September 12, 190S 



HORTICULTURE 



345 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



One of the handsomesl of the late flowering shrubs 

 is Clerodendron trichotomum from Eastern Asia; it is 

 the hardiesi species of the large genus Clerodendron 

 which is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical 

 ons, but even this species is not hardy enough to 

 stand our winters uninjured; it is usually killed to the 



ground, bill vigorous young si ts spring up again 



from the base and bear flowers in the autumn of the 

 same year. It is a stout upriglrt shrub with large foli- 

 age resembling that of Catalpa; the flowers appear in 

 the axils of the upper leaves in loose rather few-flowered 

 clusters; they are star-shaped with loug protruding sta- 

 mens and style and their white color is set off effectively 

 by the large red calyx; they are fragrant, while the foli- 

 age when bruised exhales a disagreeable odor. 



Another late flowering shrub which promises to be- 

 come a welcome addition to the number of our very 

 late flowering shrubs is the Chinese Elsholtzia Stauntoni 

 introduced into cultivation by Mr. J. G. Jack who sent 

 cuttings to the Arnold Arboretum in 1904 from Nan- 

 kow in northern China. This shrub which has more 

 the nature of a half-shrubby plant attains a height of 

 tlucr or torn- feet; its opposite dull pale green leaves 

 are threi to six inches long, lanceolate and serrate: the 

 small lilac flowers appear in dense one-sided spikes 

 from four to five inches long at the ends of the branches. 



Lonicera Heckrottii is flowering a second time very 

 profusely and looks very handsome covered with its 

 orange and pale scarlet flowers; it is one of the most 

 free-flowering of the climbing Honeysuckles, but does 

 not climb very high. 



An Asiatic Viburnum very beautiful in fruit is Vi- 

 burnum Wrigfitii with large clusters of scarlet fruits 

 resembling those of Viburnum Opulus, but the individ- 

 ual fruits are smaller and the cluster larger, though less 

 lic;iw and therefore borne well above the handsome foli- 

 age which turns to a dark red in autumn. 



Crataegus Arnoldiana has dropped by this time al- 

 most all its fruits, hut other species are now loaded with 

 bright!} colored fruits; one of the handsomest of them 

 is Crataegus macracantha covered with large cluster- of 

 \ei\ lustrous crimson fruits; which though not yet 

 fully ripe, have already assumed their bright color and 

 will stay on the branches until about the end of October. 



The Winterberries, Ilex vertit illata and /. laevigata, 

 are assuming their scarlet color, but are not yet as con- 

 spicuous a- they will 1m 1 after the leaves have fallen and 

 the fruit- now partly hidden by the foliage will clothe 

 the whole shrub in scarlet. Each of the two species has 



it- g i points: the firsl is in thickly covered with 



fruits and they stay on the branches usually during the 

 whole winter, but the leaves turn dark in fall or drop 

 without change of color, while in Ilex laevigata the 

 leaves turn clear yellow, but the fruits are less abundant 

 and do not lasl as long. The Japanese Ilex serrata is 

 very similar to I. verticillata, but the fruits and foliage 



are smaller, llr.r monticola, a species of the Alleghany 

 Mountains which sometimes becomes a tree, has fruits 

 of a duller color and not so profusely produced as in 

 the two other native species mentioned. 



Several of the Euonymus are now opening and dis- 

 close their scarlet seeds. One of the finest is the Euro- 

 pean Euonymus latifolius which grows sometimes into 

 a small tree and has large four or five-winged capsules 

 hanging on long and -I uder stalks from the branches; 

 at maturity thej ass e a purplish color and in open- 

 ing show their scarlet seeds. The Japanese Euonymus 

 <i ! «hi*, forming a dense shrub with spreading branches, 

 bears numerous small fruits, but its chief ornamental 

 icai ure lies in the scarlet autumnal color of its foliage. 

 The low and straggling Euonymus obovatus is decorated 

 with pink and whitish warty capsules disclosing their 

 scarlet seeds. 



Symplacos crataegoides is unique among the orna- 

 mental fruiting shrubs in the bright blue color of its 

 fruits and for this reason alone merits a place in our 

 shrubberies; it is also handsome in June when it is 

 covered with clusters of small white flowers. 



Several of the shrubs of Prunus humilis which has 

 been mentioned already in the issue of May 16 when it 

 m as in bloom bear abundant fruits. These are bright 

 red, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and re- 

 semble a large cherry; they have a pleasant sub-acid 

 taste but without any particular flavor. The fruit as it 

 is, is perhaps not of great value, but compares favorably 

 with improved varieties of the Sand Cherry and is prob- 

 ably as hardy and drought-resisting as that species 

 which it also resembles in habit. 



Lilium speciosum rubrum van 

 Magnificum 



(See cover illustration.) 



Our cover illustration -hows a field of the new Lilium 

 speciosum Magnificum, a lily that was brought to 

 notice only about four years ago by the Yokohama 

 Nursery Company, having been found on one of the 

 southern islands of Japan. The first shipments of wild 

 collected bulbs were sent to England and Germany and 

 the flowers when exhibited before the Eoyal Horticul- 

 tural Society were awarded first-class certificate and at 

 ] i resent are commercially preferred to the well-known 

 Lilium speciosum rubrum and Lilium speciosum Mel- 

 pomene. It closely resembles the latter but the bright 

 carmine coloring is much more pronounced. The 

 plants grow more vigorous and erect and the entire 

 habit is much stronger than that of the older varieties. 

 The oval-shaped leaves are larger also. The bulb is a 

 fine keeper for cold storage purposes and can be forced 

 well for Christmas. This lily is already a favorite in 

 the New York cut flower market and is well entitled to 

 the attention of the !il> forcers. When better known it 

 will be generally preferred over the older varieties. 



