TREES AND SHRUBS 127 



showy variety, known as Poinciana pulcherrima, 

 thrives better. 



At the same season the uncouth growth of 

 the bare and leafless frangipani or plumeria trees 

 bursts into blossom white, cream-coloured, or pale 

 pink and fills the air with its heavy fragrance, 

 recalling the oppressive, almost stifling, atmosphere 

 of Buddhist temples in Ceylon, where frangipani 

 blossoms are almost regarded as sacred to Buddha, 

 and are always called "temple flowers." 



Of the coral-trees there are several varieties : 

 Erythrina corallodendron, a native of the West 

 Indies, has large spikes of deep red blossoms on 

 leafless light grey stems ; and Erythrina crista- 

 galli, a native of Brazil, also bears scarlet blossoms. 

 Besides the flowering trees, there are so many 

 shrubs which contribute such a wealth of colour to 

 the gardens, especially in the winter months, that 

 it is hard to decide which are most worthy of notice. 

 The gaudy orange-coloured Streptosolen Jamesonii, 

 which was only introduced into Madeira a com- 

 paratively short time ago, has now become one of 

 the commonest, but none the less beautiful, of 

 winter-flowering shrubs. Like many other plants 

 which 1 had only known pining in the unfavourable 

 atmosphere of an English greenhouse, it is almost 



