VIBURNUM TOMENTOSUM, 275 



necessary to s!ip])ly tlieir own wants, having left the virgin forest in- 

 viokte. In ftict, the scantily-peopled islands off the coast, and the 

 neighbonrhood of temples or monasteries amongst the hills of the mainr 

 land, afford the only opportunities to the botanist of studying the pri- 

 mitive tree-vegetation in this part of China. These temples are for the 

 most part built in depressions or glens between the converging apices 

 of spin's, in order to defend them from the violence of the wind ; and 

 are further sheltered on the sides and at the back by thick woods, — - 

 the constituent elements ov essences (to use a French term) of which, so 

 different from the trees habitually planted by the Chinese for ornament 

 or shade, unequivocally prove them to be remnants of the once doubt' 

 less wide-spreading forest, preserved from destruction only by the 

 pi-esence of the sacred edifices which they embosom. Botanists are 

 under deep obligations to the founders of these temples, so directly in- 

 strumental in rescuing from the otherwise inevitable axe many fine 

 though small woods, the existence of which permits us to study the 

 sylvan flora, of whose nature, but for this aid, we must have remained 

 almost entirely ignorant. Since the publication of Mr. Benfham's 

 book, the botany of the npighbourhood of Caul on, within a fevv miles 

 of the coast, and with which, as above remarked, that of Hongkong is 

 in all essential features identical, has been steadily explored, mainly 

 through the perseverance and aclivity of Mr. Sampson ; and, amongst 

 the numerous species found, many of which have not hitherto been re- 

 corded as natives of China, a certain number have been also met with 

 in Japan. The following short list, which, had I more leisure, might 

 certainly be extended, may be interesting. One or two of the plants 

 occur in Hongkong itself, and of the majority I have compared Japa- 

 nese and South Chinese specimens : — 



Xylosma japonicum, A. Gray. Patrinia scabiosifolia, Lk. 



Ilypericiiin Sanipsoiii, Ilance (H. Isolobus radicans, A. De Cand. 

 electrocarpum, Maxim. !). Lysimachia Fortunei, Maxim.* 



* Klatt Ims curiously referred this to L. barystachys., Bge., a very distinr-t 

 species, of which I have good specimens from N. Cliiua and Anuiria ; wliilst 

 Miq. (Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat., iv. 146) coniiiders it nearest to Jj. Candida, 

 so imperfectly cliaracterized by Lindlcy. If, as seems to be the opinion 

 at Kew, my L. samolina is identical with this latter, I do not coincide witli 

 him, but think L. Forlunei certainly mudi closer to L. clethroides, Duby, 

 with wliich Maximowicz liimseif compares it (Mel. Biol. Bull. Acad. Petersb. 

 iii. 270), and under wliieJi name I had myself, though possessing Duby's species, 

 distributed South Chinese specimens. But I am inclined to think L. incon- 



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