THE IVY. 



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Scutifolia. 



medium- sized three- to fiye-lobed leaves, which tend to a palmate appearance, 

 owing to the breadth of the base and the obliqueness of the side lobes. It belongs 



to a distinct group of three, consisting of pal- 

 mata, crenata, and digitata, in all which 

 there are points of resemblance ; nevertheless 

 they are quite distinct when they attain matu- 

 rity, though they resemble each other closely 

 when young. The colour of this variety is a 

 dull deep green. Figured at page 77. 



CRENATA, Wrinkled-leaved ivy (syn. Pal- 

 mata, Vitifolia, Digitata, Digitata nova). 

 This is intermediate in form and colour be- 

 tween palmata and digitata. The leaves are 

 broad, usually five-angled and digitate, but 

 less distinctly so than those of digitata ; the 

 edges are much crenated, and the colour is a 

 light grass-green. A handsome free-growing 

 variety. Figured at page 79. 

 DIGITATA, Finger-leaved ivy (syn. Palmata^ Crenata, Pennsylvania). The 

 finest variety in this group, and easily distinguished from the other two by it s 

 more decided digitate outline, and its fine dark blackish green colour, on which the 

 whitish veins show up brightly. It grows freely, making a fine pot-plant, and is 

 pre-eminently adapted for a ruin. Figured at page 80. 



The three closely related varieties palmata, crenata, and digitata are so 

 mixed up and confounded together at the nurseries that it is most difficult to obtain 

 either of them true. This accounts for the confusion of synonyms, and for the 

 frequent statement that the differences are in name only ; yet the distinctive 

 characters are easily traceable, Palmata being dull green and rarely digitate ; 

 Crenata being light bright green, and slightly digitate ; Digitata being very dark 

 green, deeply digitate, and larger-leaved than either of the other two. 



CQSPIDATA MINOR. A pretty small-leaved variety, distinctly cuspid. The 

 young stems are purplish, and the leaf-stalks are bright reddish purple. The leaves 

 are placed far apart ; they are uniformly three-lobed, and the lobes are equal and 

 crenated, the colour a deep rich glossy green with whitish veins. 



ANQULARIS, Angular- leaved ivy (syn. Tauricd]. A robust, free-growing, 

 handsome plant; leaves of medium size, bright green, and glossy, having no 

 peculiarity of conformation sufficiently striking to arrest the attention of a casual 



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