20 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



This last is a rather remarkable plant. Two miles above 

 Ichang, on the right bank, is an enormous specimen, called by 

 foreigners the " Big Creeper." It covers several hundred 

 square feet of ground, climbing over several Pine trees and 

 many Bamboos. The base of the main trunk is almost as thick 

 as a man's body ; the flowers are dark chocolate coloured, and 

 are borne in racemes on the old wood ; the legumes are 2 to 2^ 

 feet in length, and contain many large black bean-like seeds. 

 It flowers in May. 



Ichang does not possess a great number of trees, but the 

 variety is really astonishing. Paulownia Duclouxii and Melia 

 Azedarach, with their enormous panicles of flowers, are very 

 striking in the spring. In the autumn, Sapium sehiferum, with 

 its wonderful autumnal tints, stands alone. In winter the ever- 

 green Ligustrum lucidum, and Xylosma racemosum, var. pube- 

 scens, are very conspicuous. The latter nearly always shelters 

 some wayside shrine. Perhaps the commonest trees are — 



Gleditsia sinensis, Rhus javanica, Platycarya strohilacea, 

 Quercus serrata, Cedrela sinensis, and Pterocarya stenoptera. 

 The Mistletoe occurs on the last-named tree. Other less common 

 trees are Sterculia platanifolia, Populus Silvestrii, Cratcegus 

 hupehensis, Celtis sinensis, Dalbergia hupeana, Acer ohlongum, 

 Cunninghamia lanceolata, Ailanthus glandulosa, Broussonetia 

 papyri/era, Ulmus parvifolia, Hovenia dulcis, Sapindus muko- 

 rossi, Salix hahylonica, and Sophora japonica. Of this latter a 

 curious variety occurs in which the leaves and young shoots are 

 clothed with a dense white velvety indumentum. 



As with flowering shrubs, so with herbs, though in a less 

 degree, Ichang is the home of many favourite garden plants. 

 One of the commonest and best known is Primula ohconica. 

 This charming herb abounds ever3m^here, but more especially 

 in moist, grassy places on the banks of the Yangtsze and in the 

 glens. Occasionally, under very favourable conditions, in 

 height, size of flower, and luxuriance of foliage, it approaches 

 the cultivated form, but more usually it is a dwarf and 

 almost insignificant weed. 



Again, Ichang is the home of the Chinese Primrose, and 

 the type of the cultivated Chrysanthemum occurs there also. 

 Other favourites which are common are — 



