. 
Tas. 4253. 
HYDRANGEA Japonica ; var. cerulea. 
Japan Hydrangea ; blue-flowered var. 
Nat. Ord. Sax1rFRAGACE®.—Trib. HyDRANGEEZ.—DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Flores sepe difformes: alii fertiles hermaphroditi. Calycis tubus 
hemisphericus decemcostatus subtruncatus ovario adnatus, limbus _persistens 
5-dentatus. . Petala 5 regularia. Stamina 10. Styli 2 distincti. Capsula 
valvis introflexis bilocularis, calycinis dentibus stylisque coronata, supra planius- 
cula, foramina inter stylos dehiscens. Semina reticulata numerosa.—Frutices. 
Folia opposita. Flores corymbosi albi, alii marginales pauciores steriles insignitt, 
calycis dentibus amplis corollatis petaliformibus, ceteris floris partibus abortivis. DC. 
HyprancEa Japonica; foliis oppositis breviter petiolatis e basi rotundata v. 
late cuneata ovato-oblongis acuminatis argute serrulatis glabris, cyme plane 
dense, ramis pubescentibus, florum radiantium 4—6 pedunculis horizonta- 
liter patentibus, sepalis plerumque 4 obovato-rhombeis acutiusculis serratis. 
Sied. 
Hrpraneea Japonica. Siebold, in Nov. Act. Leopold-Carol. v. 14. p. 689. Fi. 
Jap. p. 106. ¢.53. De Cand. Prodr. v.4. p. 666. Lindl. Bot. Reg. 1841, ¢.61. 
8. cerulea; floribus cxeruleis. Tas. NostR. 4253. D 
a 
For the introduction of this Hydrangea to European gardens, 
the botanic world is indebted to Dr. Siebold, who found it wild 
on the Island of Nipon, and abundantly cultivated by the 
Japanese. ~ ‘wo varieties are distinguished by that eminent 
Japanese traveller ; “‘ Benikaku,” with yose-coloured flowers, and 
“Konkaku,” with blue flowers. The former. state of the plant 
is figured by Siebold and Dr. Lindley; our plants, the gifts of 
Mr. Knight, of the King’s Road, Chelsea, and of Mr. Henderson, 
Pine Apple Nursery, Edgeware Road, happen to be the blue- 
flowered variety, and infinitely the handsomer of the two. Whether 
is variety is permanent, or, as many suspect, depending upon 
cultivation and the nature*of the soil, and therefore liable to 
change again, I am unable to determine. It succeeds with the 
same treatment. as the Hydrangea hortensis, and will probably 
soon become as common as the blue-flowered kind, and as great 
a favourite. 
‘Descr. A shruéd, three to four feet high, with the old branches 
SEPTEMBER, Ist, 1846. 
wa 
