri a dried specimen sent hiin by a botanical cor- respondent at Philadelphia.

The plant flowered in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in May 1812, having been introduced by the late Rlr. John Lyon from North Carolina, and a figure of it was published in the September number of the Botanical Magazine for that year. I n Dr. Boott’s Herbarium there are specimens collected by him in the State of Vermont, and others gathered by Rfr. Audubon in the Esqtiimaux Islands, n group of islets in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the south coast of Labrador. Mictiaux’s figure of this plant erroneously represents the peduncles as convolute a t their middle.

3. S. siviple~-, glaber ; pedunculis rectis ! nudis, sepalis obtusis, antheris cor. dato-lanceolatis obtusis, stigmati bus styli sublongitudine, baccae loculis ~O-l%spermis.

Streptopus simplex. Schult. $1. Syst. vii. p. 318.

S. candida. Wall. Cat. n. 5 112.

Don Prodr. Fl. Nepal. p . 48.

Hab. in Eriiodi montibus ad Gosaingthan (WaZZich) ; in montibus Kamaon- ensibus. R. Blinkworth. 21 . (v. s. sp. in Herb. Wall.)

Caulis erectus, ramosus, teres, glaber, IEvissimus, bi- v. tripedalis, infernk nudi- usculus. Folia amplexicaulia, cordato-oblonga, acuminata, niultinervia, mcmbranacea, utrinque margineque glabra, suprh laetk viridia, laevissima, subtiis glauca, nervisqrie prorninulis subcostata, 3-pollicaria, sesquipol- licem lata : lobis posticis rotnndatis, invicem se imbricantibus. FZores majores, nivei. Pedunculi capillares, glabri, uniflori, sesqui- v. bipol- licares, recti, recurvati, nudi, nec appendiculati, nec medio convolo ti. Sepala elliptico-oblonga, obtusa, semuncialia, apice patentia, nec i*eciirvata. Filurnenta brevissima, hinc plana, inde angulo elevato carinata. Aiitherm cordato-lanceolatz, obtusz, filamentis triplb longiores. Stylus trigonus, ovario duplb longior. Stigmata 3, longiuscula, recurvato-patentia, stylo

ProJ DON'S Monograph of Streptopus, q c . 53 I

parhn breviora. Bacca rubra ? caeteris paullb major : loculis 10-1 2- spermis. Semina obovata longitudinalitkr sulcata, parhm curvula, hinc convexa, inde biangulata, chalaz$ o r b i d a t % depress& fuscil apice in- structa.

This interesting and hitherto little-known species is a native of Gosaingthan and Kamaon in the Himalaya mountains, where it was gathered by Dr. Wal- lich's collectors, and was first described by rne in the Prodromus Florctl Nepalensis. The flowers are considerably larger, and more abundant, and the plant is altogether more showy than the amplex:ifoZizcs, from which its straight naked peduncles, blunt sepals and anthers, much longer stigmata, and more numerous seeds will readily distinguish it.

PROSARTES.

STREPTOPI SP. Mich.

Perianthium 6-phyllum, petaloideum, campanulatum, Equale, deciduum : fo- liolis basi foveolatis v. saccatis. Stanzina 6, basi sepalorum adnata, simulque decidua. Anthere erectae, innatz, obtusae, biloculares, rim2 duplici inarginnli longitudinalitkr dehiscentes. Ovarium liberum, 3-locu- lare : loczclis biovulatis : ovulis obovatis, a plncentz apice pendulis ! Stigmata 3, brevissima, recurvata. Pericarpium baccatum, 3-loculare. Senzina solitaria v. rarihs bina.

Herb= (Amer. bor.) perennes, pube ramosd uestitce, rhixontate diviso multi- cipite. Caules teretiusculi. Folia sessilia, dilatata. Inflorescentia ter- minalis, urnbellata. Bacca rubra.

This very natural genus, as I have already stated, forms the transition from the Smilucece to the Melantliaceui?, and possesses several characters in com- mon with Streptopus and Disporum. From the former genus it is essentially distinguished by its much more lengthened filaments, binary pendulous ovula, and terminal umbellate inflorescence,-characters in which it agrees with Disporu7n ; but it differs from this last in its innate anthers, nearly concrete styles, and pendulous seeds.

The genus is remarkable for its forked pubescence ; the hairs are furnished with one, rarely with two short branches, which are continuous with the cells

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532 Prof. DON’S Monograph of Streptopus, $c.

or articulations of which they form an integral part, being merely lateral ex tensions of them, and not separated by a diaphragm.

The generic name alludes to the pendulous ovula, and is derived froni . rrpo~~p&w, to append.

1 . P. Zanuginosa, urnbellis bifloris sessilibus, sepalis lanceolatis acurninatis 3-nerviis basi foveolatis, stylo glabro, foliis cordato-ovatis subamplexi- caulibus utrinqiie pubescentibus.

Streptopus lanuginosus. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept. i. p . 232. Sm. in Rees’ Cycl. in loco. Spreng. S’st. ii. p . 98.

Uvularia lanuginosa.

Mich. Fl. Bor. Anzer. i . y . 201.

Schult.31. Syst. vii. p . 3 11. Elliott Carol. i. p . 393.

