AND OTHER CHINESE PLANTS. 59 
until one gets near that this idea is dispelled. Most of the 
vegetation, however, which strikes the eye is due to the work of the 
Afforestation Department, as millions of Pinus Massoniana have 
been planted during the last 30 years. In the ‘ Flora Hongkong- 
ensis, published in 1861, Bentham enumerated 1053 species as 
having been found on the island, 159 of which had not, at 
that time, been obtained elsewhere. Bentham, however, remarked 
that probably many of these 159 would be found on the main- 
land of China when the Flora of that country was investigated. 
This has proved to be tbe case, for I suppose that at the present 
time not inore than 50 of these 159 remain peculiar to Hongkong. 
Since the * Flora Hongkongensis' was published many additions 
have been made to the Flora of the island by various collectors, so 
that at the present time it amounts to about 1400 species. Of 
these 350 or 400 additional species, about 50 have not been 
observed out of the island, making a total of about 100 endemic 
species. No doubt many of these will be found on the adjacent 
mainland as we get to know more and more of its flora. It is 
interesting to note that some of the species found in Hongkong 
have not been procured nearer than Hupeh, a distance of about 
600 miles north. I might mention examples in Machilus macro- 
phylla and Limacia sagittata. In all probability these species 
will be found in all the intervening country and perhaps still 
farther north and south. Rhodoleia Championi, first discovered 
by Champion in Hongkong, had not been obtained elsewhere until 
Dr. Henry collected it in Yunnan, about 1000 miles west of 
Hongkong. The Indian Quercus polystachya, found in Yunnan 
by Dr. Henry, has been recently collected in Hongkong. Neither 
of these plants has been collected at any place between these 
two points, so far as I know. Lasia heterophylla, a Cingalese 
and Indian plant, comes as far east as Tai-mo-shan in the New 
Territory, and it has been found on the island of Cheung I, just 
outside of Hongkong harbour, but it has not been found in 
Hongkong itself. Additional species are constantly being found, 
and not a year passes but some plant is added to the Flora. 
Botanizing in Hongkong is a very difficult business, and it will 
be many years before our knowledge of its Flora is complete. 
It is quite impossible to get up many of the ravines on account 
of the huge boulders that block the way. To proceed up the 
sides one has often to eut a way through masses of Bamboo and 
strong-growing creepers and shrubs. Many of the sides of the 
