A BUD VARIATION OF EUONYMUS 



A. D. Shami:l, J\ii'crsidc. C'al. 



THE accom]5anyin<T ])hotograijh 

 (Fig. 5), shows a small limb of 

 Euonynnis japonicus, an ever- 

 j^een shrub, bo.4onging to the 

 family Celastraceae. ^ The leaves of 

 this species are normally rounded ovate. 

 The margins of the leaves are toothed. 

 The color of the foliage is a deep green. 

 The small pale green flowers are com- 

 l)Osed of four petals, are usually borne 

 two to five together on a stalk in the 

 axils of the lea\'es, and are succeeded by 

 top-shaped seed-\'essels of three blunt 

 lobes, and as many cells, each contain- 

 ing a solitary seed. In Southern Cali- 

 fornia during the winter months these 

 fruits become more conspicuous among 

 the leaves by assuming a pink color 

 which makes them highly ornamental. 

 The lobes of the ca])sule, finally assum- 

 ing a bright rose color, open at a ]:>ro- 

 jecting angle and disclose the seed 

 wrapjjcd in an orange-colored arillus. 

 The foliage, flowers, and fruit are said 

 to be poisonous, but the fruits are some- 

 times used as a dye. The wood, which 

 is of a light yellow hue, being strong, 

 compact, and easily worked is a])plicd in 

 some countries to many useful })ur]joses; 

 e. g. skewers, pegs for shoes, sjiindles, 

 etc. The charcoal made from the young 

 shoots is used by artists on account of its 

 smoothness and ease with which it is 

 erased. 



In Southern California this shrul) is 

 highly ]jrized and commonly used for 

 ornamental jjlantings, sometimes for 

 hedges and otherwise for indix'idual 

 shrubs, liight or more varieties of this 

 sjjecies are ijrojmgated commercially 

 by California nurserymen. Of these 

 E. japonicus ar^entco-varie^atus (Silver 

 variegated Euonymus) is the one most 

 commonly found in the gardens and 

 other ornamental plantings in the vicin- 

 ity of Riverside. This variety, on ac- 

 count of its variegated foliage, the silver- 

 like margins and irregular stripe-' of the 



leaves, is very striking in aiJjjearance 

 even from a considerable distance. The 

 shrubs have an ui)right habit of growth. 

 It was develo]jed from branch \'aria- 

 tions of E. japonicus, an example of 

 which is shown in the accompanying 

 photogra])h. 



In the variegated form the leaves 

 differ from the ordinary form particu- 



(.ha!\<;k in lkaf form 



At tl.e U'ft is lliL- ordinary leaf of 

 Euonymus, at the right the leaf of the 

 variegated form. It is evident that 

 the .same bud variation which pro- 

 duces the change in color, also 

 produces changes in numerous other 

 features. (Fig. 6.) 



larly as regards shape and color. The 

 shape of the ordinary leaf is ovate with 

 an obtuse apex. The sha])e of the 

 variegated leaf is obovate and the 

 apex is usually trimcate or retuse. 

 (See Fig. 6.) The margins of the 

 leaves of the ordinary form are usualh' 

 serrate, while the serrations of the 

 variegated leaves are much less marked, 

 so much so in some cases as to be 

 almost invisible without very close in- 

 s])ecti()n. 



The color of the ordinary leaves is a 

 uniform deej) green, slightly deeper in 

 shade on the ti])])er than on the tnider 



' The Treasury of Botany, i art I, p. 47,S. 

 21« 



