PLANTS OF BERMUDA. 49 



twisted in the bud ; stamens five, distinct, inserted on corolla ; 

 pollen, a granular powder; ovary superior, two -celled; fruit a 

 many-seeded pod. 



This order is represented in Bermuda by some very handsome 

 but poisonous shrubs, of which the Oleander may be taken as a type. 

 The Yellow Trumpet flower fCerboa ThercUa) is found in maii}^ 

 gardens and slirubberies. It is a tall, bushy shrub or small tree, 

 with bright glossy leaves somewhat resembling those of the Oleander, 

 but narrower and alternate; the yellow trumpet -shaped corolla is 

 two or three inches long, and the fruit (a two -seeded drupe) is very 

 poisonous. 



The Frangipani (Flumiera rubraj, locally called Red Jasmine, is 

 a small tree, also frequent in gardens, the thickened, cylindrical 

 branches terminating in clusters of large, alternate, oblong leaves, 

 and large red flowers. The white-flowered species (F. alia) is also 

 said to grow here, but I have not seen it. The Poor 3Ian's Rose 

 CVinca roseaj is a general favourite in cottage gardens, and scarcely 

 needs description ; the white and the red- eyed varieties are, how- 

 ever, seldom seen. 



I. NERIUM. 



1. N. oleander (Oleander). A bushy evergreen shrub, six to 

 twenty feet high, much branched from the base ; leaves narrow, 

 lanceolate, opposite or in threes, six inches long, one and a quarter 

 inches wide, glossy above ; corymbs terminal ; cal^'x small, tive- 

 toothed ; corolla salver- shaped, its throat furnished with a crown, 

 consisting of five fringed leaflets ; stamens short, inserted in middle 

 of corolla-tube, anthers adhering to stigma by their middle and fur- 

 nished with long, twisted, feathery appendages. Pods six to ten 

 inches long, very narrow, comparatively rare ; seeds with a feathery 

 pappus. Distribution, shores of Mediterranean, &c. 



The Oleander is said to have been only recently introduced into 

 Beimuda, but is now one of the most striking features in the land- 

 scape. In the months of June and July the hedges which line the 

 lanes and separate the fields are quite dazzling with the profusion 

 of its glorious blossoms, while the air is laden with their perfume : 

 they vary from white through various shades of pink and red to a 

 deep scarlet, which almost vies with the cardinal bird in brightness, 

 and gives a charming relief to the sombre monotony of the cedar 

 foliage. 



With all its beauty, however, the shrub is very poisonous, and 

 cattle are said to die from eating grass which has grown under its 

 branches ; accordingly attempts have been made to destroy it, but 

 this is by no means an easy task, and has not been very successful. 



Nat : Ord : 45. Asclepiadaceo' . 



An order of i)lants much resembling Apocyhaeea--, but with the 

 stamens usually united and adhering to the stigma, the pollen 

 cohering into wax-like masses. 



The Wax Plant (Hoya carnosaj is trained along verandahs, over 



