FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 9 



pinky-white flowers. Of it there are two varieties, A. poli- 

 folia major and A. polifolia angustifolia, both well worthy 

 of culture for their neat habit and pretty flowers. Light 

 peaty soil suits its wants. 



Aralia (Araliaceae). See Fatsia. 



ARALIA MANDSHURICA (syn Dimorphanthus mandschuricus). 

 Manchuria, 1866. There is not much beauty about this 

 Chinese tree, for here it is but a big spiny stake, 10 feet to 

 12 feet high, with no branches, and a tuft of palm-like foliage 

 at the top. The flowers, however, are both large and con- 

 spicuous, and impart to the tree an interesting and novel 

 appearance about midsummer. They are individually 

 small, of a creamy-white colour, and produced in long, 

 umbellate racemes, which when fully developed, from 

 their weight and terminal position, are tilted gracefully 

 to one side. Usually the stem is spiny, with Horse Chest- 

 nut-like bark, while the terminal bud, from its large size, 

 as if all the energy of the plant was concentrated in the 

 tip, imparts a curious and somewhat ungainly appearance 

 to the tree. From its curious tropical appearance this 

 species is well worthy of a place in the shrubbery. It is 

 unmindful of soil, if that is of at all fair quality, and may 

 be said to be perfectly hardy over the greater part of the 

 country. 



A. MANDSHURid ALBO-MAEGiNATUs is a desirable variety 

 with an irregular silvery edging to the leaves. 



A. MAXIMOWICZII (Acanthopanax ricinifolium). Japan, 

 1874. A noble tree of elegant appearance, with spiral 

 stems, and large lobed leaves almost similar to those of 

 the castor-oil plant. The flowers are greenish-white, and 

 the tree succeeds best in dampish loam. 



A. SPINOSA. Angelica Tree. Virginia, 1688. Amongst 

 autumn-flowering shrubs this takes a high place, for in 

 mild seasons it blooms well into October. It grows about 



