VIBURNUM. 



326 



VIBURNUM. 



of a very coarse habit of growth. 

 There are numerous varieties of T'. 

 teurcioides, all of which are sweet- 

 scented ; the two called the Queen 

 and the Princess Koyal are of a pure 

 ■white, particularly the latter. V. 

 Taglioni has large corymhs of 

 flowers of a silvery hue. Several 

 Hue varieties were raised in 1843, 

 but they have all a tinge of lilac. 

 V. Laconii and V. Hydrana are 

 said to be the most distinct. The 

 lemon- scented plant, Verbena tri- \ 

 'pliylla^ is now called Aloysia citrio- 

 dora. — See Aloy'sia. 



Vero'xica. — Scrophuldrince. — 

 Speedwell. — Many of these kinds 

 are pretty perennial and annual 

 plants, geaerally w'ith blue flowers, 

 natives of Britain, and other parts 

 of Europe. All these are of the 

 easiest culture, as they will grow 

 well in any common garden soil that 

 is tolerably light and at the same I 

 time moist ; and they are propa- j 

 gated by seeds, and by division of the 

 root. Many of these plants are very 

 suitable for rockwork. Within the 

 last few years, several very orna- 

 mental shrubby species, growing 

 from three feet to six feet high, 

 have been introduced ; and of these 

 the most ornamental are, T". so.lici- 

 fblia or V. Lindleyi, and V. spe- 

 dosa, both natives of New Zealand. 

 V. formosa is a native of Van Die- 

 men's Land, and, notwithstanding 

 its name, is very inferior in beauty 

 to the New Zealand kinds. It is 

 the same as the V. diosmcefblia of 

 some nurseries. 



Vervain, — See Vekbe'na. 



Vesica'ria. — Cruaferce. — Her- 

 baceous plants, mostly with yellow 

 flowers, natives of Europe and Ame- 

 rica, that should be grown in sandy 

 loam, and which are propagated 

 by seeds or division of the root. 



Vetch. — See Vi'cia, 



Vibu'rxum. — Caprifoliacece. — 



The Viburnum. — Ornamental 

 shrubs, generally with terminal co- 

 rymbs of white flowers. One of 

 the best known of these, the Lau- 

 rustinus, F. Tinus, is an evergreen 

 bush, with white flowers that are 

 rose-coloured in the bud, and dark- 

 blue berries ; and it is very valuable 

 in town-gardens, as it flowers from 

 December till March. It is a native 

 of the south of Europe and the 

 north of Africa. There is a variety 

 with shining leaves and larger 

 cymes of flowers, but it is rather 

 more tender than the common kind. 

 When the Laurustinus is grown 

 near a dwelling-house, cai'e should 

 be taken in spring, when the leaves 

 drop, to have them swept away 

 every day, as they have an ex- 

 tremely disagreeable smell when 

 they are decaying, and are said to 

 be very unwholesome. The tree 

 Viburnum ( V. Lentago) is a native 

 of North America, and it forms a 

 very hardy and handsome low tree 

 in British gardens. It is also 

 valuable for the great abundance of 

 its berries, which are a favourite 

 food with birds. The Wayfaring 

 Tree, or Wild Guelder Kose (F. 

 Lantana), is another interesting 

 small tree ; and F. cotinifblium is 

 a beautiful species from Nepal. 

 The most interesting kind of Vi- 

 burnum gi'own in small gardens 

 is, however, the Guelder Kose, 

 or Snowball Tree, Y. (ypvlns. 

 This is a deciduous shrub, a native 

 of Europe and part of Asia, which 

 is always found in a wild state in 

 swampy thickets. In a wild state 

 its principal beauty lies in its bright 

 red hemes ; but in a state of cul- 

 tivation its heads of flowers become 

 so compact, of such a snowy white- 

 ness, as amply to justify its popular 

 name of the Snowball Tree. All 

 the Viburnums are hardy in British 

 gardens; and they will all grow 



