NYSSACEAE. — D AVIDIA 255 



This 13 a handsome quick growing tree widely distributed through the warmer 

 parts of central, western and southwestern China and particularly abundant by 

 the streams in the northern parts of the Chengtu Plain, where it ascends to an 

 altitude of 750 metres. It is also common round the base of Mt. Omei but is rare 

 in Hupeh and Kiangsi. It grows from 20 to 25 m. tall, with a girth of 2 m. and 

 the trunk is usually without branches for 10 m. above the ground, the bark is 

 smooth and pale gray; the branches are only moderately thick and spreading. The 

 wood is white, soft and of little value except as fuel. The capitate heads of flowers, 

 with long exserted white stamens, are freely produced in July and early August 

 and may be terminal or axillary, solitary or in racemes of from 3 to 6 or more. 

 The ripe samaras are shining brown, from 2 to 3 cm. long. 



The characters on which C. yunnanensis Dode is founded are too slight to be 

 of even varietal value and were probably taken from immature fruiting material. 

 Our No. 1681 from Hupeh, has fruit exactly the size (1.5 cm.) of that of Dode's 

 species, but it is not fully grown. 



Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 66, 0245, 0252 in the collection of 

 my photographs and in my Vegetation of Western China, No. 143. 



DAVIDIA Baill. 



Davidia involucrata Baillon in Adansonia, X. 115 (1871). — Fran- 

 chet in Nouv. Arch. Mus. Paris, ser. 2, VIII. 242, t. 10 (PI. David. II. 

 60) (1886). — Diels in Bot. Jahrb. XXIX. 505 (pro parte) (1900). — 

 Wangerin in Bot. Jahrb. XXXVIII. Beibl. LXXXVI. 75 (1906). — 

 Dode in Rev. Hort. 1908, 405. — Hemsley in Gard. Chron. ser. 

 3, XLV. 321 (1909). — Home in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, VII. 303, 

 t. 31, 32, 33 (1909). 



Davidia tibetana David in Nouv. Arch. Mus. Paris, sir. 2, XV. 161 (nomen 

 nudum) (1882). 



Western Szech'uan: Mupin, woods, alt. 1600-2500 ra., June 

 and October (No. 510, in part; tree 8-20 m. tall, girth 0.6-1.5 m., 

 bracts pure white, fruit russet-brown); same locality, October 1910 

 (No. 4393; tree 10-16 m. tall, girth 1-2 m.); Wa-shan, woodlands, alt. 

 1800-2300 m., Sept. 1908 (No. 510, in part); Tu-ti-hang mountains, 

 Lungan Fu, woodlands, alt. 2300-2600 m., common, August 1910 

 (No. 4393^); west of Tien-ch'uan chou, woods, alt. 2000 m., July and 

 October 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3702). Hupeh: Changyang 

 Hsien, woods, alt. 1300-2000 m., rare, June and October 1907 (No. 

 510, in part; tree 10-15 m. tall). 



This remarkable tree is fairly common in moist woods throughout western 

 Szech'uan between altitudes of IGOO and 2500 m. In western Hupeh it occurs in 

 the districts of Changyang and Patung but is very rare. The tree grows to the 

 height of 20 m. with a girth of trunk of 2 m.; the branches are ascending-si)read- 

 ing and the tree is of a loose pyramidal habit similar to that of the common 

 wild Pear. On old trees the lower branches are wide-spreading. The bark is 



