PLANTS MENTIONED IN CLASSICAL WORKS. 209 
The terms # ch% and ¥ ki, frequently met with in the | 
Classics, denote, as the ancient commentators (Mao in the 
Shi king, Kuna Ax-Kvo in the Shu king) explain, the ch% a 
fine, the &i a coarse cloth made of the fibres of the ko 
plant. Lecax translates sometimes fine and coarse linen, 
sometimes grass-cloth. 
Shi king, 6 :—See quotation above. 
Shu king, 102, 117 [Tribute of Yé]:—The ch% men- 
_ tioned as an article of tribute of the provinces of Ff HW 
‘Tsing chou and jf JM Yii chou (Anhui, Honan), the k% 
only for Yi chou. Laon translates fine grass-cloth, finer 
and coarser hempen-cloth. 
Chou li, 1, 379 :—Toiles fines et grossiéres. See quotation 
above. 
Li ki, 1, 82 :—Napkins of fine and coarse linen (ch*, k*7). 
T 153 :—Hsten sz‘ said:—To have the mourning robe of 
coarse Dolichos cloth (4%) and the lower garment of fine linen 
(ch) was not the way of antiquity. 1, 270 [ Yue ling] :— 
_ First month of summer. The Son of Heaven begins to wear 
_ thin Dolichos cloth (ch‘i). 
; Conr. Anal., 94 :—The superior man (Confucius) in warm 
weather had a stifle garment either of coarse or fine texture 
(kK, ch‘), 
The ko [the name is still in use] is a climbing plant of the 
leguminous order, very common all over China and Japan. 
oe grows wild in the mountains and is also much cultivated 
: for the textile fibres of its stem as well as for its tuberous — 
_ and farinaceous roots, which furnish an article of food. The 
. - fabrics made of the ko fibres are still much prized in China. — 
The botanical name of this plant is Pachyrhizus Thunbergianus, 
2 8. & Z., also Pueravia Thunbergiana, recess THUNBERG 
: - described it first as Dolichos hirsutus. — 
The o plant is described P., XVIIa, 42. Good drawing 
= Ch., XXII, 83. Srepoup Syn. plant. econ Jap. 294, 
