40. From the discovery of this large number of species of plants which had hitherto been regarded as endemic in Hongkong we may suppose that most or all of our very rare plants, even Rhodoleia Championi, exist, probably in abundance, in some places on the adjacent continent.
41. The living plants introduced to cultivation by this expedition contain many things of very much interest which will be valuable acquisitions to gardens. A very fine Cycas, which is probably new, but which cannot be positively ascertained until flowers and fruits can be obtained, is now well established in the Garden, and is an object of at least as much beauty as any of the other fine species in the Cycad collection. Two fine Chiritas are also doing well, one of them bears a beautiful white flower with a yellow throat, and the other a rich dark blue or purple flower. Begonia sikkimensis is remarkable amongst Begonias from its deeply lobed leaves. A very fine conifer-Podocarpus argotæ. nia Hance-with silver white bands on the undersides of the leaves, was also secured at the top of the moun- tains. Two new species of dwarf Ardisias of the A. primulafolia type will also be attractive plants when producing their bright red berries. An ornamental leaved Zingiberaceous (?) plant, very much in appearance like a Maranta will also be a serviceable addition to horticulture. A considerable stock of another plant of the same order as the last and named Phrynium barbatum was obtained. This should be a most useful plant for covering the ground under trees where the shade has become too dense for
grass and many other plants to live. A suitable plant for this purpose has long been a desideratum.
42. A dwarf kind of bamboo is frequent on the mountains from which the natives make excellent brooms, which for many purposes are far superior to the split bamboo brooms universally used in Hongkong. I made arrangements with a priest to deliver a considerable number of plants of this bamboo, besides several of other kinds, in Hongkong during last February, but, I regret to say, the man has not kept his promise, although liberal prices were offered for the plants and his services.
43. Clethra Fabrii, a shrub of great beauty when in flower, is well worth introducing, but no suf- ficiently small plants could be found to carry away, and the season was unfavourable for some cuttings which were tried.
44. A most elegant leaved Pterolobuim bearing large racemes of gorgeous bright yellow flowers was scrambling in the wildest luxuriance over bushes by the walk side. Neither seeds nor young plants of this could be procured, and, like. Clethra Fabri, cuttings would have been of no use.
45. It is to be hoped that an opportunity may be afforded of introducing the above three plants by a journey being made when seeds can be obtained of the two latter at least.
46. There are many useful and interesting plants which I observed on the West River when there in May, 1882, which well deserve a second journey being undertaken so that seeds might be obtained of them at the proper season. Botanical expeditions cannot be rendered complete unless the districts visited can be gone over at least more than once so as to obtain plants in different stages of develop- ment in different seasons.
47. On the higher regions of the mountains a plant of great interest is found. This is a new species of Podophyllum, a plant of the same genus as that from which podophyllin the principle of the celebrated podophyllin pills is obtained. The natives attach great medicinal value to the plant, and probable with more reason than the value which is often ascribed by them to innumerable plants which they so freely use for all manner of complaints. Podophyllum peltatum, the source of Podophyllin, is an American plant, and it appears no species of the genus had been found in Asia until a few years ago Mr. WATTERS, H. M. Consul at Tamsui in Formosa, discovered one which Dr. HANCE named P. pleianthum. The Lo-fau species is the second Asiatic one. Both of them are in cultivation here now, two plants of the latter have just flowered for the first time in our Garden, where they have been growing for about two years. The larger one of the two has leaves two feet in diameter, and it is a striking and ornamental plant.
48. I noticed that nearly every garden contained a few specimens of the Chusan palm, Chamaerops Fortunei which the natives cultivate for the purpose of supplying themselves with fibre, obtained from the sheaths of the leaves, to fabricate water-proof capes.
49. Poulownia imperialis with its very large leaves, was a conspicuous object in one locality, although it did not attain to more than about fifteen feet in height.
50. With the exception of some healthy young plantations of Cunninghamia sinensis, the conifer which supplies China-fir for building purposes, I noticed scarcely any tree-planting operations. This is different to the case in the West River districts where the people devote considerable care to the rearing of Pinus sinensis. The neglect of tree planting in one place, and the fostering of it in the other is probably accounted for by the facilities of getting the wood to market which is afforded by the splendid West River in the latter case, while in the former there is no river nearer than eight or nine miles to the nearest part of the mountains.