78 Ornamental Shrubs. 



attractions. The leaves are dark green, almost glossy 

 above, thick and inversely wedge-shaped or obovate. In 

 autumn they assume a rich coloring. The flowers are 

 white tinged with pink or red. Fruit, round, edible, and 

 of a scarlet or sometimes a dull red color, hanging on the 

 branches far into the winter. The species will do better 

 in partial shade than most other sorts. It grows from ten 

 to twenty feet, and blossoms in June. 



C. coccinea, scarlet thorn, is a native species of great 

 value, spreading over a wide range of territory and every- 

 where much admired. It is a small tree rising from ten 

 to twenty feet, and in every way well proportioned. The 

 numerous wedge-shaped, thin leaves are bright, soft and 

 pleasant to the eye. The bark on the stem is rough, with 

 a grayish cast, but on the smaller branches it is often 

 smooth and of an olive-green or reddish shade. The 

 spines are strong and sharp, well calculated to resist in- 

 truders. The flowers are white and pretty, appearing in 

 early June, and followed by bright scarlet berries that 

 hang long and present a striking appearance. It is their 

 prominence which gave the name to the species by which 

 it is properly known. 



The species has given off a large number of varieties, 

 some of which prove of horticultural worth. This is 

 especially true in the case of C. c. macrantha, which by 

 most authorities is ascribed to this origin, though some 

 are disposed to raise it to the dignity of an independent 

 species. Professor Bailey points out several qualities in 

 which it diverges from the coccinea, among which is the fra- 

 grance of its blossoms. He says that in this respect it is 



