II PEEf ACE 



adopted by botanists at the Vienna Congress. In ordinary botanical 

 nomenclature, tlie specific name when derived from a person must be 

 capitalized as a special mask of honor to the person whose name the 

 plant bears. The introduction of this extraneous element into the name 

 of a plant serves no legitimate purpose, but rather adds confusion and 

 complexity. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, it seems best to 

 disregard a useless rule. It is hoped that the younger botanists in China, 

 collectively, will iiave sufficient independence to introduce the change 

 which is manifestly advantageous, and which will, undoubtedly, become 

 the universal practice qf the future. 



The author has taken considerable pains to eliminate inaccuracies as 

 far as possible, but no doubt, many defects and errors have been over- 

 looked, and any one who points them out or who is willing to communi- 

 cate additional notes and information on the range, habits, and uses of 

 any of the trees will not only earn the gratitude of the author but at the 

 same time advance the status of Chinese dendrology. 



The material for this book was compiled at the Arnold Arboretum 

 of Harvard University in the United States of America. To the Director 

 of the Arnold Arboretum, Professor C. S. Sargent, the author offers his 

 sincere thanks for placing the splendid facilities of that institution at his 

 disposal. The Arboretum contains a remarkable collection of the hardy 

 Chinese trees and shrubs adapted to a northern climate, as well as an 

 herbarium of Chinese woody plants which is, perhaps, unsurpassed by 

 that of any other institution in the world. The descriptions of the trees 

 in this work are based, in nearly every case, on the original Latin or 

 other description, supplemented by notes by various authors (particularly 

 those of Mr. E. H. Wilson), and by comparison with herbarium 

 material and studies of living trees. The drawings were made from 

 herbarium specimens and from living plants when obtainable, except a 

 few that were redrawn from published works, in which case, the source is 

 indicated on the plates. 



The author is greatly indebted to Miss Mary, I. Bash, formerly pf 

 Seattle, Washington, and to Mr. Goey Park Jung, Professor of Entomology 

 of the Government Southeastern University at Nanking, for help with the 

 inking of some of the drawings. Finally the author must acknowledge a 

 great debt of gratitude to his former teacher, Professor J. G. Jack of 

 Harvard University. Without his suggestions this book, crude as it is, 

 would not have been written. It must be understood, the author is alone 

 responsible for the views therein expressed. 



■ Shanghai, August 22nd, 1921. 



