in in the fall and preserved over the winter in a cool frame just kept from frost. 

 Seeds may be sown early iu the spring in boxes of sandy vegetable soil, covered 

 about a quarter of an inch with soil, and kept in a cool place till they germinate. 



33. Viburnum. — In this genus are found some of the most valuable berried 

 plants we have. V. oxj/coccus, the mock cranberry, is very widely known, its 

 large red cranberry-like fruit giving it a conspicuous appearance in August and 

 September. V. dentatinn, with pretty foliage and a neat bushy habit, has nume- 

 rous clusters of small blue berries. V. Lantana, the wayfaring-tree, and V. lan- 

 tanoides, have woolly foliage of a silvery hue. V. acerifolium, the maple-leaved, 

 is not a handsome grower, but has large clusters of ovate black berries. It does 

 not grow over three feet. V. prunifolium, the Black Ilaw, is a strong grower, 

 and very beautiful when in blossom. Early in the fall, and during most of the 

 winter, it is covered with large black berries. All the species except the last root 

 readily from cuttings taken off in the fall, preserved moist till spring, and then 

 planted. V. prunifoUnm will only grow well from seeds. If these are preserved 

 dry till spring they rarely grow till the spring following. 



34. Viscum jiavesccns. The Yellow Mistletoe. — This little shrub, as most 

 persons know, is a parasite, or plant that maintains itself by living on others. It 

 is generally supposed that they will only grow on certain trees. The English 

 Mistletoe, V. album, was at one time supposed to grow on the oak only. The 

 present species I have seen growing vigorously on the Persimmon. It has nume- 

 rous white berries through the winter by which it is propagated. I regret that I 

 can give nothing from my own experience with regard to its culture, every attempt 

 having failed ; and I have never seen but one plant that was raised artificially. 

 In this, a notch was cut in the bark of an apple-tree, and the seed stuck in. 



When I commenced these notes I had no idea they would extend so far. I 

 trust that something, however, may be found to repay their perusal. 



PINON" REAL.* 



In various excursions on the Island of Cuba, a most gorgeous flower presents 

 itself in private gardens, which attracts general attention ; and, by the favor of 

 Madame Solle, of Charleston (who was in Havana), we procured the drawing 

 which embellishes the present number, under the Spanish name of PinOa real. 

 The tree is the Erythrina indica, of the family of the Leguminosa3. The flower 

 is of a gorgeous scarlet color, and a tree covered with them, before the leaves 

 appear, presents a most beautiful object. 



Erythrina indica (Lam. diet. 2, p. 391, var. a). Stem, arboreal, prickly, with 

 broad-ovate, acute leaflets, a spathaceous calyx, an ovate, concave, spreading ban- 

 ner ; the stamens, monadelphous at the base. Native of the East Indies. Kheed, 

 Malabb. t. 7 ; Rumph. Amb. 2, t. 7G. Syn., K. corallodendron, B. Linn. spec. 

 992. E. orientalis, Murr. Comm. Goeth. 8, p. 35, t. 1 (?). Flowers, of a splen- 

 did scarlet color. In Rheed's figure, the calyx is acute, and much elongated. In 

 Rumphias' figure, it is short and obtuse. Do they form two species ? 



The above is translated from Decandolle's Prodromus, t. 2, p. 412. Don (whose 

 description is a copy of the above) calls it Indian Coral-Tree, and adds: "Tree, 

 twenty or thirty feet high." Neither of these authors, nor Loudon (who gives a 

 figure of it on p. 605), mentions the name by which it is called in Cuba (Pinon 

 real). 



The Cydopccdia of Natural History says that the Erythrina monospcrma (an 

 East Indian species) is the tree from which gum-lac is obtained. 



* See Frontispiece. 



