FOREST AND CRAG 53 



of trees. A feature in these woods was Staphylea holocarpa, a 

 small tree covered with pendulous trusses of white and rosy- 

 pink flowers. A Horse Chestnut {Msculus Wilsonii), the 

 Chinese Yellow-wood [Cladrastis sinensis), Hemsley's Styrax 

 and Pterostyrax hispidus, all of them large trees, were fairly 

 common ; Cherries, Bird Cherries and many Pomacece abound. 

 Birch is one of the commonest constituents of these forests ; 

 in the more open areas Bamboo scrub forms dense thickets, 

 and high up in the woods Rhododendron maculiferum forms 

 trees 25 feet tall with a trunk i foot in diameter. 



Here and there clearings have been made for the cultiva- 

 tion of the medicine " Huang-lien " [Coptis chinensis). In 

 one abandoned clearing were hundreds of Liliuni tigrinum 

 luxuriating amongst the grass and tall herbs. In dark shady 

 places the noble Lilium mirahile is common. This lily has 

 tubular snow-white flowers spotted with red within, and 

 glossy green, cordate leaves. An occasional Spruce or Pine 

 tree occurs, and at the edge of the forests Cunninghamia 

 appears. Many of the cliffs are clothed with Hemlock Spruce. 

 Birch is fairly common, but, v.dth the exception of one or two 

 evergreen species, Oak is very scarce. Hornbeam is not 

 plentiful, and Magnolias are decidedly rare trees ; Ash is 

 general, and the Linden, represented by three or four species, 

 abundant. The Laurel family is represented by four species, 

 all of them deciduous, including a handsome kind with young 

 foliage of a bronze-red. Honeysuckles are rare, save for the 

 climbing species Lonicera tragophylla, which has golden- 

 yellow flowers. Clematis in variety are common, especially 

 C. montana (white and rosy-red forms) and C. pogonandra 

 with its top-shaped yellow flowers. Many species of Schis- 

 andria, all of them a wealth of flowers, Holhoellia Fargesii, 

 and the botanically interesting Sinofranchctia sinensis are the 

 principal climbers. 



The road follows the course of a torrent which rises near 

 Wapeng and quickly becomes a considerable stream. The 

 path is narrow, very rocky and difficult to follow, and how 

 our chairs got through was a puzzle. Both torrent and path 

 ultimately plunge into a narrow ravine shut in by lofty cliffs, 

 unclimbable and bare. In places the rocks are of limestone, 



