520 SOPHORA 



S. JAPONICA, Linnceus. 



A deciduous tree, 50 to 80 ft. high, of rounded habit and branching low 

 down when growing in the open, but capable of forming a tall clean trunk 

 when close planted. Bark downy when young, smooth later and dark greenish 

 brown; on old trunks it is grey, and corrugated rather like an ash. Leaves 

 rich green, pinnate, 6 to 10 ins. long, composed of nine to fifteen leaflets, 

 ^hich are ovate or oval, I to 2 ins. long, half as wide, covered with small 

 appressed hairs beneafh. Flowers in terminal panicles 6 to 9 ins. long and 

 wide, creamy white, each about in. long; calyx \ in. long, bell-shaped, 

 green, shallowly toothed. Pod 2 to 3^ ins. long, smooth, one- to six-seeded ; 

 rarely seen in Britain, but developed in 1911. 



Native of China (not of Japan); introduced in 1753. It is one of the 

 most beautiful of all leguminous trees, although it does not flower in a young 

 state not commencing until thirty to forty years of age. Old trees flower 

 freely, especially after hot summers. The blossoms are not developed until 

 September, and in wet cold summers do not develop at all. They do not 

 fade on the tree, but drop off quite fresh, making the ground white beneath. 

 Perhaps the oldest tree in this country is at Kew a veteran planted in 1760, 

 whose branches are now held together by steel rods ; its short trunk is 13 ft. 

 in girth. , There is a fine tree in the gardens of Petit Trianon, but the finest 

 I have seen is in the old Botanic Garden at Schoenbrunn, near Vienna, 

 which is over 70 ft. high, 18 ft. in .girth of trunk, and its head of branches 

 105 ft. through. The species has purgative properties. 



Var. PENDULA. A very picturesque weeping tree with stiff, drooping 

 branches. It should be grafted on stocks of the ordinary form 10 or 15 ft. 

 high. An admirable lawn tree, or for forming a natural arbour. 



Var. VARIEGATA. Leaves margined with creamy white, but of little value. 



Var. viOLACEA, Carriere (S. violacea, Dippel}. This variety was introduced 

 from China to the Jardin des Plantes at Paris about 1858. Its flowers, 

 which appear later than those of S. japonica, have the wing-petals and keel 

 stained with rose-violet. A plant has been cultivated at Kew for many 

 years, and has set flower-buds several times, but usually too late in the 

 season to open well. In regard to leaf and young shoot it does not differ 

 materially from the type. (According to Henry the flowers of S., japonica, as 

 he saw them in China, vary a good deal in colour, some forms being white, 

 others yellow.) 



S. KOROLKOWI, Hort. (S. japonica var. Korolkowi, Henry). This is 

 probably only one of the several forms of S. japonica. The most notable 

 tree of the name is growing in the famous Arboretum at Segrez, in France. 

 I saw this tree in July 1904, and it was then covered with panicles of 

 unexpanded flowers. When open they are described as dull white. The 

 leaflets are longer than in japonica (fully 3 ins.), but narrower in proportion; 

 they are covered beneath with a very minute, close down. The young wood 

 too is more downy, and of a lighter colour. The tree at Segrez is over 

 30 ft. high, with its trunk about i ft. in diameter. 



S. MACROCARPA, Smith. 

 (Edwardsia chilensis, Miers.) 



An evergreen tree, 20 to 40 ft. high ; young wood covered with reddish 

 brown down. Leaves pinnate, 3 to 5 ins. long, composed of six and a half to 

 twelve and a half pairs of leaflets, which are f to i^ ins. long, to in. wide; 

 covered beneath and more or less above with reddish brown down. Flowers 

 in short axillary racemes, yellow, i to i| ins. long. Calyx | in. long, bell- 



