STEWARTIA 



STEWARTIA 



3241 



connate: fr. a woody, usually hirsute caps., loculicidally 

 dehiscent into 5 valves; seeds 1-4 in each Ipcule, com- 

 pressed, usually narrowly winged. Six species in E. N. 

 Amer. and E. Asia. 



The stewartias are very desirable ornamental plants, 

 with handsome bright green, rather large foliage which 

 turn? deep vinous red or orange and scarlet in 

 fall; they are very attractive in midsummer with 

 their white cup-shaped flowers, which are in size 

 hardly surpassed by any others of our hardier 

 shrubs. S. pentagyna and S. Pseudo-Camellia are 

 hardy as far north as Massachusetts, while S. 

 Malachodendron is tender north of Washington, 

 D. C. They thrive best in deep, rich, moderately 

 moist and porous soil, preferring a mixture of 

 peat and loam, and, at least in more northern 

 regions, a warm, sunny position. Propagation 

 is by seeds sown soon after maturity and by 

 layers; also by cuttings of half -ripened or almost 

 ripened wood in late summer under glass. 



A. Styles united; petals always 5. 

 B. Stamens purple, spreading: caps, subglobose. 



Malachodendron, Linn. (S. virginica, Cav.). 

 Shrub, 6-12 ft. high: Ivs. oval to oval-oblong, 

 acute at both ends, serrulate, light green, pubes- 

 cent beneath, 2^-4 in. long: fls. 3-4 in. across, 

 with obovate spreading petals: seeds wingless, 

 shining. May, June (July and Aug. in the N.). 

 Va. and Ark. to Fla. and La. Gn. 14:136; 18, p. 

 628; 34, p. 280. G.C. II. 8:433; III. 42:32; 44: 

 132. F.S.R. 1, p. 71; 3, p. 264. G. 29:309. B.M. 8145. 

 This is one of the showiest species, but tender. 



BB. Stamens with whitish filaments, incurved: caps, 

 ovate, pointed. 



c. Bracts beneath the calyx large and If. -like. 



sinensis, Rehd. & Wilson. Shrub or tree, to 30 ft.: 

 Ivs. oblong-elliptic to elliptic-obovate, acuminate, ser- 

 rulate, glabrous or sparingly pubescent beneath, 2-4 

 in. long: fls. with large serrulate or entire bracts at the 



base, white, 2 in. across; stamens connate at the base, 



Sibescent: fr. subglobose, pointed, %in. across. Cent, 

 hina. 



monadelpha, Sieb. & Zucc. Shrub or small tree: Ivs. 

 oval to oval-oblong, acute at both ends, remotely serru- 

 late, slightly pubescent beneath, light green, 



3693 



Camellia. 



3694. Stewartia pentagyna. (XH) 



long: fls. white, l^i'm. across, with flat, spreading, obo- 

 vate petals; stamens connate at the base; anthers 

 violet: fr. about Kin. across. Japan. S.Z. 1:96. This 

 is the least desirable species and probably as tender as 

 the preceding; it is doubtful whether it is in cult. Plants 

 intro. under this name seen by the writer proved to be 

 S. Pseudo-Camellia. Also the closely allied S. serrdta, 

 Maxim., differing in its glabrous Ivs. and larger fls. with 

 serrate sepals and distinct stamens is apparently not yet 

 intro. 



cc. Bracts small, shorter than calyx. 

 Pseudo-Camellia, Maxim. (S. grandiflora, Briot. S. 

 japonica var. grandiflora, Hort.). Fig. 3693. Shrub, 

 with upright branches, or tree attaining 50 ft. or more in 

 Japan: trunk with smooth red bark, peeling off in larger 

 thin flakes: Ivs. elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, acute at 

 both ends, or often acuminate at the apex, thickish, 

 bright green, glabrous or nearly so beneath, 1^-3 in. 

 long: fls. hemispherical, 2-2 J^ in. across; petals almost 

 orbicular, concave, silky-pubescent outside; anthers 

 orange-colored : seeds 2-4 in each cell, narrowly winged, 

 dull. July, Aug. Japan. B.M. 7045. R.H. 1879:430. 

 G.C. III. 4:187. Gn. 43:172. G.F. 9:35 (adapted in 

 Fig. 3693). M.D.G. 1900:480. R.B. 28, p. 81. F.S.R. 

 3, p. 263. J.H. III. 54:57. S.I.F. 1:73. 



AA. Styles 5, distinct: petals often 6. 

 pentagyna, L'Her. (Malachodendron ovatum, Cav.). 

 Fig. 3694. Shrub, 6-15 ft. high: Ivs. ovate to oblong- 

 ovate, acuminate, usually rounded at base, remotely 

 serrate, sparingly pubescent and grayish green beneath, 

 2^-5 in. long: fls. cup-ehaped, 2-3 in. across; petals 

 obovate, with wavy crenulate margin; stamens white, 

 with orange-yellow anthers: caps, ovate, pointed, 

 sharply 5-angled; seeds narrowly winged. July, Aug. 

 N. C. and Ga. to Tenn. and Fla. B.M. 3918. B.R. 

 1104. M.D.G. 1900:479. H.U. 3, p. 366. This shrub 

 is handsomer than the preceding species and as hardy. 

 Var. grandiflora, Bean. Fls. 4-4^ in. across, with pur- 

 ple stamens. A very desirable variety which was found 

 along with the yellow-stamened one in the woods of 

 Ga. ; the flowers are as beautiful as those of S. Mala- 

 chodendron, and the plant is much hardier. 



ALFRED REHDER. 



