194 PIPTANTHUS PISTACIA 



PIPTANTHUS NEPALENSIS, Sweet. LEGUMINOS^l. 



A shrub or low tree with very pithy young shoots; naturally 8 to 12 

 ft. high, but growing taller against walls, where it is generally placed in 

 England. At Kew it is deciduous, but in milder climates it retains more 

 or less foliage during the winter. Leaves alternate, consisting of three 

 lanceolate, stalkless leaflets, 3 to 6 ins. long, about one-third as wide, 

 with a marginal nerve ; smooth except when quite young, dark green above, 

 glaucous beneath ; the common leaf-stalk i to 2 ins. long. Racemes stiff, 

 erect, 2 to 3 ins. long, and as much broad, hairy, and set with hairy bracts. 

 Flowers pea-shaped, ij ins. long, the stalk up to i in. long and, like the 

 brown calyx, very hairy ; petals bright yellow. Pod 3 to 5 ins. long, J in. 

 wide. 



Native of the Himalaya ; introduced to England in 1821. It thrives 

 well against a wall, where it flowers in May, but is not permanently hardy 

 in the open air at Kew. A shrub of exceptionally vigorous appearance, 

 it is, nevertheless, not long-lived. It is easily propagated by seeds, which 

 it ripens in quantity, and owing to its dislike of root disturbance should 

 be grown in pots until planted in permanence. Its flowering sprays 

 resemble thos"e of the herbaceous genus Thermopsis. Wilson has recently 

 introduced from China a Piptanthus almost or quite identical^ with 

 P. nepalensis which may, he thinks, prove hardier. 



PI STAC I A. MASTIC TREES. ANACARDIACE^E. 



A genus of deciduous or evergreen trees of considerable economic 

 importance in their native countries, but as a rule too tender to be of 

 much garden value in this. Two species may be grown without protection 

 in the open, viz., P. Terebinthus and P. chinensis, the latter, although 

 still rare, appears to be especially well adapted for our climate. The 

 leaves of Pistacia are either trifoliolate or pinnate, and the pinnate leaves 

 are either equally or unequally so. Flowers inconspicuous, and without 

 petals ; male and female flowers sometimes occur on separate trees. The 

 nearest ally in gardens to this genus is Rhus, from which Pistacia differs 

 in the absence of petals. 



The two species mentioned above may be grown in the open ground, 

 but for the rest it will be necessary to provide wall space. Any ordinary 

 garden soil suffices for them. 



The species of Pistacia may be arranged as follows : 



I. LEAVES EQUALLY PINNATE (without an odd terminal leaflet). 



Chinensis. Deciduous. 

 Lentiscus. Evergreen. 



II. LEAVES UNEQUALLY PINNATE. 

 Vera. Leaflets three or five ; large, downy. 



five to nine smooth - 



