is FLORA HISTORICA. 



leaf of the Tea, and the magnificent flower of the 

 Moutau, or Tree Paeony, was so much neglected 

 as a volume of Travellers' Stories, that little ac- 

 count appears to have been made of its descrip- 

 tion of the vegetable kingdom, although it was 

 translated into English, and published in Lon- 

 don as long back as 1669, and from which we 

 shall extract Nievhoff's account of the Tree 

 Pseony, to show not only how faithfully it is de- 

 scribed, but that inquiry must have been made 

 as to what part of China it was indigenous. 



This author says, under the head of flowers, 

 •' There are several rare and well -scented flow- 

 ers which grow in these parts, that are unknown 

 to those of Europe. 



" In the province of Suchue, (Siichew,) near to 

 Chimgking, (Chongking,) grow certain flowers 

 called Meutang, (Moiitan,) in high esteem amongst 

 them, and therefore called the King of Flowers. 

 It differs very little in fashion from the European 

 Rose, but is much larger, and spreads its leaves 

 further abroad ; it far surpasses the Rose in 

 beauty, but falls short in richness of scent ; it 

 has no thorns or prickles, is generally of a white 

 colour, mingled with a little purple ; yet there 

 are some that are yeflow and red. This flower 

 grows upon a bush, and is carefully cherished 

 and planted in all gardens belonging to the 