Pers. Syn. i . p . 360. Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 1490. Hab. in altis inontibus Carolinae Australis (Mich.) ; in Pennsylvanig (Pursh) ;

in montibus Kentucky. Short. 2. FI. Maio et Junio (v. s. sp. in Herb. Boott).

CauZes erecti, teretiusculi, pedales v. sesquipedales, infern& nudiusculi, basi foliis 2 v. 3 imperfect& evolutis convoluto-vaginatis instructi, apice ra- mosi, pilis mollibus; dichotomis, 4--5-articulatis7 ramulo altero brevis- simo, r a r ih biramulosis, undique copios& vestiti. Folia sessilia, ovata, long& acurninata, membranacea, multinervia, utrinque pilis mollibus sitn- plicibus 2-3-articulatis7 articulo imo dilatato, vestita, basi rotundata, subcordata, vix ac ne vix amplexicaulia, sesqui- v. bipollicaria, 3 unciae lata. Unibella terminalis, sessilis, biflora. FZores penduli. PedicelZi semunciales, filiformes, pilis siniplicibus copios& vestiti. Yerianthiuin campantilaturn, luteo-virens. Sepala lanceolata, longk acuminata, 3- nervia, 8 lineas longa, basi foveolb nectariferg aucta, sed omninb sim- plicia, planiuscula, nec saccata. Stamina perianthio vix dimidio breviora, erecta, subaequalia : cfilarnenta canaliculata, glabra, infern& dilatata : an- there erectz, innatae, oblong=, apice integrE, obtum, biloculares, fila- mentis triplb breviores : Zoculis parallelis, connatis, sutur$ marginali dehiscentibus, basi liberis. Ouarium conicum, 3-loculare : loczdis biovu- latis : ooulis a p1acentE superiore parte pendulis ! obovatis, ventricosis. Stplus triqueter, glaber, stamina parhm excedens. Stigmata 3, brevissima, recurvata. Bncca rubra, 3-locularis : Zoculis l-%spermis.

Prof. DON’S Momgraph of Streptopus, s/c. 533

1 am indebted to my highly esteemed friend Dr. Roott, the worthy Secretary of this Society, for native specimens of t,his remarkable plant, which was ori- ginally discovered by Michaux on the mountains of South Carolina, and afterwards by the late MI-. John Lyon, by mliom it was introduced into our gardens in 1811. The plant flowered in May of the following year at the nui*sery-grounds of Rlessrs. Fraser, Sloane Square, Chelsea ; and a figure of it appeared in the September number of the Botanical Magazine for that year. Dr. Short has since discovered it on the mountains of Kentucky. Pursh records it also as a native of Pennsylvania ; but I am not disposed to place much reliance upon the stations assigned to American plants by that botanist, from their having been in many cases noted down from memory, after the lapse of some years. Although a native of South Carolina, the plant does not appear to have come under the notice of the accurate Elliott, whose account of it is copied wholly from Michaux.

2 . P. Memiesii, umbellis sessilibus bifloris, sepalis oblongis mucronatis 6- nerviis msr&e revolutis hasi saccatis, stylo longissirno piloso, foliis ovatis sessilibus glabriusculis.

Hab. in or% occidentali Americae Borealis. Menxies. 3 . (v. s. sp. in Herb. Smith, nunc in Mus. SOC. Linn.).

Cuzilis pedalis et ultrA, teretiusculus, pilis 5--8-articulatis dichotomis, raniulo laterali brevissimo, copios& vestitus, subviscosus. Folia sessilia, ovata, acuminata, 8-nervia, subths ad nervos pubescentia, bipollicaria, unciani lata. Unibella terminalis, sessilis, biflora. Pedicelli inarticulati, pilis longioribus 6--8-articulatis clichotoinis copiosihs vestiti. Perianthiunz majus, campanulatum, flavum ? Sepab oblonga, mucronata, 6-nervia, margine revolnta, basi saccata, 3 uncie longa. Filamenta canalicnlata, infern& dilatata, glabra. Antherce erectae, innate, biloculares, obtusz, filamentis plhs duplb breviores. Stylus staminum longitudine, triqueter, dens& pilosus. Stigmata 3, revoluta, stylo 6-plb breviora.

In the Smithian Herbarium there is a single specimen of this highly interest- ing plant gathered by my venerable friend Mr. Menzies on the north-west coast of America in the voyage of discovery under Vancouver, to which he was at-

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tached in the capacity of naturalist. I t bears a close resemblance to some species of Disporum; and it moreover agrees with that genus in its sepals being produced into a pouch at their base. The flowers, which are also ter- minal and in pairs, are twice the size of those of the preceding, and the style is copiously hairy.

Sir J. E. Smith, in “ Rees’s Cyclop~dia,” refers to this under Uvukc~riu puberida of Michaux, a plant with which the American botanists of the pre- sent day appear to be entirely unacquainted. I t is unquestionably true that several examples do occur of plants being common to the mountains of the Southern States, and the western regions of North America ; but i t is scarcely probable that Michaux could have overlooked the striking peculiarities of the terminal inflorescence, saccate sepals, and hairy style ; indeed his description seems to be wholly a t variance with the present plant.

Prof, DON’S Monograph of Streptopus, $c.