IN QUEST OF FLOWERS 33 



which occurs there. This tree {Tilia Henry ana) is about 80 

 feet tall and 27 feet in girth, and though hollow appears to be in 

 good health. The young leaves are silvery, and the tree, from 

 its size, is a conspicuous object for miles around. 



Descending through a cultivated area we entered a glen 

 which we followed for 20 li : the scenery in the lower end 

 is magnificent. Cliffs of hard limestone rear themselves almost 

 perpendicularly some 2000 feet and more. In the upper part 

 of the glen Pterocarya hufehensis is common alongside the 

 burn. An odd tree or two of the rare Pteroceltis Tatarinowii 

 also occurs here. Throughout the glen Lady Banks's rose 

 [Rosa BanksicB) is especially abundant. Bushes 10 to 20 feet 

 high and more through them were one mass of fragrant white 

 flowers. It occurs in thousands and is particularly happy, 

 growing on rocks and over boulders by the side of streams. 

 CcBsalpinia sepiaria, with erect thyrsoid panicles of fragrant 

 yellow flowers, is also abundant hereabouts. Growing on the 

 cliffs, Illicium Henryi, with its dull crimson flowers, is also 

 worthy of note. On issuing from the glen we struck a shallow, 

 rock-strewn stream of considerable width, and after ascending 

 it for a short distance made a very precipitous ascent of a 

 couple of thousand feet. Crossing over a ridge and a flat area, 

 a descending road led to Shih-tsao-che, which we reached as 

 night was closing in. This hamlet consists of about a dozen 

 houses scattered through a narrow valley. 



During the day I collected specimens of thirty different 

 kinds of woody plants. The striking plants of the afternoon's 

 journey were the Amelanchier and Dipelta fioribunda, both 

 masses of flower. Walnut [Juglans regia) and Varnish trees 

 are abundant above 3000 feet ; the sides and tops of the 

 mountains are clothed with woods of Oak and Pine, particu- 

 larly the former. We also saw many fine Willow and Ailan- 

 thus trees. Primula ohconica, Lysimachia crispidens, and a 

 blue-flowered Salvia are abundant up to 2000 feet. Near 

 the inn a few trees of Catalpa Fargesii occur, but were not yet 

 in flower. Hereabouts Daphne genkwa is abundant, but it 

 was scarcely in flower at this altitude. 



It rained a little in the early morning and showers fell at 

 intervals during the day, nevertheless, the weather was good 

 VOL. I. — 3 



