204 Ornamental Shrubs. 



over the type. It has smaller leaves and a more dense and 

 compact head, and is supposed to be able to endure 

 greater degrees of cold. It is pronounced by a good 

 authority " the most beautiful of all the evergreen shrubs 

 outside of the conifers." This is probably an overstate- 

 ment resulting from undue partiality or exceptional con- 

 ditions. But it is really a beautiful plant, and should be 

 brought into much more general use. Its vigor is such 

 that it may be safely planted in almost all sections of the 

 country, numerous instances being reported where it has 

 stood a zero climate without the loss or even turning of a 

 leaf. Of this there are several forms of variegation in 

 cultivation, mostly showing different colorings of leafage. 

 O. a. myrifolium is what is known as " a fixed sport," with 

 dense habit and leaves without spines. O. fragrans is 

 perhaps the best known of all the species, though prop- 

 erly esteemed an olive and described as O lea fragrans. It 

 possesses the general characteristics of the genus as already 

 pointed out, its flowers being yellow instead of white as in 

 the O. a. illicifolium. They appear in June and continue 

 until August under usual conditions, and are very pretty as 

 well as exceedingly sweet-scented. The foliage is good, 

 somewhat lanceolate, and finely serrated, glossy above but 

 paler on the under surface and less showy. It is a native 

 of China, and grows to the height of eight or ten feet, 

 making a very attractive bush or small tree, and worthy 

 of a place in every garden where climatic conditions are 

 favorable. 



