176 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



21667 to 21683— Continued. 



21681. CODONOPSIS TANGSHKN. 



"(No. 269, Oct. 31, 1907.) Tang shen, bastard ginseng. A climbing 

 herb, 3 to 6 feet, with bluish purple flowers, greenish without; very 

 abundant in the margins of thickets (sometimes cultivated also), 4,000 

 to 7,000 feet. Roots supposed to possess valuable tonic properties. Also 

 considered a mild aphrodisiac. For full details see Kew Bulletin No. 1, 

 1907. 



" Vast quantities are exported from Ichang in three grades, valued, 

 respectively, by the Imperial maritime customs at 20, 15, and 10 haikwan 

 taels." (Wilson.) 



21682. Rhus vebnicifera. Lacquer tree. 



"(No. 123, Sept. 4. l'.ioT. > A tree 25 to 40 feet high, cultivated around 

 the margins of fields between 3.000 and 7,500 feet and in wild woods 

 above 4,000 feet. Branches more or less whorled, ascending at an angle 

 of about 45°. Leaves unparipinnate, five to many foliate, 1 foot to 2j$ 

 feet long, clustered at the ends of the branches. Flowers small, greenish 

 white, borne in large, axillary panicles. Fruit small, flattened, straw 

 colored. 



■■Hints vernicifera, the Che shu of the Chinese, is the source of the 

 well-known ' Ningpo' varnish, at least that of central and western (China. 

 What the • Ningpo' plant may be is a matter of doubt, since no specimens 

 have ever been collected there. It is, however, more than likely that 

 'Ningpo' is merely a trade name adopted by fruit growers in China to 

 signify this particular varnish. Throughout the mountains south of 

 Ilupeh the trees are in u 1 1 it udinous. and enormous quantities of varnish 

 are obtained and exported to all parts of China. 



"The trees .-ire liisi cul when about <"> inches in diameter; if too young 

 the cutting kills. The average age of the trees is said to be above 60 



years. The wood is useless save for fuel. In the woods the trees natur- 

 ally grow taller than in the open. The tree is the property of the owner 

 of the land, not of the tenant, and the varnish belongs to the former. 



"Cutting the trees commences at the lower altitudes about the 20th of 



the fifth i n. but is general during the sixth moon. This is the time 



when the flowers are just opening. Oblique incisions 4 to 12 inches long 

 and one-half inch to 1 inch wide are made in the trunk and main branches 

 in the early morning and the varnish collected in bamboo tubs, shells, 

 broken basins, etc.. in the evening. These incisions are more or less 

 spirally arranged along the steins. The varnish exudes for 7 days and 

 then a thin slice of bark is cut away from the edge of the original inci- 

 sion. This is repeated seven times, the whole operation of collecting the 

 varnish lasting about 50 days. The varnish when it first exudes is whit- 

 ish, but quickly becomes dark almond on exposure to the air. A large 

 tree yields 5 to 7 catties (6f to 9A pounds). This varnish is fit for use 

 as soon as it is gathered, but there are several grades on the market, and 

 it is probable that it subsequently undergoes some kind of preparation. 



"The fruits when ground up, steamed, and submitted to pressure yield 

 an oil used for culinary purposes, but more so for candle making. This 

 oil is more abundant in the pericarp than in the seed." (Wilson.) 



21683. Angelica sp. ( ?) 



"(No. 201, Oct. 9, 1907.) Tang kuei. An umbelliferous herb 2 to 3 feet 

 high, with fine dissected decompound leaves, white flowers, and some 

 short, thickened roots. This medicine is plentifully cultivated in the 

 mountains of western Szechuan above 5,000 feet and more sparingly in 

 the mountains of Hupeh around 6,500 feet. It requires deep rich loam 

 and a good supply of manure — pig dung by preference. So far wild speci- 

 mens are unknown. 



" This medicine is in great request among the Chinese, especially in the 

 more southern parts of the Empire. It is said to possess valuable but 

 mild tonic properties.. 



"At Ichang the customs' valuation is 15 haikwan taels per picul, first 

 class ; 9 haikwan taels, second class. Large quantities are exported from 

 here. I am not at all sure of the generic name, and it may be a Ligus- 

 ticum." (Wilson.) 

 132 



