NUTTALLIA NYSSA 103 



The generic name was given in honour of Thomas Nuttall, a famous 

 botanist (1786-1859). 



NYSSA. CORNACEJL. 



Of the half-dozen or so species of Nyssa known, which are natives 

 of N. America, Himalaya, and China, only one (N. sylvatica) has hitherto 

 succeeded in the British Isles. A new species from China is promising, 

 but is long likely to be too scarce to count. They belong to the Cornel 

 family, but except in the fruit, have little obvious relationship to the other 

 hardy members of that order. They transplant badly and should be 

 given a permanent place as early as possible, preferably in good moist 

 loam. 



Besides N. sinensis and N. sylvatica, which are described below, 

 another American species is occasionally seen, viz., N. AQUATICA, the 

 "Tupelo gum." According to Henry there is a fair specimen of it at 

 "tt'hite Knights, near Reading. It is. easily distinguished from N. sylvatica 

 by the shape of its ovate-oblong, pointed leaves, often with a few distant 

 coarse teeth, and by the under-surface of the leaves and the young twigs 

 being downy. A third American species, N. OGECHE, the " sour Tupelo 

 tree," has been more than once introduced to Kew, but has never become 

 established. It is probably tender. 



N. SINENSIS, Oliver. CHINESE TUPELO. 

 (Hooker's Icones Plantarum, t. 1964.) 



A deciduous tree, 20 to 40 ft. high, with downy young shoots. Leaves 

 thin, narrowly oval, tapering at both ends ; 4 to 6 ins. long, i^ to 2 ins. 

 wide ; hairy at the margins and on the midrib, dull dark green above, 

 pale and lustrous beneath ; stalk j in. long, hairy. Male flowers produced 

 in a rounded head ^ in. across at the end of a slender, downy stalk i to 

 i^ ins. long ; females few on longer stalks, neither of any beauty. Fruit 

 oblong, \ in. long, bluish. * 



Native of Central China, where it was originally discovered in 1888 

 by Henry, who describes it as a rare tree occurring in mountain woods. 

 Seeds were sent to Messrs Veitch by Wilson in 1901-2, but only one plant 

 was raised. This tree is now in the Coombe Wood nursery, where it is in 

 the best of health and apparently quite hardy. 



N. SYLVATICA, Marshall TUPELO, PEPPERIDGE. 

 (N. multiflora, Wangenheim.") 



A deciduous tree, occasionally 100 ft. high in a wild state, with a trunk 

 5 ft. in thickness. Leaves of variable shape, but oftenest obovate or oval, 

 with a tapering base ; 3 to 6 ins. long, i| to 3 ins. wide ; entire, usually 

 perfectly smooth in this country except on the young stalks and midrib, 

 which are slightly hairy ; stalk | to I in. long, frequently reddish. Flowers 

 appearing in June, males and females on separate heads, ^ in. or less across, 

 greenish, produced on a slender downy stalk about I in. long in the axils 

 of the scales or lowermost leaves of the young shoots ; male flowers numerous, 

 female ones usually two to four in a head ; they have no beauty. Fruit 

 usually in pairs, each one to 3 in. long, egg-shaped, bluish black. 



