January 29, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



145 



Plant Novelties From China. 



JaSMINUM I'RIMULINUM. 



The Jasmines are not, strictly speaking, liardy sub- 

 jects but tlieir floriferous character and usually large 

 and brightly colored flowers make them popular plants 

 for sheltered walls, cool greenhouses, etc. J. nudiflorum, 

 a Chinese species, is perhaps the best known and its clear 

 yellow flowers borne throughout the winter months are 

 much appreciated wherever its culture is possible. An 

 evergreen and glorified J. nudiflorum very well describes 

 the new J. primulinum. This species is native of the 

 plateaux of Yunnan, South China (from whence the 

 writer introduced it), and although it will withstand a 

 certain amount of frost it is not a hardy plant. It is, 

 however, peculiarly adapted for greenhouse culture and 

 will in time become a recognized winter-flowering pot 

 plant for general decorative and market purposes. Cut- 

 tings of young shoots inserted in early spring in the 

 ordinary way root readily and if grown on flower freely 

 the following winter. Small plants in 3-inch pots 

 flower as freely in proportion as larger plants, but the 

 larger the plant the more flowers and greater the effect. 

 After rooting the plants should be grown on and plunged 

 outside in a sunny position. On approach of frost re- 

 move indoors and keep on "dry side" fully exposed to 

 sun. One-potting should be avoided but abundance of 

 water and liquid manure are essential. After flowering 

 cut hai'd back and remove weak growths entirely. As 

 new growth appears the plants should be potted on and 

 this continued year after year until the bushes reach the 

 limit of size consistent with the purpose for which they 

 are grown. 



Jasminum primulinum is bushy in habit, grows 4 to 

 lj ft. tall, with branches arching and decumbent. The 

 flowers are produced from the axils of every leaf, are 

 clear yellow in color, in size approximately as large as a 

 dollar piece and usually semi-double after the manner of 

 the old-fashioned hose-in-hose Primroses. The longer 

 the shoots the greater the number of flowers produced. 

 Its easy culture and attractive flowers subtended by deep 

 green leaves makes it unrivalled as an ornamental, yel- 

 low, winter flowering shrub. 



Buddleia is another subtropical genus with members 

 creeping over into the temperate zones. China has re- 

 cently given us two species and numerous varieties 

 of surpassing merit which have speedily come to the 

 front as ornamental shrubs. Indeed none of the 

 writer's introductions have secured such a host of 

 devotees in so short a time as these Buddleias. 

 Their easy culture, extreme floriferousness and beauty 

 are responsible for their rapid popularity. As a winter- 

 flowering shrub and companion to J. primulinum 

 Buddleia asiatica is to be strongly recommended. Tins 

 plant is erect in habit, gi-owing 4 to 6 ft. tall, every 

 shoot, both primary and lateral, terminating in a slen- 

 der, cylindrical, tail-like raceme, 9 to 18 inches long, of 

 pure wliite delightfully fragrant flowers. The cultural 

 hints given for Jasminum primulinum also apply to this 

 Buddleia except that propagation is eifected from half- 

 ripe wood. In Shanghai and other places in the far 

 East, this plant is one of the most esteemed of all winter- 

 flowering shrubs. In the "seventies" of last century this 



