VERONICA VIBURNUM 641 



^ in. wide; oval to obovate, pointed, tapered at the base to a short stalk, 

 dark glossy green, smooth; on the spreading branches the stalks of the 

 lower leaves are often twisted so as to bring the faces of all the leaves to 

 pretty much the same plane. Racemes in pairs towards the ends of the 

 shoots, ^ to i in. long, four- to eight-flowered; stalks downy. Flowers 

 white, j to ^ in. diameter; calyx-lobes narrow oblong, blunt, about half the 

 length of the seed-vessel. 



Native of the South Island of New Zealand, in mountainous districts up 

 to 4000 or 5000 ft. As represented at Kew this is one of the daintiest of 

 New Zealand veronicas and flowers freely. 



VIBURNUM. CAPRIFOLIACE^:. 



Few genera have received a greater accession of new material in 

 recent years than this chiefly through the exploration of Central and 

 W. China. In a recent enumeration of Viburnums from E. Asia, where 

 the genus has its headquarters, Mr Rehder included sixty-five species, 

 which, with others from India, Europe, and N. America, will bring the 

 total to over a hundred. Of these about one-third are grown in the 

 open air in Britain. The leading characteristics of the genus, which is 

 a well-marked one, are as follows : Shrubs, rarely small trees, either 

 deciduous or evergreen ; with opposite, simple leaves ; white or pinkish 

 flowers borne most frequently in flattish or rounded cymose clusters, or 

 sometimes in pyramidal panicles, always terminal. Corolla five-lobed, 

 spreading, bell-shaped or rarely tubular; calyx small, five-toothed; 

 stamens five. Fruit a one-seeded drupe, usually blue, black, or red. 



A curious feature of several species of Viburnum is the presence of 

 two distinct types of flower in the one inflorescence the one sterile and' 

 showy, consisting of a corolla without stamens or pistil, the other much 

 smaller but perfect and fertile. The function of the large sterile flower 

 is that of advertisement and to attract insects to the inflorescence. This 

 really represents an interesting and unusual division of labour, for most 

 insect-fertilised flowers do their own advertising by means of the petals 

 attached to the individual flower. In three species Opulus, macro- 

 cephalum, and tomentosum gardeners, by cultivation, have obtained 

 an inflorescence made up entirely of sterile blossoms, which represents 

 a striking increase in flower beauty. These phenomena are also exhibited 

 by several species of Hydrangea. 



Viburnums as a rule are of easy cultivation, but there are some 

 exceptions and some are not very hardy. They love moist conditions 

 and a deep, rich, loamy soil. V. alnifolium and V. furcatum are said 

 to love shade. So far as I know there is no Viburnum that cannot be 

 increased by means of cuttings, although some, like alnifolium, are better 

 from layers. Most of them take root easily if made of nearly ripe wood 

 in late July or August and placed in gentle bottom heat. 



V. ACERIFOLIUM, Linnaus. DOCKMACKIE. 



A deciduous bush 3 to 6 ft. high; young branches at first softly downy, 

 becoming smooth. Leaves maple-like, three-lobed; the side lobes with 



