392 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



without locality, A. Henry (Nos. 2499, 7822). Chekiang: vicinity 

 of Ningpo, 1908, D. Macgregor, 



Although many forms of this long cultivated shrub occur, all are undoubtedly 

 referable to one species. The size of the leaves depends on good cultivation; on 

 neglected plants the leaves are large, coarse and of comparatively little value, 

 and if the soil is fairly good and the plants grow freely the leaves assume the size 

 and shape of those of the so-called Assam Tea plant. Close picking of the young 

 shoots and leaves dwarfs the plants and reduces the size of the leaves. Henry s 

 Nos. 10377, 10377», have large leaves, but his No. 9722 " from a virgin forest " 

 has leaves in size and substance identical with those of several cultivated speci- 

 mens before us. The specimens are from wild plants (see Henry in Kew Bull. 

 Misc, Inform. 1897, 100), and doubtless the plant occurs wild from various parts 

 of southeastern Yunnan to Assam. _ . 



Our No. 4723 has leaves 8-11 cm. long and 4-6.5 cm. wide, and though it is 

 perhaps safer to regard it as from a naturalized plant it might well be considered 

 spontaneous. The region is remote and there were many large bushes growing 

 in a thicket in a sandstone ravine. However this may be, we are of the opinion 

 that the Tea plant is a native of China and that formerly it was common in the 

 rain-forest belt throughout the warm-temperate part of western and southwestern 

 China. To-day these forests have almost entirely disappeared to make way for 

 agriculture. 



The Tea plant is but sparingly cultivated in western Hupeh and in eastern 

 Szech'uan where the products of this industry are of local importance only, but m 

 western Szech'uan the industry is a very important one and supplies the whole 

 of Tibet. The methods employed are peculiar, and the product is different from that 

 of other parts of China. A full account of this industry is contained in Wilson s 

 A Naturalist in Western China, II. 89 (1913). A picture of a Tea plantation 

 will be found under No. 0172 of the collection of Wilson's photographs. Kaempfer 

 (Amoen. Exoi. 606 [1712]) gives a fine figure of this plant accompanied by a veiy 

 full description, but he does not make the combination " Thea japonica " attributed 

 to him by Seemann (in Trans. Linn. Soc. XXII. 349, t. 61) and others. 



Here may be added the description of a species of the section Eutkea not 

 collected during the Arnold Arboretum Expeditions. 



Thea elongata Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 



Frutex 2-6-metralis, ramosus; rami graciles, cinerei, glabri; gemmae acutae, 

 leviter pilosae. Folia chartacea, oblongo-lanceolata v. lanceolata v. oblanceolata, 

 caudato-acuminata, mucronulata, basi attenuata, supra medium remote leviter 

 serrulata, 3.5-6 cm. longa et 1-2 cm. lata, supra laete viridia, nitentia, subtus vix 

 pallidiora, utrinque glaberrima, costa media supra impressa subtus elevata, nervis 

 venulisque obsoletis; petioH 2-3 mm. longi, glabri. Flores solitarii v. bini, axillary 

 V. plerumque in ramuHs lateralibus pseudo-terminales, albi; pedicelli curvati, 

 0.4-1 cm. longi, bracteis 5-7 parvis ovatis ciliatia instruct!; sepala 5, late ovata v. 

 subrotundata, acutiuscula, 2 mm. longa, margine scariosa, ciholosa; petala 5, 

 epathulato-oblonga, 1.5-2.5 cm. longa et 7-9 mm. lata, rotundata; stamina nume- 

 rosa, petalia pauUo breviora; filamenta quarta parte superiore excepta connata, ad 

 partem liberam sparse pilosa; pistillum glabrum, 1.8 cm. longum, stylo filiformi 

 fere ad apicem connato, stigmatibus 3 simplicibus. Fructus desideratur. 



Western Szech'uan: Mt. Omei, October 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 4755, 

 type); same locality, alt. 1300-1600 m., October 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3266). 



This is a very distinct and graceful species characterized by its narrow elongated 

 leaves and petals and by its very long pedicels and stamens. It is most closely re- 



