ENG-1954 — Page 310

THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

known to exist on one shoulder of Victoria Peak, Hong Kong. The Heather family is represented by a very lovely Enkianthus which is common on the hillsides and bears beautiful pink bells in early spring at the time of the Chinese New Year. Flowering at the same time is a Litsea with small creamy white and exceedingly fragrant flowers.

Hong Kong possesses its own Bauhinia which is probably the most beautiful tree of this genus in the world. The tree, Bauhinia Blakeana named after a former Governor, Sir Henry Blake, was discovered by the fathers of the Missions Estrangeres at Pokfulam. Its origin is unknown, and, as it never produces seed, it is possibly a sterile hybrid.

Many local shrubs and a few herbs have very beautiful and striking fruits, almost all the colours of the rainbow being represented. Red is the colour of the berries of many of the wild hollies-none of which have prickles among them Ardisia which is very abundant and Chloranthus which is the most holly- like of the berried plants. Orange is a common colour of fruits including the large orange-like fruits of Melodinus, the smaller fruits of Strychnos, enclosing strychnine-bearing seeds, and the berries of the wild Kamquat. The winged fruits of Gardenia, with per- sistent sepals projecting like feathers from a shuttle- cock, change to orange and red when ripe, and yield a yellow dye. Yellow is the colour of numerous fruits mostly with long and elusive names; one of which is Maesa which abounds on shady hillsides. Green is characteristic of many fruits and berries which are mostly inconspicuous in consequence; among them are those of Mussaenda, the Buddha's lamp. Blue is not

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