ARBUTUS 



Arbutus, Linnaeus, Gen. PI. 123 (1737); Bentham et Hooker, Gen. PL ii. 581 (1876). 

 Unedo, Hoffmannsegg et Link, Fl. Port. i. 415 (1809). 



Evergreen trees or shrubs, belonging to the order Ericaceae. Leaves simple, 

 alternate, spirally arranged on the branchlets, coriaceous, persistent, stalked, 

 pinnately-veined, entire or serrate, without stipules. Buds with spirally imbricated 

 scales, within which the young leaves lie flat and are not rolled or folded. Flowers 

 perfect, regular, in terminal compound racemes or panicles. Pedicel with two 

 bracteoles, in the axil of an ovate bract ; bracts and bracteoles scarious, persistent. 

 Calyx five-lobed, free, persistent, unaltered at the base of the fruit. Corolla 

 gamopetalous, hypogynous, urceolate or globose, with five obtuse, recurved, 

 imbricated teeth. Stamens ten, included ; filaments free, inserted on the base of 

 the corolla, dilated and pilose at the base ; anthers deflexed, dorsifixed, two-celled, 

 opening by two pores, each anther with two awns on the back, against which insects 

 knock in their search for honey and scatter the pollen through the pores. Pollen- 

 grains united in tetrahedral masses of four grains each. Disc annular. Ovary 

 superior, five- or occasionally four-celled ; style columnar, stigmatose and obscurely 

 five-lobed at the apex ; ovules numerous. Fruit a berry or drupe, the endocarp often 

 being imperfectly developed. Seeds numerous, small, angled, with a coriaceous 

 testa and a horny albumen. 



About twenty species are known, inhabiting the western and south-western 

 parts of North America, Central America, Ireland, the countries in Europe 

 bordering upon the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Algeria, Asia 

 Minor, the Crimea, and the Caucasus. Many of the species are only shrubs or 

 very small trees, and others are not hardy or have not been introduced. Only four 

 species ^ attaining a considerable size in cultivation in the open air in England, one 

 of which is a hybrid, will be dealt with : 



A. Leaves serrate. Young branchlets glandular-pubescent. 



I. Arbutus Unedo, Linnaeus. Ireland, Southern Europe, Asia Minor, Morocco, and 

 Algeria. 

 Leaves green beneath ; petiole \ inch. Older branchlets dark brown, rough, 

 and fissuring. 



Arbutus canariensis, Lamarck, growing in the open air, is five feet high at Mount Usher in Wicklow ; but at Newry 

 this species requires protection in winter. 



Arbutus arizonica, Sargent, a native of the high mountains of Southern Arizona, if introduced, might be hardy. 



