142 PHILLYREA 



leaves, toothed or entire, and small white or greenish flowers borne in 

 clusters in the leaf-axils of the previous ~ year's growths. Calyx and 

 corolla four-lobed; stamens two. Fruit a roundish oval, mostly one- 

 seeded drupe. 



They are all easily cultivated, and thrive in any soil that is of average 

 quality. Cuttings made of the current season's wood in July take root 

 readily. Except P. decora, they bear clipping well. 



P. ANGUSTIFOLIA, Linnceus. 



A shrub of dense habit, up to 10 ft. high, and occasionally more in 

 diameter ; branches minutely downy and slightly warted. Leaves linear, i to 

 2- ins. long, ^ to wide; tapering towards both ends, rarely toothed, dark dull 

 green ; smooth on both surfaces. Flowers fragrant, dull white, produced 

 during May and June in short axillary clusters \ in. or less long ; flower-stalks 

 minutely downy. Fruit blue-black, roundish-oval, in. long. 



Native of N. Africa and S. Europe; cultivated in England before 1597. 

 It is a neat, quite hardy evergreen, without any striking features, but easily 

 distinguished from all the rest by its entire, long, narrow leaves. 



Var. ROSMARINIFOLIA, Alton (P. rosmarinifolia, Miller). Leaves narrower 

 and smaller than those of the type, \ to -fy in. wide, and of a greyer, rather 

 glaucous shade. 



P. DECORA, Boissier. 



(P. Vilmoriniana, Boissier, Bot. Mag., t. 6800 ; P. laurifolia, Hort.) 



A rigidly branched shrub, 5 to 10 ft. high, more in diameter ; young shoots 

 slightly warted, but not downy. Leaves pointed, narrowly oval or oblong, 

 2 to 5 ins. long, to if ins. wide, tapering at the base ; of firm, almost hard 

 texture ; very dark, glossy green above, paler below. They are either quite 

 entire, or there are a few scattered teeth on the margins ; stalk ^ in. or less 

 long. Flowers about J in. across, pure white, crowded in dense, axillary 

 clusters, produced during April. Fruit oval, ^ in. long, borne on slender 

 stalks ^ in. long, ripe in September, first reddish, then blackish purple. 



Native of Lazistan, near the south-eastern coast of the Black Sea ; discovered 

 in 1866 by Balansa, and introduced to France by seeds the same year. The 

 first record I have of its flowering in this country is at Mr Waterer's nursery, 

 Knap Hill, in April 1883. It is the most striking of the Phillyreas, and very 

 distinct from the others in size and shape of leaf ; its flowers, top, are of a 

 purer white. Owing to its being grafted on privet (an evil practice) in the 

 early days of its cultivation, many of the plants were short-lived, and the 

 reputation of the plant suffered. Raised /from seeds or cuttings, it is quite 

 satisfactory. It is very hardy. There is some variation in the foliage, one 

 form being much narrower in leaf. 



P. LATIFOLIA. Linnceus. 



Of the three commonly grown Phillyreas from S. Europe, viz., this, 

 P. media, and P..angustifolia, the name latifolia is given to the one with 

 largest and broadest leaves. P. angustifolia is distinct enough, but I cannot 

 see that any definite distinction between P. latifolia and P. media can be 

 made ; there appears to be no gap between the largest leaves of P. media and 

 the smallest ones of P. latifolia; nor is there any other character discernible, as 

 they grow in this country, sufficient to separate them. The largest leaves of 

 what I regard as P. latifolia are ovate or roundish ovate \ 2 to 2^ ins. long, 



