96 ■WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



This is a common shrub in western Hupeh up to 1000 m. altitude, especially in 

 rocky places, but it is even more abundant in the arid river-valleys of western 

 Szech'uan where it is found up to 2500 m, altitude. The western form, which is 

 dwarfer and excessively spiny, has smaller leaves and a dark violet-blue colored 

 calyx. Colloquially this shrub is known as the " Tieh-ma-hu-tsao." E. H. W. 



Sophora flavescens Alton, HorL Kew. IL 43 (1789). 



Western Hupeh: Hsing-shan Hsien, side of streams, etc., alt. 

 300-1000 m., June and October 1907 (No. 2561; shrub 2 m., flowers 

 white). Eastern Szech'uan: Wushan Hsien, July 1900 (Veitch 

 Exped. No. 1371; bush 2 m., flowers white). 



Very common in sandy places and colloquially known as " K*u-shen." The seeds 

 and roots are used as medicine in veterinary practice. E. H. W. 



Sophora japonica Linnaeus, ManL I. 68 (1767). 



Western Hupeh: north and south of Ichang, common, alt. 30- 



1000 m., July, August and November 1907 (No. 651, in part; tree 7- 



14 m. tall, girth 0.6-1.6 m., flowers white); Patung Hsien, roadsides, 



alt. 30-1000 m., July, August and October 1907 (No. 651, in part; 



tree 7-10 m. tall, flowers white); same locality, July 1901 (Veitch 



Exped. No. 2485; tree 16 m. tall); Changlo Hsien, alt. 600-1000 m., 



June 1907 (No. 651, in part; tree 10 m. tall); Fang Hsien, roadsides, 



alt. 1200 m., August 1907 (No. 2558; tree 8 m. tall, girth 1 m., flowers 



white); Hsing-shan Hsien, open country, alt. 300-1000 m., October 



1907 (No. 651, in part; tree 7-20 m. tall, girth 0.6-1.6 m.); without 



precise locality, June 1901 (Veitch Exped. No. 2312). Western 



Szech'uan: Chengtu Plain, alt. 300-600 m., July 1908 (No. 2557; 



tree 10-20 m. tall, girth 1.6-3 m., flowers white); same locality, August 



1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3393); Yachou Fu, roadside, alt. 300-1000 



m., August 1908 (No. 2559; tree 8-16 m. tall, girth 1-2 m., flowers 



white); without precise locality, August 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 

 3393»). 



This tree, which is native of China and cultivated only in Japan, is common in 

 western Hupeh and Szech*uan and is an important feature of the vegetation in 

 the arid valleys of western Szech'uan. In the park which surrounds the Temple 

 of Heaven at Peking there is a j&ne avenue of this tree and very large individuals 

 are scattered through the city. In western China it grows to a large size and the 

 degree of pubescence on the leaves varies considerably. The wood is white or 

 nearly so, tough, light and strong and is used in general carpentry. The flowers 

 are employed as a yellow dye for cotton cloth and silk fabrics. The colloquial 

 name for this tree is " Huai shu." Pictures will be found under Nos. 68, 642, 

 0169, 0237, 0239 in the collection of my photographs and also in my Vegetation 

 of Western China, Nos. 471 475. E. H. W. 



