Hi Charles,
Guess the boys must have become bored of flogging flowers and went for a walkabout instead!
There is a bit of an entry on the taxonomy in New Trees. Fascinating plant and quite widespread, I have seen it in Arunachal Pradesh through Western China into Nth Vietnam. The best autumn colour form seems to be on Leigong shan in Guizhou, outstanding there but less impressive in our maritime Cornish climate. The Vietnamese origin bone hardy here, the western extension in Arunachal decidedly tender.
Attached an image from a book of Forrests collection numbers that your father gave me. Forrest must have seen it often and introduced it on many occasions as it is quite widespread in the west of Yunnan. It is slightly tender when young so maybe raised by JC but never established. Didnt appear in 1st edition of Bean.
the main trouble with collecting the seed is that the fruit is a spring rather like Himalayan balsam and the seed flies out when mature. The plant in the garden does have seedlings under it, quite often a distance
away after being sprung.
I will see if I can find one for when you come over on the 28th.
Glad that you enjoyed the fair.
I’m enjoying this rain just as much.
Soon
Tom
