FROM THE SOCIETY'S GARDEN. 227 



are often pinnated, yet its flowers grow in pairs from the axils 

 of fallen leaves, instead of forming terminal panicles. It is de- 

 scribed as a very fine shrub, with deep yellow flowers, and 

 growing from 8 to 12 feet high. According to Siebold and 

 Zuccarini, who have figured it, there are two varieties, one with 

 weeping branches, and the other with upright ones ; both are 

 said to have been obtained from China by the Japanese, who 

 plant them along with evergreens for the sake of obtaining, 

 from the varied appearance produced in the spring by this plant, 

 a good background to the Peaches, Apricots, and Camellias, that 

 blossom at the same time. This species is said to have been 

 brought alive to Holland in 1833, by M. Verkerk Pistorius. 

 (See Siebold and Zuccarini, Flora Japonica, vol. 1. p. 14.) 



The species obtained by Mr. Fortune is very distinct from 

 the original Forsythia. Its leaves do not appear even to be pin- 

 nated, and instead of having an ovate form, they are strictly 

 oblong:, or oblons: lanceolate. The branches are four-cornered 

 instead of being terete, and are perfectly erect. The calyx is 

 shorter and moi'e membranous, and the flowers are smaller. It 

 is no doubt a very different plant, and may be expected to 

 become a great favourite when the specimens in the Garden are 

 old enough to flower ; for then the branches will be found to 

 be loaded, before the leaves, with yellow flowers as large as those 

 of ChimonantJius grandiflorus. 



In its present state it forms a compact deep green bush, with 

 oblong opposite leaves serrated near the point, but perfectly 

 free from indentations below the middle. They emit a sliglit 

 balsamic odour, and from their smootlmess, want of lustre, and 

 deep rich tint, are very handsome. 



Hitherto the shrub has been treated as a greenhouse plant ; 

 but it looks as if it might be hardy, at least in situations where 

 the wood can be made to ripen. 



May 30, 1846. 



The following are Mr. Fortune's observations on this spe- 

 cies : — 



" This is a deciduous shrub with very dark green leaves, which 

 are prettily serrated at the margin. It grows about 8 or 10 feet 

 high in the north of China, and sheds its leaves in autumn. It 

 then remains dormant like any of the deciduous shrubs of Eu- 

 rope, but is remarkable for the number of large prominent buds 

 which are scattered along the young stems produced the summer 

 before. Early in spring these buds, which are flower-buds, gra- 

 dually unfold themselves, and present a profusion of bright 

 yellow blossoms all over the shrub, which is highly ornamental. 



" I first discovered it growing in the same garden with Wie- 



q2 



