APRIL. 



191 



Myrtus mu'ltiplex, communis, &c., are all hardy; the 

 former is a very desirable plant ; grows here with surprising 

 luxuriance. We have some plants seven feet high and eight 

 or ten in diameter, which in spring and autumn bear fine 

 trusses of flowers on the young wood, and are exceedingly 

 pretty, especially before they fully expand. 



Taxu3 chinensis or Chinese Yew. — If I mistake not, 

 Loudon called this plant Podocarpus macrophyllus ; be that 

 as it may it is a very desirable conifer for the south ; the dis- 

 tribution of its foliage resembles the Irish yew, but is broader, 

 stifFer, and stands more erect on the branches and is equally 

 persistent. The plant is of slow growth and straggling habit 

 naturally, but bears the knife well and can be pruned into a 

 very pretty bush. 



EuoNYMus japo'nica, var. variegata and fimbriata are all 

 hardy here : fimbriata has not been long enough out here 

 to speak of its merits : variegata is ten or twelve feet high, 

 and owing to its peculiar foliage is a rather conspicuous look- 

 ing object, and amongst other things has a fine effect, but at 

 times grows so rampant as to run entirely out of the variega- 

 tion: both varieties are proof against the effects of salt water; 

 hence its adaptation for planting near the sea coast. 



Vibu'rnum ti^nus and lu^cidum, are both hardy ; the former 

 is so well known and as it diff'ers nothing from those culti- 

 vated in greenhouses at the south, I need pass no remarks re- 

 garding it : lu^cidum is a very strong growing species with 

 large shining leaves ; the plant is of a spreading habit, some- 

 what like the laurels. There is one plant here about 15 feet 

 high and perhaps 12 in diameter, and when in flower presents 

 one complete mass of white ; but emits not a very agreeable 

 odor ; it has, however, a very grand appearance at a little 

 distance. 



Erobo'tyra japo'nica is a small tree, with very little that 

 is ornamental about it ; has large rough leaves, under side 

 downy ; it bears a raceme of insignificant flowers ; its fruit, 

 (about the size of a gooseberry) when ripe, is of an acid, 

 somewhat agreeable taste. 



Garde^nia flo'rida, and others of the genius, are hardy. 



