TREES AND SHRUBS 121 



blackened specimens pining under the smoky 

 atmosphere of suburban shrubberies. 



Laurus Canariensis is a fragrant form of laurel, 

 and the country-people extract oil from its yellow 

 berries. 



Picconia excelsa^ the Pao branco of the Portu- 

 guese, is generally to be found in the same districts 

 as the til-trees, and attains to a height of forty 

 or fifty feet. Its hard, heavy white wood, being 

 in great demand for the keels of boats, is very 

 valuable. Like many other native trees, it is for 

 this very reason rapidly becoming scarce, as its 

 destroyers, having no thought for the future, omit 

 to cultivate it from seed, which grows readily. 



The Clethra arborea, or lily of the valley tree, as it 

 is called by the English, on account of the resem- 

 blance of its spikes of creamy- white flowers to those 

 of a lily of the valley, fills the whole air with its 

 delicious though somewhat heavy fragrance when 

 the tree is in flower in summer. Yet another 

 fragrant tree peculiar to Madeira is the Pittosporum 

 coriaceum, which has been christened the incense- 

 tree, as early in April the air, especially near 

 sundown, is filled with the almost overpowering 

 scent of its clusters of small greenish -white flowers. 

 The bark is very smooth and even, and of a light 



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