90 



curt respecting it during my visit to China. When living plants 

 were procured by Sir John Bowring, in 1852, the Chinese 

 drawing was found to be an accurate representation of the 

 plant. On submitting, on my arrival in England in 1834, the 

 drawing of the tree to Mr. David Don and Mr. A. B. Lambert, 

 they both considered that if it was an accurate drawing of the 

 tree from the pith of which the Rice Paper was prepared, it 

 would probably prove to be a species of Aralia, and their 

 conjecture has since proved correct. 



About the termination of the month of May and in June, 

 the early winter months inN.S. Wales — the Botanic and other 

 gardens in the vicinity of Sydney are enlivened and adorned 

 by the beauty of these trees, exciting the attention at that 

 season of the year, not only for their luxuriant and wide- 

 spreading canoj^y of broad dark green foliage, but from the 

 beautiful head of large leaves being surmounted with from 

 eight to twelve panicles of blossoms, three to four feet in 

 length, crowning the tree in fine style, the magnificent drooping 

 wand-like plumes waving over the dark green palmated leaves ; 

 the panicles of blossoms when closely examined consist of 

 numerous small flowers of a pale yellowish white color, but 

 which, when seen in certain directions, appear of a greenish, 

 or greenish yellow hue, probably arising from reflected light, 

 either from their o-wn foliage, or from that of the trees grow- 

 ing in their vicinity. Although the flowers when examined in 

 single clusters were very inconspicuous, yet when clustered on 

 their white flowering stems they have a beautiful appearance, 

 agreeably contrasted by the dark green palmated foliage, the 

 latter being so -widely extended, that when the tree had 

 attained the elevation of eight feet, it was capable of afford- 

 ing an agreeable shade to persons standing imder the leafy- 

 canopy. Although the tree when in bloom does not attract 

 fi'om brilliancy of color, yet it will always be admired for its 

 fresh, elegant, and agreeable appearance. 



The first Eice Paper Tree introduced into N. South Wales 

 was sent to Sydney by Mr. Veitch, of the Eoyal Exotic Nursery 

 at Chelsea, London, to Mr. Charles Moore, the Director of the 

 Botanical Gardens, and by whom, shortly after its arrival in 

 November, 1857, it was planted out in the open air in the 

 Gardens. It soon grew very rapidiy, and commenced early to 

 develop a number of suckers. On the 26th of April, 1858, 

 the plant had attained the height of three feet eight inches, 

 and still continued to throw up suckers in such numbers, that 

 it was quite clear that there would be no difiiculty in propo- 

 gating so prolific a plant in the colony ; and this has since 

 been proved to be correct, as from this specimen the whole of 

 the numerous Eice Paper Trees now growing luxuriantly in 



