APPENDIX. 



district, but becomes abundant as soon as you get north, and up the valley 

 of the Tao River — a lowland species, like A. longifolia, never ascending, but de- 

 lighting to grow on the precipitous lip of loam-banks along the waysides. It is 

 always happy, but does not affect shady aspects ; while in the sunny ones that 

 it prefers, it likes best to flop in a cushion from the overhanging loam-cliff, 

 while above it sprout forth a few fine sprays of Aster or Artemisia that keep off 

 the full fury of the sun. I was too late to see it in flower, but it appears 

 to vary between white and pink by all accounts (possibly containing two 

 forms or species). From its lowland habit of pointed-leaved rosettelets, and 

 their generous profusion of well-furnished 3-inch scapes, as doubtful a future 

 in gardens might be foretold for A. tibetica as for A. longifolia, from exactly 

 the same hot and un-English conditions (and so far suggesting a flattened- 

 out mass of A. tibetica as almost to justify its ancient name of A. sempervivoeides 

 tibetioa exscapa). Figured English specimens seem to me to give no idea of 

 the real beauty and elegance of A. tibetica — at least it was long before I could 

 believe that they represented the same species, as I have this year seen it abound- 

 ing, neat and graceful in habit. 



A. tapete (F 128). — Has not yet been collected, as it so exactly mimics 

 A. helvetica that no one would be thankful for yet another wool-dowered miff 

 of the Aretia Group. A. tapete, however, grows into far larger masses than A. 

 helvetica, and is so closely clad in silver grey as almost to have the argent hoar 

 of A. hirtella. It is universal in the high limestones above 12,000 feet, hugging 

 the sheer precipices and flawed rock- walls exactly after the style of A. helvetica. 



Anemone Sp. (F 91). — This is a most magnificent Anemone, clearly in very 

 close alliance to A. narcissiflora, and indeed a mere development. It is, 

 however, a far grander plant, forming many yard-wide masses on the open 

 ledges of the bare limestone cliffs at 9000 to 11,000 feet, always out of reach, 

 and often impregnable. Here, amid colonies of soft leaves, it emits 8-inch 

 stems, carrying sometimes only 1 flower (in this case as large as in A. sil- 

 vestris), but usually 3 or 4. These are of a clear snow white, shining from 

 afar like arrested flakes of snow, all up and down the enormous precipices 

 of Thundercrown. It is, as I say, no joke to get at, and it seems to have an 

 eccentric way of dropping its carpels green. Nor have its seedlings any tendency 

 to grow or thrive. F 91 I have only noted on Thundercrown ; it is purely 

 (and very oddly, for its size and lush, soft habit) a high-alpine of the exposed 

 cliffs, ascending in wizen form to the topmost crests, but never coming lower 

 than some 8500 feet. Its full glory is from the end of May to the end of June. 



Anemone vitifolia Var. (F 436). — It is a fashion nowadays to give specific 

 names (such as hupehensis, moupinensis, etc.) to all these local developments 

 of universal anemones. For the typical form of Kansu-Tibet I will as yet 

 make no such claim. It is a tall-growing and very luxuriant plant, with a 

 profuse display of rather fat-faced flowers of pale pink, abounding in all hard, 

 hot, and stony places at low elevations throughout South Kansu and up the 

 Tibetan border. It loves river-shingles and sun-baked stony fields, but never 

 affects the woodland. 



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