74 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



Machilus microcarpa Hemsley in Jour. Linn. Soc. XXVI. 376 (1891). 

 Western Hupeh: without locality, July and October 1901 (Veitch Exped. 

 Nos. 1826, 2783). 



SASSAFRAS L. 



Sassafras tzumu Hemsley in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform. 1907, 55; 



in Hooker's Icon. XXIX. t. 2833 (1907). 



Lindera Tzumu Hemsley in Jour. Linn. Soc. XXVI. 392 (1891). 

 Litsea laxiflora Hemsley, 1. c. 383, t. 8 (1891). 



Kiangsi: Ruling, thickets, alt. 1300 m., not common, July 30, 

 1907 (No. 1714; small tree 5-8 m. tall). Western Hupeh : north 

 and south of Ichang, woods, alt. 1000-1850 m., abundant. May, June 

 1907 (No. 710, in part; tree 6-26 m. tall, girth 0.3-3 m.); Changyang 

 Hsien, woods, alt. 1000-1800 m., common, April, May, September 

 1907 (No. 710, in part; tree 15-25 m. tall, girth 1-3 m., flowers yellow, 

 fruit blue-black, cupule orange-red); Hsing-shan Hsien, woods, alt. 

 1000-1600 m., common, September 1907 (No. 710, in part; tree 15- 

 30 m. tall, girth 1-4 m.); Kui Chou, July 1901 (Veitch Exped. No. 64, 

 in part); without locality, April 1901 (Veitch Exped. No. 64, in part). 

 Chekiang: vicinity of Ningpo, 1908, D. Macgregor. 



The Chinese Sassafras is abundant in moist, rich woods on the mountains of 

 western Hupeh, but it has not yet been reported from western Szech'uan. It is a 

 handsome tree occasionally 35 metres tall, with a straight trunk 5 metres or more 

 in girth near the base; the branches are horizontally spreading and give a char- 

 acteristic appearance to the tree. On young trees the bark is smooth and yellow- 

 green; on old trees it is dark gray, longitudinally fissured and rugged. The yellow 

 flowers are produced in great quantity in early April before the leaves unfold and 

 when in flower the trees are very conspicuous. The flowers though apparently 

 hermaphrodite are functionally unisexual and my observations lead me to believe 

 that they are polygamo-dioecious. The fruit is black with a glaucous bloom and 

 the cupule is orange-red. In the late autumn the leaves assume beautiful tints 

 of orange and red. The wood is not valued, and its chief use is for fuel though it 

 is also employed for making packing cases. Pictures of this tree will be found 

 under Nos. 559, 681, 706, 066 of the collection of my photographs and also in my 

 Vegetation of Western China, Nos. 470, 471, 472. In Hupeh this tree is collo- 

 quially known as the " Tzumu shu." E. H. W. 



ACTINODAPHNE Nees. 

 Actinodaphne confertifolia Gamble, n. comb. 



Litsea confertifolia Hemsley in Jour. Linn. Soc. XXVI. 379, t. 7 (1891). 



Western Hupeh: Hsing-shan Hsien, thickets, alt. 1000 m., 

 September 1907 (No. 358, bush 2 m., fruit black); without locality, 



