120 BOSE FAMILY. 



2. SPIR-SIA, MEADOW-SWEET, &c. ( Greek name of some shrub, of 

 the flowering branches of which garlands were made. ) All hardy shrubs or 

 perennial herbs : 11. late spring and summer.) 



§ 1. Shrubs, with simple leaves. 



* Native species : but the last common in gardens, the first occasionalhj planted. 



S. opulif61ia, Nine-Bark ; so-called from the loose bark, separating in 

 thin annual layers from the stems : a tall shrub, with long recurving branches, 

 the roundish and mostly heart-shaped leaves partly 3-lobed and cut-toothed, 

 white flowers (of no beauty) in umbel-like corymbs, the pods large for this 

 genus, bladdery, and commonly turning purplish. Wild on rocky banks, from 

 New York W."& S. 



S. eorymbdsa. From S. Penn. S., not common: shrub l°-2° high, 

 smooth, with oval leaves cut-toothed towards the apex, and white flowers in a 

 flat compound corymb. 



S. tomentbsa, Hardhack or Steeplebush. Common E. in low 

 grounds ; 2° - .3° high, hoary-downy, except the upper face of the ovate or 

 oblong serrate small leaves, the rose-puq)le or white flowers crowded in a very 

 dense terminal panicle ; pistils downy. 



S. salicif61ia, Common Meadow-Sweet. Common in wet grounds, 

 also in old gardens : shrub 2° - 3° high, bushy, smooth, with wedge-lanceolate 

 or oblong leaves simply or doubly serrate, and white or barely flesh-colored 

 flowers in a crowded panicle. 



* * Cultivated firr ornament, exotic or W. North American. 

 ■t- Floivers in close or spike-like clusters collected in a close and narrow or spike- 

 like terminal panicle, pink-purple. 

 S. Dougl^sii, Douglas's Meadow-Sweet. Cult, from Oregon and 

 California: resembles our wild Hardhack (S. tomentosa), but has longer usu- 

 ally lance-oblong and very blunt leaves rather whiter beneath, and deeper pink 

 flowers with smooth pistils. 



•I- -f- Floivers in compound cori/mbs or broad panicles. 



S. call6sa (also named S. FoRxtiNEi), from Japan: shrub 3° - 6° high, 

 smoothish, with lance-oblong and taper-pointed unequally and veiy sharply 

 Bcrrate leaves, branches terminated by clustered dense corymbs or cynii3s of deep 

 pink flowers, 10 glands at the mouth of the calyx, the pistils smooth. 



S. ariaefblia. Tall shrub from Oregon, with slender branches, terminated 

 by a very large and light or drooping decompound panicle of small yellowish- 

 white flowers ; the leaves roundish-ovate, very obtuse, thin, cut on each side 

 into 4 or 5 blunt and toothed lobes, sometimes almost pinnatifid, soft downy, at 

 least beneath. 



■*- -t- ■^- Flowers in simple, often umbel-like corymbs terminating leafy shoots of the 

 season : natives of Europe and Asia : petals white except the first species. 



S. bella, from Nepal : a low shrub, with ovate acute and merely shar])ly 

 serrate leaves whitish-downy beneath, the simple corymbs sometimes clustered, 

 and rose-pink flowers. 



S. chamsedrifdlia, from E. Europe and Siberia ; a spreading low bush, 

 smooth, with ovate or oblong usually blunt and cut-toothed leaves, at least 

 towards the summit, and rather small flowers in simple corymbs. 



S. trilobata, from Siberia ; a spreading smootli bush, with rounded cre- 

 nately cut and 3-lobed leaves and rather showy flowers. 



S. lanceolata, or ReevestIna, from China, has oblong, lance-oblong, or 

 some three-cleft serrate-toothed leaves, and showy flowers. 



S. hypericifblia, Italian May, or St. Peter's Wreath. Shrub 

 3° -6° high, smooth or smoothish, with long recurved branches, and very small 

 wedge-oblong leaves, a little crenate or lobed at the end ; flowers small, white, 

 in small sessile umbels. 



-^ -^ •*- -t- Flowei-s in simple sessile umbels along the slender branches of the pre- 

 ceding year, subtended only by greenish bud-scales or imperfect leaves, rather 

 earlier than the proper leaves, in spring. 



