Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Climbers 49 



Rosmarinus officinalis (ROSEMARY). A popular South European shrub, 

 6-8 ft. high, with narrow grey-green leaves, whitish beneath, and spikes of 

 whitish or pale-purple flowers. It grows well in ordinary soil in warm 

 sheltered spots, and may be raised from cuttings, layers, or seeds. The 

 oil is much used in perfumery. 



Rubus (BRAMBLE). Only a few of the 100 species of Bramble are 

 dealt in commercially. They are mostly of climbing or trailing habit, 

 and require the support of stakes, &c., but there are a few shrubby or 

 bushy kinds. One of the best of the latter is R. spectabilis, from North 

 America, 6-10 ft. high, with tri-foliolate serrate leaves, and deep rose- 

 purple flowers in April. R. biflorus (often called leucodermis) has con- 

 spicuous white stems. R. deliciosus (fig. 443) has white flowers and 

 Currant-like leaves. R. phcenicolasius is the 

 Japanese Wineberry, with pink flowers and 

 masses of delicious scarlet fruits. R. lacini- 

 atus, with ornamental deeply-cut leaves and 

 white or rosy flowers, is worth growing for 

 its fruits alone. The Common Blackberry 

 (R. fruticosus) is valued more as a fruit 

 than as an ornamental shrub. 



Ruscus aculeatus (BUTCHERS' BROOM). 

 A native evergreen plant with flattened leaf- 

 like branches or cladodes (see Vol. I, p. 41) 

 that bear the small greenish-white flowers, 

 which in the female plants are followed by 

 bright-red (or rarely yellow) berries. R. 

 Hypoglossum grows up to 18 in. high; and 

 R. racemosus (Dancea Laurus), the Alexan- 

 drian Laurel, is a fine Portuguese evergreen, 3-4 ft. high, with glossy dark- 

 green " foliage ". These plants grow well beneath tall deciduous trees and 

 in shrubberies in any garden soil, and are increased by layers, suckers, 

 or seeds. Artificially dyed sprays are used in floral work. 



Salix ( WILLOW). All the Willows are valuable ornamentally and 

 economically, and possess the advantage of growing well in almost any 

 soil, although they prefer a moist loam to develop thoroughly. The 

 White or Huntingdon Willow (S. alba), a moisture-loving species, is well 

 known on account of its silky white leaves. The variety ccerulea prob- 

 ably produces the finest cricket-bat wood known; while vitellina, with 

 yellow- and red-barked forms, supplies the Golden Osiers. The Crack 

 Willow or Withy (S. fragilis) grows up to 90 ft. high, and has narrow 

 glossy leaves. The timber is good for cricket bats. The Bedford Willow 

 is a form known as Russelliana. The Goat Willow or Sallow (S. Caprea) 

 is a shrubby plant with roundish wrinkled leaves. The small plants 

 furnish the "Palms" for Palm Sunday, and the Pussy Willows of school- 

 boys. The variety pendula is the " Kilmarnock Weeping Willow". 

 S. pentandra, 20 ft., with broad smooth glossy leaves, is the Bay Willow; 



Fig. 443. Rubus deliciosus. (?.) 



VOL. IV. 



