STYRAX 559 



preferring a sheltered spot and one, if possible, shaded from morning sun, 

 for the flower-buds and the young shoots are liable to injury by late spring 

 frosts. It should be given a light loamy soil to which either peat or leaf- 

 soil, or both, have been added. Apart from its susceptibility to late frost, 

 especially in low-lying situations, it is one of the most desirable of all hardy 

 trees of its type, and amply repays the trouble of preparing a suitable 

 medium for the roots, if that does not already exist. 



STYRAX JAPONICUM. 



S. OBASSIA, Siebold. 



(Dot. Mag., t. 7039.) 



A small deciduous tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, of rather narrow proportions; 

 young wood covered at first with tufted hairs, soon smooth. Leaves broadly 

 oval or almost round, 3 to 8 ins. long, and from two-thirds to as much wide; 

 distantly toothed, except near the base ; upper surface deep green and 

 smooth except on the veins, the lower surface densely clothed with velvety 

 tufted down ; stalk \ to I in. long, the base enclosing the bud. Flowers 

 fragrant, about I in. long, pure white, drooping, produced in June on terminal 

 racemes 6 to 8 ins. long, each flower on a downy stalk \ in. long; the 

 common stalk is almost smooth. Corolla deeply five-lobed, the lobes about 

 | in. long, \ in. wide, minutely downy. Calyx between funnel- and bell- 

 shaped, from five- to ten-lobed, downy, \ in. long, persistent and enlarging 

 with the fruit, which is egg-shaped, about f in. long, velvety. 



Native of Japan; introduced for Messrs Veitch in 1879 by Maries. This 

 is one of the most beautiful and striking even of Japanese flowering trees. 

 It has grown to over 20 ft. high in the Coombe Wood nursery, but needs a 

 sheltered spot. For newly planter! specimens it is an advantage if peat and 

 leaf-soil is mixed with the ordinary soil. It grows slowly in our climate, 

 and abhors dryness at the root. 



S. OFFICINALE, Linnczus. STORAX. 



Repeated experiment has shown that it is useless to attempt to grow this 

 beautiful shrub without protection near London. Against a south wall it 

 may grow and thrive for some years, but even there is not permanently safe. 

 Consequently, although introduced in the sixteenth century, it is still very 

 rare. It is a shrub or small tree, 12 to 20 ft. high in nature, the young 

 shoots, leaves, and flower-stalks covered with whitish down. Leaves ovate, 

 often broadly so, and sometimes heart-shaped at the base. Flowers borne 

 in June in short terminal clusters of three to six orange-like, fragrant 

 blossoms ; each flower is \\ ins. wide, the six to eight divisions of the 



