330 HHAMNUS 



They are easily cultivated in any ordinary soil. Some do not strike 

 root readily from cuttings, but can be layered; seeds afford the best 

 means of propagation when obtainable. The best species for gardens 

 are : Alaternus, as a dense evergreen ; fallax and imeretina, for fine 

 foliage ; pumila and rupestris, as dwarf shrubs ; and Purshiana, for its 

 medicinal interest and as a handsome tree. 



R. ALATERNUS, Linnczus. 



An evergreen, sometimes unisexual shrub of rounded, bushy habit reaching 

 10 to 12 ft. in height, occasionally twice as high ; young branchlets covered with 

 a close, minute down. Leaves oval or oblong, sometimes inclined to obovate, 

 | to 2 ins. long, to I in. wide ; tapered at both ends and with a short abrupt 

 apex, margins thickened and more or less toothed, especially when young, 

 often conspicuously three-nerved at the base ; dark glossy green and smooth 

 except for some down on the lower part of the midrib above, and for tufts in 

 the lowermost vein-axils beneath ; chief veins two to five each side the midrib; 

 stalks \ to J in. long, downy. Flowers yellowish green, very small (| in. 

 diameter), crowded on short, axillary, umbel-like racemes, scarcely \ in. long, 

 expanding in April. Fruit black, in. long. 



Native of S.W. Europe ; introduced early in the seventeenth century, if 

 not before. The Alaternus is a useful, cheerful-looking evergreen of much the 

 same character as Phillyrea, but with 'alternate leaves. It has no beauty of 

 flower, and little of fruit, although the latter are occasionally produced in 

 such abundance as to be striking ; but it makes a dense mass of pleasant 

 greenery. Easily propagated by cuttings, and perfectly hardy. 



Var. ANGUSTIFOLIA (R. Perrieri, Hort.\& very distinct variety with 

 lanceolate or linear-oval, conspicuously toothed leaves, as long as those of 

 the type, but only from \ to f in. wide. There is a form of it with slightly 

 variegated leaves. This variety is so distinct that the older authors con- 

 sidered it specifically distinct from the ordinary R. Alaternus. It is the 

 R. angustifolia, Miller. In my experience it is not so hardy. 



Var. INTEGRIFOLIA. Leaves nearly always without teeth, and more con- 

 spicuously nerved than the type. 



Var. MACULATA. A poor form with leaves irregularly and sparsely .blotched 

 with yellow. 



Var. VARIEGATA. A form with leaves' intermediate in shape between 

 those of the type and var. angustifolia, often somewhat deformed. They are 

 conspicuously margined with creamy white. This is a really well-variegated 

 shrub, but is more tender than the type. 



R. ALNIFOLIA, LHeritier. 



A low deciduous shrub of spreading but compact habit, rarely more than 

 3 ft. high ; young shoots minutely downy. Leaves oval, tapered about equally 

 at both ends, rather prominently and unevenly round-toothed ; i^ to 4 ins. 

 long, | to 2 ins. wide ; smooth above, slightly downy on the veins beneath ; 

 veins in about six to eight pairs ; stalk \ to \ in. long, downy on the upper 

 side. Flowers yellow-green, produced usually in twos or threes ; petals absent ; 

 calyx lobes and stamens five. Fruit black, J in. across, roundish or top-shaped, 

 containing three seeds. 



Native of N. America, on both the eastern and western side \ introduced in 

 1778. A neat bush. 



