61 
HYDRANGEA japonica. 
Japan Hydrangea. 
DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. SAXIFRAGACEA—HYDRANGEA, DC. 
HYDRANGEA, Linn. Flores omnes, fertiles, v. marginales steriles. 
Floribus sterilibus : Calyx membranaceus, venosus, explanatus, quadri-quin- 
quepartitus. Corolle et genitalium rudimenta. Floribus fertilibus : Calyx 
tubo cum ovario connato, costato, limbo supero, quadri-quinquedentato. 
Corolle petala 4-5, annuli epigyni margini inserta, sessilia, ovata, sestivatione 
valvata. Stamina 8-10, cum petalis inserta; filamenta filiformia ; anthere 
biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium inferum, biloculare, pla- 
centis dissepimenti superne interrupti marginibus adnatis, multiovulatis. 
Styli 2, distincti; stigmata subterminalia, introrsum lateralia. Capsula ca- 
lycis limbo stylisque coronata, basi bi-superne subunilocularis, vertice depla- 
nato inter stylos foramine aperta, semiseptis margine placentiferis. Semina 
plurima, adscendentia, testa membranacea, adnata, reticulata. Embryo in 
axi albuminis dense carnosi orthotropus; cotyledonibus brevissimis, obtusis, 
radicula cylindrica, infera. Frutices, in America boreali, Nepalia et Ja- 
ponia indigeni; foliis oppositis, petiolatis, ovatis v. oblongis, integerrimis v. 
sepius dentatis aut serratis, floribus corymbosis, albis v. roseis, marginalibus 
plerumque sterilibus, radiantibus, coloratis.—Endl. gen. 4668. 
H. japonica ; foliis oppositis breviter petiolatis e basi rotundata v. laté cuneatä 
ovato-oblongis acuminatis arguté serrulatis glabris, cyme planc densse 
ramis pubescentibus, florum radiantium 4-6 pedunculis horizontaliter 
patentibus, sepalis plerumque 4 oboyato-rhombeis acuminatis serratis.— 
Siebold fl. japon. 1. 106. t. 53. 
Japan seems to abound with Hydrangeas, Siebold having 
described as many as fourteen from that country. In this 
respect, as in many others, we have the indication of a near 
relation between the flowers of Japan and North America. 
It does not, however, appear that they are very hand- 
some, and in this respect too they agree with the American 
species, with the exception of H. Otaksa, which seems to be 
hardly different from H. hortensis. The greater part of them 
are like this, and some are not so pretty. The most interest- 
ing among them are H. Belzonü, a plant with the habit of 
2 B 
