32 BOTANY. [Cuapr. II. 
Chinese. It flowers in February and March, about 
the time of their new year, and they then bring 
the branches down from the hills in great quantities 
for the decoration of their houses. The flowers are 
unexpanded when they are gathered, but by being 
placed in water, they very soon bloom in the houses, 
and remain for more than a fortnight as fresh and 
beautiful as if they had been taken up with their 
roots in the most careful manner. Even the more 
beautiful amongst the native Orchids are only found 
at a considerable elevation. The tops of the highest 
hills are covered in the summer and autumn months 
with the purple Arundina sinensis, and the yellow 
Spathoglottis Fortunt. 
The trees on the island are few, and generally in 
astunted condition. The fir (Pinus sinensis) is eom- 
mon here as it is all along the coast of China ; Cun- 
ninghamia sinensis is rare on Hong-kong, although 
frequently met with on the main land; the tallow- 
_ tree is also indigenous, but no use is made of its 
fruit. Many kinds of the fig tribe are common, 
and one, the /icus nitida, a kind of banyan, some- 
times forms a very ornamental tree. Several species 
of bamboo seem to grow very well, and in the 
situations where they are found are strikingly 
ornamental. 
The only trees to the cultivation of which the 
Chinese pay any attention, are the fruit bearing 
kinds; and in some places there are very fair 
orchards containing the Mango, Leechee, Longan, 
Wangpee, Orange, Citrons, and Pumelows. 
