56 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



and 12 feet in girth. Many medicines are cultivated hereabouts, 

 more especially Rhubarb and Tang-shen. Populus lasio- 

 carpa, with huge handsome foliage, is one of the commonest 

 trees. 



After a few miles the cultivated valley ends and we entered 

 a narrow defile flanked by steep, well-wooded mountains. 

 Hereabouts the interesting Sinowilsonia Henryi is common, 

 forming a small, bushy tree with handsome foliage and long, 

 pendulous racemes of inconspicuous flowers. The most orna- 

 mental tree, however, is a fine Crab Apple, which was laden 

 with umbels of pure white fragrant flowers borne on long slender 

 stalks. Issuing from this defile we entered a small cultivated 

 flat and found lodgings at the hamlet of Pien-chin, alt. 5200 feet. 



The vegetation during the day's journey was not very 

 remarkable, though I added sixteen kinds of plants to the 

 collection. Noteworthy on the rocks and cliffs was Viburnum 

 fhytidophyllum, with its large flat corymbs of dirty white 

 flowers, which are not very pleasing to the nostril. In the 

 defile the mountain-side is rich in shrubs; amongst which various 

 Rhododendrons were prominent ; Rhododendron indicum was 

 common and Rosa sericea was just opening its flowers. All day 

 Oak woods were common, but these never contain much that is 

 of more than passing interest. In abandoned cultivated areas 

 a small Poppy, resembling the common Iceland Poppy, with 

 deep yellow (occasionally orange) flowers was very abundant 

 and attractive. In shady places the large yellow flowers of 

 Chelidonium lasiocarpum made a fine show, and common on 

 bare limestone cliffs are Corydalis Wilsonii and C. tomentosa, 

 both species with yellow flowers and glaucous foliage. Around 

 our lodgings there was much cultivation, maize, barley, pulse, 

 and the Irish potato being the principal crops. Several paper- 

 mills occur by the side of the stream, bamboo pulp being the 

 raw material from which the paper is made. 



On leaving Pien-chin we followed a river to a point where it 

 is joined by a tributary stream which we crossed and then 

 ascended the road which skirts its banks. This stream is gentle 

 for a Hupeh torrent, and for 10 li the road is of the easiest. The 

 mountain-sides are covered with shrubs and trees; among which 

 Cercidiphyllum was conspicuous. Occasional houses and small 



