SPIRAEA 543 



mostly tapering, sometimes rounded at the base; irregularly and rather 

 jaggedly toothed except near the base; green, downy on the veins above, 

 covered with a dull greyish, close down beneath. Flowers bright rose, 

 'produced during July, and densely crowded in broad, corymbose panicles 

 which form an inflorescence 3 to 10 ins. across, terminating the shoot of the 

 year; flower-stalks and calyx grey-felted. 



A hybrid between japonica and Douglasii, first described by K. Koch 

 under the above name in 1857. Two years later it was sent to Kew by 

 Mr Chas. Noble of Bagshot, and named Nobleana by Sir Wm. Hooker. In 

 an accompanying letter, still preserved at Kew, Mr Noble states that it had 

 been raised from a plant of Douglasii growing by the side of one of japonica. 

 Hooker nevertheless identified it with a Spiraea that had been collected by 

 W. Lobb in California; and for many years S. Nobleana was regarded as a 

 native of that state. There is no doubt, however, that Lobb's plant is 

 different, and that Noble's plant had the origin he indicated. It appears to 

 have also been raised about the same time independently at Paris and 

 Woking. 



The Californian plant wrongly identified with S. Sanssouciana by Hooker 

 is apparently a natural hybrid between S. Douglasii and perhaps S. densiflora, 

 Nut tall (S. SPLENDENS, Baumanri). 



S. SORBIFOLIA, Linnaus. 



(Sorbaria sorbifolia, A. Braun.) 



A shrub 3 to 6 ft. high, which suckers freely; stems erect> very pithy, 

 varying from nearly smooth to dow y ny. Leaves 8 to 12 ins. long, composed 

 of thirteen to twenty-five leaflets, which are lanceolate, 2 to 3^ ins. long, 

 | to i in. wide; sharply and conspicuously double-toothed, green on both 

 sides ; usually quite smooth above and the same beneath. Flowers ^ in. 

 across, white, produced during July and August in a stiff erect raceme 6 to 

 10 ins. high; flower-stalks downy and glandular; ovaries smooth or nearly so. 



Native of N. Asia from the Ural Mountains to Japan; introduced in 1759. 

 It is distinguished from its near allies S. Lindleyana and S. Aitchisoni by 

 its comparatively dwarf, stiff habit, and narrower, stiffer flower-panicles. 

 Grown in rich soil it makes a handsome shrub. 



Var. ALPINA, Pallas ( Sorbaria alpina, Dippel ; S. grandiflora, Maximowicz). 

 This is distinguished from the typical S. sorbifolia by its dwarf habit (i to 

 3 ft. high), fewer and shorter leaflets with somewhat blunter teeth, and by 

 the larger flowers (^ to f in. across). 



Nearly allied to S. sorbifolia is S. STELLIPILA, which differs chiefly in 

 the leaves being clothed with stellate hairs beneath, and in the downy ovaries. 

 In habit and leaf form it resembles S. sorbifolia. Native of Japan. 



S/THUNBERGII, Siebold. 



A shrub 3 to 5 ft. high, often more in diameter, of very "twiggy, bushy 

 habit ; branchlets slender, angled, downy. Leaves linear-lanceolate, I to 

 \\ ins. long, to in. wide; taper-pointed, the margins set with a few 

 incurved teeth, smooth and pale green on both sides. Flowers pure white, 

 J in. across, produced on the leafless, wiry twigs during March and April in 

 clusters of two to five, each flower on a smooth, slender stalk, J to in. 

 long; calyx shallow, smooth. 



Native of China ; but first introduced from Japan, of which country, 

 however, it is doubtfully native. This is the earliest of all the Spiraeas to 

 flower in the open, and in ordinary seasons is at its best by the middle of 

 April. The fascicles of blossom spring directly from the shoots made the. 



