ENG-1949 — Page 183

is that of Dichroa a close relative of Hydrangea. Purple, violet and mauve are characteristic of the fruits of the different species of Callicarpa which are better known in gardens in England than in their native land. The fruits of Dianella, in the lily family, are a deep and glorious purple. Many berries are black, a common example being those of Raphiolepis the so-called Hong Kong hawthorn. The only wild Jasmine has glossy black fruits as has also the commonest of the wild Persimmons.

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Numerous plants have fruits either poisonous, or edible, or useful for medicine. Strophanthus and Strychnos are both common here; Gelsemium, a source of the alkaloid gelsemidine is less so; Cerbera is abundant near the sea. Edible fruits include those of a wild Jack Fruit, Artocarpus, which when ripe resemble misshapen apricots, and delicious. The fruits of the Rose-myrtle contain raspberry coloured flesh in which are enclosed numerous seeds; they can be made into

into excellent jelly. Several species of Persimmon are wild but their fruits are too astringent to be eaten. A wild banana bears fruits filled with very hard black seeds surrounded by a little sweet pulp. Several species of bramble are abundant, one of which has bright red black-berries which though palatable are hard to collect as the vines are very prickly.

There are numerous plants which closely resemble their European relatives. Old Man's Beard, the common clematis of the English hedgerow, has five close relatives here. Four wild violets also occur here; like the English dog violet they are scentless, but they are attractive and easily recognized. The one English honeysuckle has five relatives here, with white or yellow

or yellow flowers; most have flowers larger than the wild woodbine. They are fragrant and have the attractive Chinese name of "kam ngan fa", gold and silver flower, given because of their change in colour with age from white to yellow.

One very beautiful Iris grows wild in many parts of the Colony, probably further south than any other true iris. The flowers are nearly three inches across, pale violet-mauve with deep violet, orange and yellow markings.

A very lovely Lily grows wild on the hillsides, with individual flowers as much as seven inches long; the white segments may have a purple stripe on the inner surface, and the anthers when split disclose bright orange pollen. By the sea grow a wild Crinum with white fragrant flowers and Bellamcanda in the Iris family with orange flowers spotted with red.

In damp ravines there is found a Didymocarpus with lilac flowers, related to the greenhouse Gloxinia; and several Begonias, as well as a fragrant leaved rush, Stag's

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