1821 
alpine meadows, often at 13,000 feet in fir forests, and at times de- 
velops into a small tree. The berries are palatable but nothing to 
brag about. It may be a good stock plant or an ornamental. There is 
also a wild plum from the limestone range opposite the snow range on 
the other side of the Likiang Valley; it grows at an altitude of 11,000 
to 12,000 feet. This limestone range is exceedingly dry and hot from 
April to July, then the rains commence but the water is absorbed as if 
the ground were a sponge. Then later come ice, frost, and snow, with 
a dry cold wind. This plum is a handsome little tree, 20 feet in height, 
with yellow (orange-yellow) globose plums about an inch in diameter; 
the flesh is very firm, acid to somewhat sweet when fully ripe. It 
will be good as a stock plant in semiarid alkaline regions. I found 
only two trees, but animals had already devoured much of the fruit, and 
I collected all that were left. 
I am sending Helwingia ruseiflora merely because it is one of the most 
curious plants I ever saw. It is a shrub 15 feet in height (I have 
not seen it in flower) and has ovate elliptical leaves, glossy with 
prominent midribs, and bears its fruits on the upper surface in the 
very center of the leaf on a pedicel about 2 mm. long. The fruits are 
purple and contrast well against the bright-green foliage. 
I am also sending seeds of two Primulas. One is exceedingly hand- 
some (P. vineiflora), with flowers of a deep indigo-blue, l£ inches wide. 
The other is P. sino-purpurea, with large umbels of purple flowers. It is 
a very robust plant often 3 feet high, With golden tomentum on the 
under surface of the leaves. I photographed it when in flower. These 
primulas like peaty, boggy meadows, at an altitude of 14,000 feet, with 
plenty of tannic acid in the soil water. In fact, the seeds do not 
readily germinate; they are covered with a film which is dissolved 
either by hot water or tannic acid. Only when so treated will the per- 
centage of germination be good. Next several varieties of a rose (Rota 
sp.). There are here at least 30 varieties of this rose. They are 
all exceedingly handsome, some white, others cream colored, pink mauve 
to purplish, and all of course single. They are all shrubs. Some 
varieties are found as high as 15,000 to 15,500 feet and as low as 
10,000 feet. The seeds I am sending came from an altitude of 12,000 
feet. There are many other roses here, and I shall send you a little 
later seeds of all of them, if possible. Day before yesterday I crossed 
a limestone range 12,000 feet in height and descended into a lovely 
meadow about 2 miles long by half a mile broad, surrounded by mountains. 
In the meadow are many sink holes filled with water; hence the name 
"Chin hai tze," or "nine seas." There I discovered a wild pear, at 
11,000 feet altitude growing up to its branches in water; perfectly 
healthy, spineless, and loaded with small pealike fruits (all seed). 
Unfortunately the fruits were not ripe, but I am going to get them 
later. Another species of wild pear I found on the Lashipa plain, 
