134 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



roadway. Waterfalls abound, but lateral torrents are few. 

 The flora is very rich, but largely inaccessible. Practically 

 all the trees, shrubs, and herbs common to the 7000 to 9000 

 feet belt occur here. Conifers are the principal trees. Silver 

 Fir, Spruce, Hemlock, Larch, White Pine, Juniper, and Yew 

 are all represented. The Pine (P. Armandi) is the commonest 

 tree up to 8500 feet, clinging to the sheer cliffs in a remark- 

 able manner. With its stunted branches and short leaves it 

 was hardly recognizable, suggesting a green Maypole rather 

 than a Pine tree ! Many of the Spruce and Silver Fir were 

 fruiting freely, the erect, violet-coloured symmetrical cones of 

 the latter being very handsome. Larch (L. Potaninii) abounds, 

 overtopping all the other Conifers, but the trees are small. All 

 the Conifers are hereabouts designated " Sung-shu " (liter- 

 ally Pine trees), but the timber of the Larch, flat-leaved Spruce, 

 and White Pine, valued in the order given, are most prized for 

 building purposes generally. Of the broad-leaved deciduous 

 trees. Maple {Acer), Linden {Tilia), and Birch [Betula] are the 

 most common. A few Poplar occur, but Oak is exceedingly 

 rare, the few noted being scrubby evergreens of no great 

 beauty. The variety of shrubs is very great, all the more 

 woodland genera being rich in species. Sorbaria, with its large 

 panicles of white flowers, was one of the most attractive. 

 Spiraea, Viburnum Lonicera, Rubus, Philadelphus, Sorbus, and 

 many other families, made a fine display either with their 

 flowers or fruit. Strong-growing herbs, like the various species 

 of Senecio, Astilbe, Aconitum, and Anemone, cover miles of the 

 roadside. In shady places the handsome Maidenhair fern, 

 Adiantum pedatum, was a charming picture ; in sunny spots 

 the lovely Gentiana purpurata, with intense carmine-red flowers, 

 was a sight never to be forgotten. 



About 10 li below San-tsze-yeh the ravine widens out into a 

 narrow valley, with the mountain-slopes on the left bank of the 

 torrent less precipitous and grass-clad. We passed the ruins of 

 some old forts, and shortly afterwards a Sifan hamlet con- 

 sisting of three or four farmsteads, with numerous prayer-flags 

 fixed on the roofs. In the tiny vaUey wheat, barley, buck- 

 wheat, oats, peas, and broadbeans are cultivated, and the 

 crops were ready for harvesting. 



