PARROTIA 123 



to a family of exceptional interest, and when well furnished with its flower- 

 heads it is at least pretty. The leaves remain long on the tree after those of 

 P. persica have fallen. The largest inflorescences, with the surrounding 

 bracts, are sometimes 2 ins. across, especially those that open late. The 

 main crop is borne in April and May, but flowers continue to open inter- 

 mittently through the summer. The twigs are very tough and are largely 

 used for making rope bridges in the western Himalayas. The wood, too, is 

 useful in being hard and close-grained. 



P. PERSICA, C. A. Meyer. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 5744-) 



A deciduous tree, 30 to 40 ft. high, with a stout trunk from which the 

 smooth, grey bark comes away in flakes, as in the plane, and horizontal wide- 



PARROTIA JACQUEMONTIANA. 



spreading branches ; young twigs at first furnished with stellate hairs. Leaves 

 ovate, oblong or obovate ; 2i to 5 ins. long, I to 2^ ins. wide ; rounded or 

 tapering at the base, coarsely, shallowly and unevenly toothed, or merely 

 wavy towards the apex ; almost smooth above, sparsely furnished beneath 

 with stellate hairs ; stalk J in. long, downy. Flowers produced during March 

 in short clusters \ in. across, often terminal on short leafy twigs, and only 

 conspicuous for their numerous red stamens. Bracts brown and hairy outside, 

 green within, \ to \ in. long, ovate. Seed-vessels nutlike, opening. at the top ; 

 seeds in. long, bright brown, pointed at one end. 



Native of N. Persia to the Caucasus ; introduced to Kew about 1841. 

 The great charm of this tree is in the beautiful tints of gold and crimson its 

 foliage assumes in autumn. Few trees are so effective then. In the early 

 spring, too, when in flower, the numerous red-anthered stamens and rich 

 brown bracts give to the still leafless branches a hazy effect of red which is 

 very pleasing in sunshine. The species is very hardy, but unless trained up 

 in its early stages and its lower branches pruned away, it is apt to remain 



