During my fourth time on Emei Shan (will it be my last?), I saw it for the first time. There are several reasons but most obvious is that we arose on our first morning in Emei Village to crystalline blue skies. With a direct hit of sun, there it appeared at last: the enormous golden Buddha on the summit far, far above.
Next up was one of the purposes I had been assigned to on this trip to China: to assimilate in my mind’s eye the essence of plant compositions on this very mountain. The opulently rich flora of this awkwardly shaped peak will be showcased in one of five bio-geographical recreations, known collectively as Pacific Connections, at the University of Washington Botanical Gardens, Washington Park Arboretum.
And thirdly, in the eight years since my last visit, I have seasoned as an observer. I am no longer dazzled by the obvious – a succulent orange-red head of Arisaema consanguineum or the firey autumn tones of Acer davidii – but, instead, I am attempting to decipher the more subtle differences of green upon green.
Ten years ago, several cohorts and I hiked the Pilgrim’s Path; from the summit to the first intersection with a road, we traveled some 18 km by descending a very steep stone staircase (some knees were never the same). It is precisely this same trail that Ozzie, Scott and I walked up. In the hours that unfolded, I realized precisely how much of this mountain’s inventory, and its essence, had been lost on my youth.
During this trip, I was struck again and again by the richness of the Laurel Family and with one species of Lindera in particular appearing a cross between Cinnamomum and Hamamelis mollis, with plump, rufous-colored buds and broad, parallel-veined leaves of matte green, undersurfaced with brilliant white. Present here were two evergreen Stachyurus in large quantity (obviously, someone had, ahem, planted there here since my last visit). Stachyurus salicifolius is a favorite, with linear bamboo-like leaves to 7″ while the ovate-foliaged Stachyurus yuananensis took on a pleasing platinum-like sheen to its leaves.
Though I was smitten by seeing a few specimens of Hepatica yamatutai in 1998, I was not at all prepared to see the sheer quantity of them now, brandishing sensationally variegated leaves in tones of silvers and purples. It is a lovely, early-blossoming species with charming white flowers emerging as early as January in the Pacific Northwest. Ditto with Epimedium acumintum, whose populations had assuredly exploded during the past ten years; some specimens reached 2.5′ in foliage with spent panicles of seed rising further above.
At our end point at 7,300′, when fading light called for a hurried retracing on slippery steps, we marveled at specimens of a climbing Hydrangea relative known as Schizophagma megalocarpum. Each tear-shaped, papery-bract surrounding the flower heads (themselves to 15″ across) was up to 4.5″ in length.
Emei Shan will remain at the top of my list as a hallmark of a rich flora, as well as where I have been in my pursuit of good plants and where I might go.
-Dan Hinkley, Tao Yuan, Northeast Sichuan Province
Like meeting an old friend, I came upon the very same specimen of Clematis repens from which I collected fruit in 1996; it is well and still productive. This is a rare species of Clematis that was lost to cultivation for several decades. A clone of my origianl collection, known as ‘Bells of Emei Shan’ is now available in the trade, primarily in Europe. Notice the very long flowering stems, to 7 inches in length.
The Macaque of Emei Shan are indigenous but decidedly adapted to human presence; they are the dominate primate on this mountain and warnings to not hike alone are well heeded.
The Elephant Wading Pool temple on the upper reaches of Emei is, from a distance, elegant and well proprotioned. Centureis old, iti s undergoing extensive reparis due to the recent eqrthquake.
Schefflera delavayi makes a splendid evergreen tree or large shrub in cultivation in the Pacific Northwest, tolerating temperatures as low as 15 degrees farenheit. As it is an autumn blossoming species, seed was not present during our time spent in Sichuan.
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on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 10:36 am and is filed under The Plant Explorer.
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