436 HORTUS MORTOLENSIS 
the Madonna garden of Mr. L. Winter, near Bordighera, and in 
the garden of Villa St. Louis, Garavan. With us the plant is a 
shrub, whilst in its native forests it forms a gigantic climber. 
UMBELLULARIA CALIFORNICA. 
We had a large tree of this, but it gradually died. It has 
strongly scented deep green leaves, which are apt to cause violent 
sneezing. According to Dr. F. Franceschi, of Sa. Barbara,* the 
tree will succeed best if planted near water; it may attain 60-80 
feet, or more. 
URGINEA MARITIMA. 
A large bulb, generally found in this country planted at the 
foot of fig trees, where in time it forms large patches. I have 
not been able to ascertain the reason for this custom. If cut into 
pieces the bulb is an efficacious rat poison ; the juice is very acid, 
causing irritation of the skin. 
VERONICA. 
Many of the New Zealand species succeed quite well. V. 
Dieffenbachit, V. carnosula, and V. verrucosa were received in 
1909 from Capt. Dorrien-Smith, of Tresco Abbey. 
VITIS. 
V. Hookert Laws. is a vigorous evergreen climber with coria- 
ceous or nearly succulent leaves. We received it some years ago 
from M. L. de Vilmorin as V. carnosa. It has not yet flowered, 
and may prove to be V. lanceolaria Roxb. (Fl. Brit. Ind. i. 660). 
V. Voinieriana, which is generally considered a stove plant, is 
doing quite well here in the open. 
WASHINGTONIA. 
Mr. 8. B. Parish has given an elaborate account} of this 
small genus of palms. These plants are very much seen in 
gardens along the Riviera, but generally wrongly named, so I 
transcribe the key worked out by Mr. Parish, by means of which 
they may easily be distinguished. 
A. Petiole acuminately prolonged in the blade. 
a. Blade abundantly filiferous. 
a. Margins of the petiole armed through- 
out : . ; : : : W. filifera vay. robusta. 
B. Margins of the petiole unarmed near 
the blade. : : ; - W. filifera.t 
vy. Margins of the petiole armed only near 
the base : : . : W. filifera var. microsperma. 
b. Blade destitute of filaments or nearlyso . W. gracilis. 
B. Petiole obtuse at junction with the blade . : W. sonore. 
* See Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany, i. p. 202. 
+ **A Contribution toward a knowledge of the genus Washingtonia” in 
Botanical Gazette xliv. (1907, ii.) pp. 408-434. 
{ The Californian Fan Palm (WW. filifera) grows along the alcaline streams, 
rivulets, or springs on the western and north-westerly margins of the Colorado 
desert, and thence southward to Lower California. (W. L. Jepson, The Silva 
of California, p. 172, plates 6, 55.) 
