61 



HYDRANGEA japonica. 

 Japan Hydrangea. 



DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 

 Nat. Ord. SaXIFRAGACE^ — HYDRANGEiE, DC. 



HYDRANGEA, Linn. Flores omnes, fertiles, v. marginales steriles. 

 Floribiis sterilibus : Calyx membranaceus, venosus, explanatus, quadri-quin- 

 quepartitus. Corollce et genitaliwn rudimenta. Florihus fertilibus : Calyx 

 tubo cum ovario connato, costato, limbo supero, quadri-quinquedentato. 

 Co7-oU<B petala 4-5, annuli epigyni margini inserta, sessilia, ovata, Eestivatione 

 valvata. Stamina S-\0, cum petalis mseYta. ; filamenta filiformia ; antherm 

 biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium infer um, biloculare, pla- 

 centis dissepimenti superne interrupti marginibus adnatis, multiovulatis. 

 Styli 2, distincti ; stigmata subtermiualia, 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 iu 

 axi albuminis dense carnosi ortbotropus ; cotxjledonibus brevissimis, obtusis, 



radicula cylindrica, infera. Frutices, in America boreali, Nepalia et Ja- 



jjonia indigeni ; foliis oppositis, petiolatis, ovatis v. oblongis, integerrimis v. 

 scepius 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. late cuneata, 

 ovato-oblongis acuminatis argute serrulatis glabris, cymse planse densse 

 ramis pubescentibus, florum radiantium 4-6 pedunculis liorizontaliter 

 patentibus, sepalis plerumque 4 obovato-rbombeis acuminatis serratis. — 

 Siebold fi. 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 difi'erent from H. hortensis. The greater part of them 

 are like this, and some are not so pretty. The most interest- 

 ing among them are //. Belzonii, a plant with the habit of 



2 B 



