4 LABURNUM LARDIZABALA 



certainty, but they do occasionally ripen, as in 1911. Cuttings taken in 

 August will strike root. 



L. VULGARE, Presl. COMMON LABURNUM, GOLDEN RAIN. 



A deciduous tree, 20 to 30 ft. (rarely more) high, often branching close to 

 the ground and forming a wide-spreading, bushy tree. Leaves trifoliolate, 

 with a stalk 2 to 3 ins. long ; leaflets oval or slightly obovate, i^ to 3 ins. long, 

 downy beneath. Racemes pendulous, cylindrical, 6 to 10 ins. long, downy. 

 Flowers golden yellow, f in. long, each borne on a thin, downy stalk to | in. 

 long. Seed-pod 2 to 3 ins. long, the upper seam or suture thickened and 

 keeled, but not winged as in L. alpinum. It blooms from the third week of 

 May into June. 



Native of Central and S. Europe, long cultivated in, but not a native of 

 Britain. * It was probably one of the earliest ornamental plants introduced to 

 this country, as its great beauty would attract early travellers, and the seed 

 could be easily obtained and transported. No foreign tree is better adapted 

 to our climate. The differences between it and L. alpinum are indicated under 

 that species. 



Var. ALSCHINGERI, Briquet. A wild variety which is found in East Europe, 

 and differs chiefly from the type in the calyx being distinctly two-lipped, the 

 lower lip the longer ; the leaflets are more silky-hairy and grey-blue beneath. 

 Var. JACQUINIANUM is similar. 



Var. AUREUM. Leaves golden yellow ; one of the prettiest of golden- 

 leaved trees. It affords one of the commonest instances showing the influence 

 of scion on stock, for on grafted trees yellow-leaved shoots frequently appear 

 considerably beneath the point of union. (Syn. chrysophyllum.) 



Var. CARLIERI, Kirchner. Leaflets smaller ; racemes thinner ; flowers 

 more distinctly spotted. Said to be a hybrid between L. vulgare and Cytisus 

 nigricans, which is extremely doubtful. 



Var. INVOLUTUM (syn. bullatum). Leaves curled. A curiosity merely. 



Var. PENDULUM. Branchlets slender and weeping ; very graceful in 

 habit. 



Var. QUERCIFOLIUM, Kirchner. Leaflets curiously lobed after the fashion 

 of an oak leaf, the. main leaf-stalk being sometimes winged. The leaf is 

 occasionally five-parted (quinquefoliolate). A very distinct and rather hand- 

 some form. 



Var. SEMPERFLORENS. Flowers a second time in late summer. 



Var. SESSILIFOLIUM. Leaves crowded, almost stalkless, their bases thus 

 being brought close to the branchlet. A curiosity of no garden value, the 

 branches having a stiff, stunted appearance ; not free-flowering. 



Two hybrids at least, produced by natural agencies, between vulgare and 

 alpinum are cultivated. They are L. PARKSII and L. WATERERI, both 

 beautiful trees, the latter especially ; they show botanical characters inter- 

 mediate between the parents, but L. Watereri has retained the full length of 

 raceme of L. alpinum. The laburnums known as INTERMEDIUM and Vossn 

 are of the same origin. 



LARDIZABALA BITERNATA, Ruiz and Pavon. 



BERBERIDACE^E. 

 (Bot. Mag., t. 4501.) 



A vigorous evergreen climber, with ternate, biternate, and triternate 

 leaves. The three, six, or nine leaflets are of hard texture, each 2 to 4 ins. 



