1889.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 65 



which distinguish the species of America from the species of 

 Europe, are all on the same general plan. 



It may now be noted that in two species of Euonymus — one of 

 America and one of Japan — both remarkably dimorphic — the dimor- 

 phic one also has a remarkable correspondence. In our country we 

 have Euonymus Americanus. L., which we sometimes find growing 

 up as an arborescent shrub, of four or six feet, with a round head 

 on a single stem of near two inches in diameter, and with thick, 

 ovate, bright green leaves. At other times it is found as a low- 

 trailing plant with thin linear-lanceolate pale green leaves, having, 

 so far as I know, flowers but rarely in this trailing state. Many a 

 young botanist, in his earlier experience, must have wondered, as 

 the author has, whether they were not wholly distinct species. 

 Riper years with accumulated knowledge of the range of variation, 

 alone teaches the identity of the two. 



Euonymus Japonicus, of Japan* 

 presents the same conditions. This 

 was long ago described by Thunberg 

 under this name, and has been many 

 years cultivated in American gar- 

 dens. A leaf of this is given in 

 Fiir. 4. Laer has introduced E. 

 radicans of Siebold, Fig. ^represent- 

 ing a leaf of this form. For many 

 years it was grown in our gardens 

 as a simple low bush in shrubberies. 

 ►Some plants growing near a low 

 stone wall, took to climbing up as 

 the well-known English Ivy or the 

 American Trumpet creeper does, 

 doing full justice to Siebold's spe- 

 cific name radicans. As soon as it 

 reached the top of the wall, the 

 leaves increased in size and general 

 character, till it was difficult to 

 trace any difference between them 

 and Euonymus Japonicus. That 

 they were dimorphic forms of one 

 species admitted of no doubt. Cut- 

 tings of the upper brauches with 



