154 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



side of Europe. Mulberry trees, the Cudrania tricuspidata, 

 and tall-growing Bamboos are common up to 4500 feet 

 altitude. 



Many of the shrubs found growing in these valleys are 

 spinescent and nearly all are adapted to withstand drought. 

 In the majority the leaves are very small or covered with a 

 dense felt of hairs. These shrubs are usually scrubby in appear- 

 ance yet many produce ornamental flowers or fruit. The 

 " Southernwood " {Artemisia spp.), with silver-grey, elegantly 

 dissected foliage and yellow flowers, are perhaps the commonest 

 shrubs met with hereabouts. Barberries are another special 

 feature, and when laden with masses of red fruit and autumn- 

 tinted foliage present a most attractive picture. This same 

 remark applies to various species of Cotoneaster, all having 

 ornamental fruit. Many kinds of Rose occur, but often the 

 species are local. Common to all these valleys, though most 

 abundant in that of the Yalung, is Rosa Soulicana, with fragrant 

 flowers, opening sulphur-yeUow and changing to white. So 

 also is Miss Willmott's charming rose {R. Willmottice), with 

 its abundant straw-yellow prickles, neat glaucescent leaves, 

 rosy-pink flowers, and orange-red fruit. The beautiful R. 

 Hugonis is confined to a narrow stretch of the Min Valley 

 between 3000 to 5000 feet. This is the only rose with yellow 

 flowers I have met with in China. The fruit is black 

 and falls very early. R. muUihracteata, an odd-looking species 

 having pretty pink flowers, is very common in the upper 

 reaches of the Min Valley and less so in that of the Tung. 

 Forms of the Musk Rose [R. moscJiata) and of R. sericea occur 

 but are local. With the exception of the " Southernwood," 

 all these shrubs confine themselves closely to water- 

 courses. In more arid places Caryopteris incana and other 

 species, with intense blue flowers opening in late July, are 

 very abundant, so also are different species of Indigofera, 

 with pink to red-purple flow^ers. Several species of Buddleia 

 and two varieties of the lovely Clematis glauca, with glaucous 

 foliage and top-shaped, yellow, passing to bronze-coloured 

 flowers, ought not to be overlooked. The shingly and sandy 

 foreshores are covered with Willow, Sallowthorn, and False 

 Tamarisk [Myricaria germanica) . In the Tung Valley, between 



