A New Mai us of Formosa. 



by 

 Takiya Kawakaiiii. 



(With Plate IV.) 



In November, 1905, on my exploring trip to Mt. Niitaka, I 

 chanced to discover the fruit of a very rare plant belonging to 

 Potnacese at Mt. Suizan, 7000 feet high, in the southern part of 

 the Arisan range. As it resembled an apple in appearance I 

 tasted it and found it somewhat like an apple but rather as- 

 tringent with a fine odour. Afterward I was told that the 

 aboriginies usually eat them cooked. 



As the tree was 5 to 4 feet in circumference and 40 to 50 

 feet high, I was not able to pluck either the boughs or the 

 leaves, and had to content myself with the picking up of the leaves 

 and fruit lying about on the ground. In October of the falling 

 year, I collected some of the same fruit again at Mt. Arisan. 

 At this time I found that the tree belonged to the genus of 

 apple-trees, but being unable to obtain the flower, I could not 

 properly specify it. In March of this year, however, Mr. Mori 

 of the Botanical Laboratory, succeeded in collecting the flower 

 of this tree at a place 7000 feet high in Mt. Gokwan in the 

 aboriginal district of Nanto. Some time afterward Mr. Sasaki 

 my assistant found the flower of the same tree in its latter stage 

 of bloom at Mt. Bui in the district of Ako. After having ga- 

 thered all these facts together, I was at last enabled to solve 

 this difficult problem which had been taking my attention for 

 year. The plant in question is a species of wild apple tree and 

 is called Sashibe or Sado by the aboriginies. According to Mr. 

 Mori, '' Sashibe " is the name given by the Bunun tribe, and 

 **Sado'^ is the one used by the Atayal tribe living near Horisha. 



