* 
PLANTS MENTIONED IN CLASSICAL WORKS. 357 
are fragrant. In the 5th month it produces violet flowers in 
panicles. The seed is as large as that of Coriander, This 
escription agrees with Viter. Another sort of king is 
described under the name. of Hh ji} man king. The first 
character means a creeper. Li Surcsen observes that this 
isan improper name, as the plant does not creep ; it has only 
a weak stem. 
According to Hunry [/.c., 132] 3$§ $f in Hupei is Viter 
Nequndo, 1. 
Pho zo, UXXXIX, 15, 16, He Hi, Viter cannabifolia; 
5S. & Z., Ibidem, 17, 18, #4 Hi), Veter trifolia, L. Sieno.p, 
Teon. ined., V1, #i #4 Ff, 1. ovata, Thbg., (same as V. trifolia). 
ison, Se As and Lecor all agree in stating that the 
ch'u or king isa thorny bush, and Leaes even translates ch'w 
by thorns, I have not been able to make out to what Chinese 
Sources of information they refer. The Chinese commentators 
on the Classies do not speak of the ch‘u as of a thorny shrub, 
nor does K.D. under ch‘u and king give this meaning. 
The chu is without doubt Viter ?, and all the species of this 
sents are unarmed. I suspect that this ‘misapprehension 
arose from an incorrect interpretation of the term jf JB which 
eans, according to W.), [403] thorny, useless. — The a 
character BE A [see 485 ] denotes, indeed, a thorny i ee the : 
wild jujube, which in the Peking mountains frequently g grows 
4 together with Vitex. See the quotation from the 7'so ch‘nan 
[485] where Lecae translates “briars and thorns.” In ne . 
Muai nan tsz we find the term ji 48. 
@., 270, family Fi, with good figure of Vitex Neiiee Le 
The eight synonyms include also 3% Hi), Cercés chinensis, Bee, 
of observation of nature, to say nothing of scignhtes research 
SIX, 12. C819. A., XV, 166. fe 
‘Sm., 227, Vitex i incisa, Lam., is also right, 
'S of frequent occurrence in ancient Chinese writings. It 
of which a good figure is given in P., XXXVI. Lv supra, 336] = - 
The compilers of &, betray in many places their total absence 
