NYSSACEAE. — DAVIDIA 257 



girth 1.5 m.); same locality, alt. 1600-2300 m., June 1907 (No. 2919; 

 tree 10-16 m. tall, girth 1-1.5 m.); Patung Hsien, woods, alt. 1600- 

 2000 m., June 1907 (No. 2920, in part; tree 10-16 m. tall, girth 1-2 

 m.); Fang Hsien, woods, alt. 1600-2300 m., common, July and Sep- 

 tember 1907 (No. 2920, in part); south of Ichang, woods, alt. 1500- 

 2000 m., May and November 1900 (Veitch Exped. No. 642). 

 Eastern Szech'uan: Wushan Hsien, base of cliff, alt. 1950 m., one 

 tree only. May 17, 1888, A. Henry (Nos. 5577, 5577''); "District de 

 Tchen-keou-Tin" (Chengkou Ting), P. Farges. 



This tree is common in moist woods through north-western Hupeh between 

 altitudes of 1600 and 2300 m. It is less common in the south-west of this province 

 and in eastern Szech'uan. In western Szech'uan it occurs sparingly on Mt. Omei 

 and in the wild region to the south-southwest of this mountain and elsewhere, 

 but is everywhere rare. Formerly I was inclined to believe that this tree might rep- 

 resent a second species but subsequent observation has convinced me that it is 

 nothing more than a glabrous leaved variety of the type. In the adult trees there 

 is no other difference between the type and the variety; in the juvenile stage even 

 this disappears and the only distinguishing character is the color of the young 

 shoots which is dull gray or slightly purplish in the variety and dark red in the 

 type. Specimens agreeing in every detail with D. laeta Dode may be obtained 

 from the branches growing in dense shade on any tree of the var. Vilmoriniana. 

 On the juvenile plants, more especially if they grow closely together or in dense 

 shade, the leaves are thin in texture and pale green below. Leaves having teeth 

 with both long and short setae may be found on any one branch and commonly 

 this difference may be detected on the same leaf. 



D. involucrata, var. Vilmoriniana Hemsley was first discovered in Wushan Hsien, 

 eastern Szech'uan, by A. Henry in 1888, one tree only being met with during a 

 journey of six months' duration. It was subsequently discovered in northeastern 

 Szech'uan by Pcre Farges who sent seeds to Monsieur Maurice de Vilmorin who 

 received them in 1897. From these seeds one plant was raised (Andr6 in Rev. 

 Hort. 1902, 378). From this plant cuttings have been raised and one of them 

 is now growing at the Arnold Arboretum. To secure this Davidia was the prin- 

 cipal object of my first expedition to China for Messrs. Veitch (1899-1901). 



I succeeded in introducing a quantity of fruit which produced some thirteen 

 thousand plants. All the seedling Davidia trees of the variety Vilmoriniana in 

 cultivation except the solitary example raised by M. Maurice L. de Vilmorin, 

 resulted from this expedition. 



The Davidia has several colloquial names, each very local in application. In 

 north-western Hupeh it is known as the " Shan-peh-k'o " tree, in south-eastern 

 Szech'uan it is the " Kung-t'ung " tree. 



Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 557 and 687 of the collection of 

 my photographs and also in my Vegetation of Western China, No. 201, 202. 



