Miscellaneous. 329 



overlooked. C. bignonioides is a native of the United 

 States, and is a showy, spreading, and irregular tree with 

 heart-shaped leaves and pyramidal clusters nearly or quite 

 a foot in length, and with white or purple fragrant blos- 

 soms. The golden catalpa is a variety of this species, 

 differing from it chiefly in having leaves yellow in spring 

 and early summer, afterwards becoming green. C. kczmp- 

 feri comes from Japan, produces yellowish-white flowers in 

 June, and has smaller and somewhat distinct foliage. What 

 is known as Teas's Japan hybrid is a low form with a 

 spreading habit, having flowers with purple dots. The 

 blossoms are fragrant and exceedingly abundant, and have 

 the advantage of continuing for several weeks. 



The beeches furnish also some peculiar and interest- 

 ing forms. Among these is the well-known purple-leaved 

 beech, which is probably the finest dark-leaved tree in 

 cultivation. It grows large, is of symmetrical form, and, 

 though quite out of the range of shrub life, is highly de- 

 sirable on tree- and shrub-planted lawns. There is also a 

 pendulous variety, established by grafting, with the same 

 dark foliage and trailing branches. There are various 

 forms of cut-leaf and fern-leaf beeches which must not 

 be overlooked, though eventually they become too 

 large to be classed with shrubs. What is known as the 

 fern-leaf beech, Fagus heterophylla, is especially beautiful. 

 It is believed that the first specimen brought into the 

 country is still living, and stands in front of Redwood Li- 

 brary, on Bellevue Avenue, in Newport, where it is looked 

 upon almost with veneration by the people of that city 

 and those who make it their temporary home in summer. 



