﻿PLANTS 
  OF 
  CHINA 
  — 
  WALKER 
  343 
  

  

  Along 
  with 
  those 
  species 
  which 
  form 
  the 
  forest 
  canopy 
  are 
  found 
  also 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  tea 
  family 
  (Theaceae), 
  essentially 
  a 
  subtropical 
  group 
  

   of 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubs. 
  Characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  woody 
  plants 
  are 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  laurel 
  family 
  (Lauraceae). 
  Indeed, 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  

   this 
  group 
  in 
  middle 
  China 
  are 
  so 
  prominent 
  that 
  the 
  vegetation 
  of 
  

   central 
  China 
  and 
  Japan 
  is 
  sometimes 
  referred 
  to 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  "laurel 
  

   type." 
  Conifers 
  are 
  not 
  abundant, 
  but 
  the 
  south 
  China 
  fir, 
  Gunning- 
  

   hamia 
  lanceolata, 
  thrives 
  here 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  promising 
  tree 
  for 
  re- 
  

   forestation. 
  The 
  more 
  primitive 
  people 
  dwelling 
  here 
  use 
  this 
  species 
  

   in 
  maintaining 
  forests 
  in 
  northern 
  Kwangtung 
  and 
  elsewhere. 
  It 
  is 
  

   encouraging 
  to 
  read 
  that 
  where 
  Chinese 
  are 
  in 
  close 
  contact 
  with 
  these 
  

   earlier 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  land, 
  they 
  are 
  using 
  this 
  same 
  species 
  in 
  re- 
  

   forestation 
  work. 
  This 
  fir 
  is 
  very 
  easily 
  grown, 
  because 
  it 
  sprouts 
  

   readily 
  from 
  the 
  cut 
  stumps 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  grown 
  from 
  cuttings. 
  The 
  

   only 
  other 
  conifer 
  with 
  the 
  natural 
  ability 
  to 
  propagate 
  vegetatively 
  is 
  

   the 
  Sequoia 
  or 
  giant 
  redwood 
  of 
  our 
  west 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  other 
  major 
  forested 
  watershed 
  of 
  middle 
  China 
  is 
  formed 
  

   by 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  southeastern 
  Anhwei, 
  Chekiang, 
  Fukien, 
  north- 
  

   eastern 
  Kwangtung, 
  and 
  the 
  adjacent 
  border 
  of 
  Kiangsi. 
  In 
  this 
  area 
  

   are 
  still 
  found 
  some 
  fine 
  and 
  even 
  fairly 
  extensive 
  coniferous 
  and 
  

   broadleaved 
  forests, 
  the 
  former 
  of 
  several 
  valuable 
  species, 
  the 
  most 
  

   important 
  being 
  red 
  pine 
  (Pinus 
  massoniana, 
  pi. 
  2), 
  the 
  funeral 
  

   cypress 
  (Cupressus 
  funebris) 
  , 
  Cryptomeria 
  japonica, 
  and 
  the 
  southern 
  

   fir 
  {Gunninghamia 
  lanceolata). 
  The 
  principal 
  broadleaved 
  trees 
  are 
  

   camphor, 
  oak, 
  chestnut, 
  and 
  Ormosia 
  henryi 
  of 
  the 
  pea 
  family. 
  Many 
  

   of 
  the 
  species 
  found 
  here 
  occur 
  also 
  in 
  western 
  China. 
  Although 
  we 
  

   commonly 
  think 
  of 
  the 
  flora 
  of 
  eastern 
  China 
  as 
  distinct 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  

   western 
  China, 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  flora 
  of 
  the 
  intervening 
  area, 
  

   yet 
  on 
  careful 
  comparison 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  much 
  

   alike 
  to 
  be 
  properly 
  considered 
  as 
  distinct. 
  This 
  is 
  good 
  evidence 
  that 
  

   originally 
  the 
  flora 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  region 
  was 
  the 
  same, 
  but 
  that 
  its 
  

   character 
  has 
  been 
  materially 
  altered 
  by 
  man. 
  These 
  forests 
  of 
  south- 
  

   eastern 
  China 
  also 
  have 
  definite 
  southern 
  affinities. 
  In 
  the 
  southern 
  

   part 
  are 
  many 
  species 
  occurring 
  in 
  Kwangtung, 
  Hainan, 
  and 
  even 
  

   Indo-China, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  propor- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  southern 
  species. 
  

  

  These 
  forests 
  are, 
  of 
  course, 
  being 
  extensively 
  exploited, 
  but 
  Dr. 
  

   H. 
  H. 
  Hu, 
  of 
  the 
  Fan 
  Memorial 
  Institute 
  of 
  Biology, 
  who 
  explored 
  the 
  

   region 
  about 
  1925, 
  reports 
  that 
  conditions 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  serious 
  as 
  they 
  

   are 
  usually 
  depicted 
  by 
  western 
  writers 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  many 
  regions 
  

   the 
  forests 
  are 
  properly 
  cared 
  for. 
  With 
  proper 
  governmental 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  others 
  can 
  be 
  restored. 
  

  

  The 
  plants 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  larger 
  part 
  of 
  Yunnan 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  

   middle 
  China 
  vegetation. 
  East 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  mountains 
  of 
  this 
  province 
  

  

  