REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 179 
concerning them. We, however, procured a few tubers of the 
B. discolor , which we brought home. They are called Haitang by 
the Chinese. 
We met with several very curious Epidendrums (as we thought 
they were) during our stay. One is called Macklan, or, as it may be 
rendered, black lily. This is now the Cimbidium sinense of Lindley. 
The Chinese grow these plants to a very large size by keeping them in 
large pots among the richest mud-like loam : so placed, the stools 
become very large, and produce flower stems of great size and height. 
We saw one magnificent specimen as it was carried along the street to 
the house of a mandarin to whom it was presented, or by whom it was 
purchased. The scape was at least five feet high, with flowers rather 
thinly set from the top nearly to the bottom. Such a specimen, 
diffusing so fine a scent, the nurseryman told me was worth one 
hundred dollars, that is, above tw r enty pounds sterling! and he added 
that such prices were often given for superlatively fine plants even of 
the commoner sorts. The Stunlan, the Epidendrum ensifolium of 
Linnaeus, is very common. Stslan is another beautiful Epidendrum, 
producing a spike of a few but very elegant deep purple flowers. We 
offered five dollars for a small plant, but which sum was refused. The 
Epidendrum which they grow in baskets for sale is called Tulan, and, 
probably, is the Aerides odoratum of Louriera. We found drawings 
of several other orchideous plants, but which, not being in cultivation, 
could not be obtained. 
There are a great many plants belonging to the natural order 
Malvacece in China. The Hibiscus rosa chinensis is everywhere met 
with, but this w r as an old acquaintance, and, therefore, neglected. We 
found, however, the //. ros. chin.fl. plen. alba , called by them Pack- 
fat-song, which we brought home. 
The Moutlee is one of their favourite plants. This is th e Nyctan- 
thus or Jasminum sambac of Linnaeus, of which they have several 
varieties. We purchased one which we were told bore purple flowers, 
but of this we had no subsequent proof. 
A common wild plant called Chou moutlee, that is, the bastard 
moutlee or sambac , from the similarity of scent, is the Clerodendron 
fragrans of Ventenat. This we procured at Macoa, and brought 
home. 
Two herbaceous plants which we purchased for Kaempferias, called 
Luckstham, were brought home, and, after flowering in England, 
had several names, as Niobe, Hemerocallis, &c., but are now the 
Funkia subcordata et ovata of Sprengell: they are both hardy. The 
latter flowers freely, the former less frequently. Our spring is perhaps 
