Ornamental Shrubs. 233 



rant (B. aurwm) is also a very attractive plant with gol- 

 den-yellow flowers in early spring. It. Gordonianwm is a 

 hybrid between these two species, with yellow and crimson 

 flowers and the habit of Ji. sanguineum. The mountain 

 currant ( /.'. alpinum) has Bmooth, roundish, deeply three or 

 five-lobed leaves and long racemes of yellow flowers in 

 spring. The wild black currant (R. floridwui) is a hand- 

 some if not showy plant, with cordate, acutely three- 

 to five-lobed leaves, and long drooping racemes of 

 whitish flowers. The foliage of this species changes into 

 beautiful autumn colors. All the flowering currants are 

 fine in smaller shrubberies and in groups on the lawn. 

 They may also be employed with advantage in front of 

 coniferous trees as a background for rockeries. They thrive 

 best in a moderately rich soil. 



Common Mock Orange, PMladelphus coronarius. — This 

 is without doubt one of the handsomest of all cultivated 

 shrul is. The branches are erect with opposite, smooth, ob- 

 long-ovate leaves. Flowers, in large clusters, milky-white, 

 large and odoriferous. P. grandijhitis is another tall and 

 graceful species, with recurving branches and ovate-acumi- 

 nate downy leaves; flowers scentless, pure white, axillary, 

 and in clusters terminating' the lateral branches. Both of 

 these flower late in spring. Still later, in early summer, 

 come: P. inodorus with much smaller flowers, and P.hiti- 

 folius with ovate, five-nerved leaves and loose clusters of 

 white, faintly scented flowers. P. Gordoniunus is the last 

 to flower. It is a beautiful species with gracefully arching 

 branches and flowers produced in racemes on the lateral 

 branches. The mock oranges — that is, the species known 



