Illustrated Investigation of the Names and Realities of Plants

Page 9

The He Tree

The He Tree original: "何樹" (He shu). This likely refers to species in the Lithocarpus or Castanopsis genus (evergreen oaks), which are common in southern China and used for heavy timber. is found in abundance throughout Jiangxi province. Its wood is suitable for use as pillars and beams in construction. The Supplement to the Materia Medica original: "本草拾遺" (Bencao Shiyi), a Tang Dynasty botanical work by Chen Zangqi. contains an entry for the "Ke Tree" original: "柯樹" (Keshu).; it is possible that they are the same plant.

The Farmer of Yulou The pen name of the author, Wu Qijun (1789–1847), a high-ranking official and botanist. says: The He Tree is a massive timber tree. Its benefits to the people, through its use in constructing palaces and crafting utensils, are truly great. However, various local gazetteers Official records of a specific region's history and geography. refer to it differently—some calling it Ke, some Gou, and others He. In Nancheng, there is even a mountain named after this wood, yet people no longer know what tree it corresponded to in ancient texts.

Is it a misfortune for such a simple, honest wood to remain nameless? Or is it perhaps a great blessing? Because it lacks a famous name, it is overlooked by those seeking timber to harvest. Along the mountain paths, its branches spread out in lush, graceful abundance original: "扶疎" (fushu); a classical term for luxuriant, spreading foliage., providing shade for the road. Consider the pines and firs: they are often taken by the axe before they are even a hand’s span in girth. Is the He Tree's obscurity not its greatest stroke of luck?

In the past, there was a monk surnamed He. When asked about his village, he replied "He," for he was a man of the State of He original: "何國" (Heguo); likely referring to Kushaniyah, one of the "Nine Sogdian States" in Central Asia during the Tang Dynasty.. Could it be then that this "He Tree" is a species from that distant land, planted by the very hand of that monk?