Chap. XII. FLORA OF THE MOUNTAINS. 



213 



The indigenous plants of these mountains are of 

 great interest. The ravines were rich in bamboos, 

 many of which were of great beauty. The Chinese 

 pine (Pinus .sinensis) was abundant everywhere, but 

 did not attain a large size. Higher up various spe- 

 cies of oak were met with, and a thistle, not unlike 

 the common English thistle, was abundant. Very 

 few trees were to be seen near the top of the highest 

 mountains, which were covered with low-growing 

 shrubs, grasses, and other herbaceous plants. 



I met with one or two new plants, which deserve 

 particular notice. One of them was a very beautiful 

 species of Hydrangea ; another was a species of 

 Spirwa, with red flowers, not unlike the S. bella in 

 colour, but having a different habit. A fine species 

 of Abelia was also met with on the Fokien side of the 

 mountains, which will probably be a favourite in 

 English gardens. Its flowers are as large as those of 

 the Weigela rosea, of a blueish tinge, and bloom in 

 great profusion for a long time. When I first saw 

 this plant I took it to be the Abelia chinensis of 

 Brown, but I observe that Dr. Lindley, to whom the 

 plant was sent for examination, calls it A. uniflora. 

 It is a curious circumstance that Dr. Abel, after 

 whom the genus was named, discovered his plant on 

 the same mountains, about a hundred miles to the 

 north-west of the spot where the Abelia uniflora was 

 found. He was then on his way with the embassy 

 from Peking to Canton. 



I dug up, from time to time, living plants of all 

 these species, and took them on with me. Many a 



