396 HORTUS MORTOLENSIS 
oldest plant is a tree 9 m. high, with a stem of 1:20 m. in cireum- 
ference. 
IDESIA POLYCARPA. 
A deciduous tree, has been tried several times, and is also 
included in the last collection of Mr. Wilson. The climate and 
soil are rather too dry for it. 
ILex. 
Suffers from the same disadvantages, and they proved fatal 
to I. insignis and I. Tarajo. 
ILLICIUM. 
The Japanese J. religioswm and the Chinese JI. verwm were 
formerly often confused under the name of J. anisatum.* I. verum 
produces the true Star Anise exported from China, whilst the 
Japanese plant is poisonous. Dr. Bretschneider, the Medical 
Officer of the Russian Embassy at Peking, and author of a book 
on the history of botanical discoveries in China, was the first to 
recognize the Chinese Star Anise plant as a distinct species, to 
which Sir Joseph Hooker in Bot. Mag. t. 7005 gave the name of 
I. verwm, so as to settle its nomenclature definitely. In the 
same year (1888) Prof. Flickiger took up the subject | and men- 
tions a plant of the true Chinese Star Anise grown at La Mortola 
in 1884 and corresponding with Hooker’s plate and description. 
This plant is still there and now a dense bush about 2 m. high. 
It was planted on November 15th, 1870, and was procured from 
M. Nabonnand of Golfe-Juan. 
IMPATIENS. 
The tropical species flower and fruit freely when cultivated 
in Sphagnum under the pergola; they are, however, liable to 
damage by frost. J. Oliveri is by far the hardiest. 
IocHROMA. 
A genus comprising about fifteen species, all very ornamental 
shrubs. J. coccinewm has bright red flowers and tomentose 
branches and leaves. This is often confused. with I. fuchsioides, 
which is quite glabrous. 
I. lanceolatum and I. tubulosum are much alike. The latter 
has, however, flowers of a more reddish hue and a larger calyx. 
I. grandiflorum has beautiful large violet-blue flowers. It is 
very glandular and viscid, and emits a disagreeable smell, es- 
pecially after rain. 
Ipoma@a. 
Many species of this genus are of great beauty during the 
warm season. J. Batatas succeeds only when cultivated on a 
hot-bed. J. damarana has a large woody bulb ; it was introduced 
* See also Fliickiger & Hanbury, Pharmacographia, p. 20. 
+ F. A. Fliickiger, ‘‘ Ilicitwm verum, der Sternanisbaum.’” In Archiv der 
Pharmacie, xxvi. (1888), pp. 893-897. 
a 
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