368 



HORTICULTURE 



March 12, 1910 



floriferousness of the plant is well shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration prepared from a photograph 

 taken in the Ro\a\ Gardens, Kew., in early June of 

 last year. By planting "rubens" and the old white 

 flowered form side by side and letting them intermingle 

 a wonderfully fine effect would be obtained. 



Clematis monfana var. Wilsoni is an August flower- 

 ing form with large axillary clusters of pure white 

 flowers, each two fn three inches across. Tlie foliage 

 is bright gi-een with leaflets larger than in the type, 

 ovate-cordate, wrinkled above. C. montana var. 

 sericea is an early (late May and June) flowering form 

 with hairy leaves and pure white, solitary, axillary 

 flowers, three or four inches across, borne on stout 

 stalks six inches long. Both these varieties are na- 



Clkmatis Amanui 



fives of the upland thickets of the Chino-Tliibetan bor- 

 derland, but are local in their distribution. 



The above three forms are easily propagated from 

 cuttings in the ordinary way and come true from seed, 

 the latter fact proving that they are well fixed varieties 

 if not distinct species. 



Another fine Clematis is C. Buchananiana, a strong- 

 growing species with pinnate leaves and erect, axillary 

 panicles, eight or nine inches tall, of nodding, tubular, 

 pale yellow flowers, which are borne in great profusion. 



A hardy evergreen Clematis was a desideratum in 

 gardens until the introduction of C. Armandi. Given 

 the protection of ;t few pine branches, this species will 

 in all prolinhility succeed here in New England. In- 

 deed, Messrs. Farquhar declare it to be seemingly quite 

 hardy with them at their Eoslindale Nurseries. In a 

 general way this new clematis may be likened to the 

 old greenhouse favorite, C. indivisa, a native of New 

 Zealand. The leaves of C. Armandi are 3-foliolate 

 and leathery; the leaflets are ovate, six inches long, 



two and a half inches wide, acuminate, sometimes 

 cordate at base, prominently veined and glabrous. The 

 flowers are borne on the old wood in axillary clusters 

 and vary from a dozen to thirty in a cluster. The in- 

 dividual flowers are about two and a half inches 

 across, white, often rosy-pink on the back, and frag- 

 rant. This species is a rapid grower and flowers in 

 April. On scrub-clad mountains'in Central and West- 

 ern China, between 2,000 and 4,000 feet, it is very 

 common festooning bushes and rocks, and when in 

 flower presents a picture not easily forgotten. 



Lonicera tragophylla is a new climbing honeysuckle 

 of much merit. In habit and general appearance it 

 resembles the common L. Caprifolium. The leaves are 

 ovate and glaucous, the flowers rich golden yellow and 

 ■produced in terminal heads. Each head bears 10 

 to 20 flowers, each five or six inches long, tubular and 

 slightly fragrant. A woodland species of rapid growth 

 i.. tragophylla is a distinct acquisition, but it objects 

 very strongly to the knife. Planted in a partially 

 shaded place and trained to a stout pole, or, better still, 

 at the foot of a deciduous tree and allowed to ramble 

 at will, this species presents a beautiful sight when in 

 flower. 



Aetinidia is another beautiful class of climbers, but, 

 unfortunately, with the exception of A. arguta of 

 doubtful hardiness hereabouts. The flnest of all, A. 

 chinensis, is fairly hardy across the water, but annual- 

 ly gets cut to the ground in the Arnold Arboretum. 

 If planted in woodlands or in a sheltered situation it 

 might possibly come through in better shape and its 

 ornamental character is so great that it deserves a thor- 

 ough trial. In a wild state A. chinensis is a woodland 

 plant, scaling to the fops of tall trees. The leaves are 

 ovate to orbicular, six to nine inches long, and together 

 with the young growths covered with masses of reddish 

 hairs. The flowers are pure white, quickly changing to 

 buff-yellow, one to two inches across, deliciously fragrant 

 and produced in utmost jjrofusion. These flowers are 

 either all male or male and female, and it is plants hav- 

 ing the latter flowers (which by-the-bye, are twice the 

 size of the male flowers) which are needed in order to se- 

 cure a crop of fruits. These fruits are oval to roundish, 

 fi/o to 2^ inches long, 1 to 1^/4 inches across, with a 

 thin brown, more or less hairy skin. The flesh is dark 

 green, luscious, with small seeds imbedded therein. The 

 flavor somewhat resembles that of a good gooseberry, 

 'i'his fruit i? delicious as dessert and makes a fine 

 preserve. 



AVith its handsome foliage, fragrant and ornamental 

 flowers and delicious fruit A. chinensis possesses all 

 round qualities seldom combined in asingle plant, and 

 those who succeed in its culture will be amply repaid. 

 Though discovered by Eobert Fortune as long ago as 

 1849, the writer was the first to introduce it to the Oc- 

 cident. Further, he was privileged to be the first to 

 introduce the fruit to foreign residents at Ichang and 

 other parts of western China. These residents have 

 dubbed it "Wilson's Gooseberry," and he will be pleas- 

 antly remembered in China by this fruit when his work 

 is probably forgotten there. 



iXx^-^^-V. 



