SHEPHERDIA-SINOFRANCHETIA 51 1 



stamens instead of four. It consists of three scaly N. American shrubs, 

 with male and female flowers separated on different plants, and both 

 inconspicuous. There is no corolla, and the calyx is of four divisions. 

 Fruit a berry. Named in honour of John Shepherd, curator of the 

 Liverpool Botanic Garden in the early part of the nineteenth century. 

 The third species, not mentioned below, is S. ROTUNDIFOLIA, Parry> an 

 evergreen shrub not in cultivation. 



S. ARGENTEA, Nuttall. BUFFALO BERRY. 



A deciduous shrub, 3 to 12 ft. high, with opposite, often spine-tipped 

 branchlets, covered when young with silvery scales. Leaves opposite, oblong, 

 with a rounded apex and wedge-shaped base ; f to 2 ins. long, \ to in. 

 wide ; covered with silvery scales beneath, less so above. Flowers ^ in. 

 across, produced in small clusters during March from the joints of the 

 previous year's growth ; calyx of four oblong green segments, of little or no 

 beauty. Fruit roundish egg-shaped, \ to J in. long, scarlet, acid but edible. 



Native of the central United States and Manitoba ; introduced in 1818. 

 As with its ally, Hippophae rhamnoides, it is necessary to have plants of both 

 sexes in order to obtain fruits, but these are rarely developed in this country. 

 There is great confusion in gardens between this shrub and Elasagnus 

 argentea. The latter, is often supplied for it, but is easily distinguished by 

 its invariably alternate, much broader leaves ; it is also more ornamental 

 than the Shepherdia, which has not much to recommend it in this country. 

 S. argentea differs from the following species in having narrower leaves with 

 a silvery upper surface, and in the thorn-tipped twigs. 



S, CANADENSIS, NuttalL 



A deciduous, unarmed shrub, up to 6 or 8 ft. high, of bushy habit; shoots 

 covered with brownish scales. Leaves ovate or oval, ^ to 2 ins. long, to 

 i in. wide; dull dark green above, and at first furnished with silvery starry 

 tufts of hairs especially along the midrib and veins; the under-surface densely 

 hairy, specked with numerous brownish scales; stalk \ to \ in. long. Fruit 

 yellowish red, egg-shaped, J in. long. 



Native of N. America, where it is widely spread both in the United 

 States and Canada; introduced in 1759, and originally named "Hippophae" 

 by Linnaeus. I have seen this shrub growing wild on the cliffs of the 

 Genesee River gorge in New York State, between Rochester and Lake 

 Ontario, loaded with its beautiful reddish fruits in July ; but in England 

 they are rarely developed. The shrub is interesting, and the singular aspect 

 of the under-surface of the leaf under the lens is worth notice, the thick 

 basis of silvery hair-tufts being interspersed with brown scales, each scale 

 with a dark, glistening, eye-like centre. 



SINOFRANCHETIA CHINENSIS, Hemsley. BERBERIDACE.E. 



A large deciduous climber, covering trees 40 ft. or more high, and 

 with a main stem frequently 3 or 4 ins. thick ; young branches twining, 

 covered with purplish bloom. Leaves composed of three leaflets, borne 

 at the end of a slender purplish stalk 6 to 9 ins. long. Side leaflets 

 obliquely ovate-elliptic ; terminal one broadly obovate, longer-stalked ; all 



