72 
only and die. Two species of reed are common. Jschemum angus- 
tifolium occurs on the sea face of Apes Hill, and is a grass peculiar inr 
the fluffy nature of the base, out of Aio the parte spring. It is the 
* Bhabur grass" of India, where it is used as a good material for 
aa, paper. 
The sugar-cane, Saccharum Officinarum, is S cultivated, and at 
least three varieties occur, only one of which I have been able to obtain 
in flower. The cereals include rice, of which five varieties of the 
common kind are noticed in the Paris Exhibition catalogue. In 
addition, glutinous rice occurs, and two peculiar kinds, red rice and 
lack rice, which I have not been es to investigate. The black rice 
is very dear , being used as a medicine, made into an infusion like tea. 
Wheat is cultivated as far ces as the South Cape. Barley occurs in 
te centre of the island. , common sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), 
some kinds of millet ( Setaria) are met with, but to no great extent. 
Job's tears (Coix Lacryma-Jobi), re is always erroneously styled 
“pearl barley " by Europeans in China, also It may be noted 
that — saccharatum, which is list vated: in qu Yangtzu Valley, 
is not used by the Chinese for making sugar. is piant is now 
s coim largely for that purpose in the United States, where it is 
sómetimes known as the “ Chinese sugar-cane,” a pairs term. 
Cyperacee are numerous in species. ‘ Kiam ts‘ao,” i.e., salt grass, 
oceurs in brackish water, iind. the ves are much used for tying parcels 
. and for making coarse mats. Iti a species of Cyperus, but it is not 
made. The la 
the governor or the palace, may take three years in making. The 
plant is reported to occur only in cultivation, and to be confined to the 
neighbourhood of 'Taika, on the north-west coast. I have been informed 
at it is sown from seed, and lasts for several ye ng cut do 
thrice a year. The fields are seid t ept irrigated with fresh 
water like rice fields. Iam unaware that any forei 
the mode of cultivation of the plant or the manufacture of the mats ; 
the plant is unknown. ‘There is here room for an nee investi- 
gation, and I s py ch that specimens of the plant in flower, seed 
or sowing and details of cultivation and manufacture, be mens to Kew 
e first traveller in the locality. The naming of Cj yperacee, to 
Shok order the plant probably vee is difficult, and can only 
done satisfactorily at some such e tablishment as Kew, where there are 
copious specimens to compare ré With. I may here mention that the 
naming of a new plant orthe selection out of two or more names of 
the correct one in the case of a known plant is subject to definite rules, 
the chief of which i is, that a name to be vali MUR must ha ave been accom- 
chinensis to sinensis, or vice wake and we cannot chan ange “hpo ^ 
even if, as is the case with some plants so called, the plant is nct really 
a native of J 
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