M 26
Supplement II.
A Botanical Expedition to the North River with additions to the Flora of Kuangtung. By W. J. Tutcher, F. L. S, Superintendent, Botanical and Forestry Department, Hongkong.
With the idea of adding to my knowledge of the flora of the province of Kwangtung I took advantage of four consecutive holidays, April 10th to 13th, 1914, and proceeded to the North River.
It was my original intention to visit the Lofau mountains but on applying to the British Consul at Canton for a passport for this purpose he informed me that it was not advisable to go there at that time owing to the disturbed state of the district, and he further suggested that the country along the railway north of Canton would be preferable.
The Government very kindly allowed me to take a few native collectors and we left Hongkong on the evening of the 9th April and arrived at Canton early next morning. At 8 a.m. on the 10th we left Canton by train and arrived at Yingtak, about 90 miles north of the former city, at 12.30 p.m. the same afternoon.
Soon after leaving Canton numerous ponds planted with Nelumbium speciosum were noticed, whilst others were filled with Sagittaria sagittifolia, both of which are an article of food with the Chinese. On the banks surrounding these ponds trees of the Litchi, (Nephelium Litchi), were growing whilst dotted about on slightly elevated ground were a few big trees of Ficus infectoria.
Further on were paddy (rice) fields, and on the banks of the streams the most noticeable feature was the curious conifer, Glyptostrobus heterophyllus known as the Chinese water pine. The tallest trees were not more than 30 feet high but their buttressed trunks were very pronounced. They were planted close together and were a very striking object in the landscape.
North of Sunkai the wells used for the purpose of irrigating the paddy fields were of great interest. They occur every few hundred yards and the poles, about 10 or 12 feet high, with their levers for raising the buckets of water stand out as the most conspicuous object of this wide expanse of country. I presume that the land is nearly a dead level and that it is only by the use of these wells that the paddy fields can be sufficiently irrigated.
After passing Quantien small granitic hills appear and these are planted with Pine trees (Pinus Massoniana) but, as is usual with these trees grown by Chinese, all the lower branches had been cut off thus giving the trees the appearance of big mops.
M 26
Supplement II.
A Botarical Expedition to the North River with additions to the Flora of Kuangtung. By W. J. Tutcher, F. L. S, Superintendent, Botanical and Forestry Department, Hongkong.
With the idea of adding to my knowledge of the flora of the province of Kwangtung I took advantage of four consecutive holi- days, April 10th to 13th, 1914, and proceeded to the North River.
It was my original intention to visit the Lofau mountains but on applying to the British Consul at Cantou for a passport for this purpose he informed me that it was not advisable to go there at that time owing to the disturbed state of the district, and he further suggested that the country along the railway north of Canton would be preferable.
The Government very kindly allowed me to take a few native collectors and we left Hongkong on the evening of the 9th April and arrived at Canton early next morning. At 8 a.m. on the 10th we left Canton by train and arrived at Yingtak, about 90 miles north of the former city, at 12.30 p.m. the same afternoon.
Soon after leaving Canton numerous ponds planted with Nelumbium speciosum were noticed, whilst others were filled with Sagittariu sagittifolia, both of which are an article of food with the Chinese. On the banks surrounding these ponds trees of the Litchi, (Nephelium Litchi), were growing whilst dotted about on slightly elevated ground were a few big trees of Ficus infectoria.
Further on were paddy (rice) fields, and on the banks of the streams the most noticeable feature was the curious conifer, Glypto- strobus heterophyllus known as the Chinese water pine. The tallest trees were not more than 30 feet high but their buttressed trunks were very pronounced. They were planted close together and were a very striking object in the landscape.
North of Sunkai the wells used for the purpose of irrigating the paddy fields were of great interest. They occur every few hun- dred yards and the poles, about 10 or 12 feet high, with their levers for raising the buckets of water stand out as the most conspicuous object of this wide expanse of country. I presume that the land is nearly a dead level and that it is only by the use of these wells that the paddy fields can be sufficiently irrigated.
After passing Quantien small granitic hills appear and these are planted with Pine trees (Pinus Massoniana) but, as is usual with these trees grown by Chinese, all the lower branches had been cut off thus giving the trees the appearance of big mops.
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