SYRINGA 



SYRINGA 



3301 



June. W. China- B.M. 8423. A handsome and dis- 

 tinct species similar to S. pubescens; the deeper color 

 of the fls. is heightened by the purplish violet color of 

 the whole infl. 



7. affinis, L. Henry (S. oblata var. alba, Hort.). Slen- 

 der, loosely branched shrub; Ivs. broadly ovate, acumi- 

 nate, truncate at the base, finely pubescent while 

 voung, particularly on vigorous shoots, on flowering 

 pranchlets sometimes glabrous or nearly so, l^-2Vij 

 in. long and l%-2% in. broad: infl. slender and rather 

 loose, 4-5 H in. long: calyx distinctly 4-toothed; corolla 

 white, tube J^in. long. May. N. China. Var. Giraldii, 

 Schneid. (S. Giraldii, Lemoine, not S. Giraldiana, 

 Schneid.). Lvs. usually more densely pubescent while 

 young: infl. 5-6 in. long, fls. purplish lilac; rachis, pedi- 

 cels, and calyx purple-violet. N. W. China. R.H. 1909, 

 p. 335. The earliest of the lilacs to bloom and the fls. 

 do not suffer from frost as do those of S. oblata. Hy- 

 brids of var. Giraldii with S. vulgaris have been raised 

 recently by Lemoine, which flower nearly two weeks 

 before the earliest varieties of S. vulgaris; such are 

 ''Lamartine" with rose-mauve fls. and "Mirabeau" 

 with rosy lilac fls. 



8. oblita, Lindl. Shrub or small tree, 12 ft. high, 

 rather compact: Ivs. roundish ovate or renifonn, often 

 broader than long, cordate, short-acuminate, bright 

 green, their margins usually reddish while young, 

 2J^-^^ in. across: fls. pale lilac to purple-lilac, in dense 

 subglobose or pyramidal panicles, 3-5 in. long; pedicels 

 about as long as the distinctlv toothed calyx. May. N. 

 China. G.F. 1:221. A.G. 22:183. G.W. 5, p. 549. 

 B.M. 7806. G. 36:355. Next to the preceding species 

 the earliest to bloom and handsome in fall with its 

 vinous or russet-red foliage. A hybrid with the follow- 

 ing species is S. hyacinthiflSra, Rehd. Intermediate 

 between the parents, with broadly ovate Ivs., turning 

 purplish in fall. Only known in the double form, var. 

 plena, Lemoine. Many or perhaps most of the newer 

 double-fld. varieties have originated by recrossing this 

 form with varieties of S. I'ulgaris. 



9. vulgaris, Linn. Figs. 3758, 3761, 3762. Upright 

 shrub or small tree, 20 ft. high: Ivs. ovate, truncate or 

 slightly cordate, acuminate, bright green, 2-4 in. long: 

 fls. lilac, blue, purplish, or white, in large panicles. 

 May. S. E. Eu. to Caucasus and Afghanistan; some- 

 times escaped from gardens in the eastern states. B.M. 

 183. Gn. 53, p. 156. M.D.G. 1899:205. F.E. 22:5. 

 R.H. 1903, pp. 126^-128. The most important of the 

 older original varieties are the following: Var. alba, Ait., 

 branches yellowish gray: fls. white; buds yellowish 

 green; blooms a week earlier than the other varieties. 

 A.F. 12:1081. Var. caerulea, Ait. Fls. blue, in rather 

 loose panicles. Var. rubra, Loud. Fls. purplish red, in 

 large and rather dense panicles. Here belong also var. 

 marlyensis, Hort., and Charles X. Var. violacea, Ait. 

 Fls. violet-lilac, in rather loose panicles. Var. plena, 

 Hort. With double fls. There are several varieties with 

 variegated Ivs., but these are hardly worth cultivating. 



10. chinensis, Willd. (S. persica x S. ndgaris. S. 

 dubia, Pers. S. rothomagensis, Loud. S. vanna, Dum.- 

 Cours.). Shrub, attaining 12 ft., with slender, often 

 arching branches: Ivs. ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 2-4 in. long: fls. purple-lilac, red, or white, in large and 

 broad panicles. May. Originated in 1777 in Rouen, 

 France. R.H. 1883, p. 80. F. 1873, p. 76 (as S. persica). 

 G.M. 44:498; 50:431. Very free-flowering. Var. alba, 

 Loud., with white fls. Var. metensis, Simon-Louis, 

 with pale purplish fls. Var. saugeana, Loud. (var. 

 rubra, Lodd.), with deep purplish red fls. Var. duplex, 

 Lemoine, with double purplish lilac fls. 



11. persica, Linn. Fig. 3763. Shrub, attaining 5-10 

 ft., with slender, arching branches: Ivs. lanceolate, 

 acuminate, 1^2-3 in. long: fls. pale lilac or whitish, in 

 rather loose, broad panicles, about 3-4 in. long; pedicels 

 as long as or longer than calyx. May, June. Caucasus 



to Afghanistan. B.M. 486. Var. filba, Loud. (S. 

 Steencruysii, Hort.). Fls. white. Var. rubra, Hort. 

 Fls. red. Var. laciniata, Vahl (S. pteridifolia, S. filici- 

 /dJia, a_nd S. pinnata, Hort.). With pinnately lobed or 

 pinnatifid Ivs., of dwarfer habit and with smaller pani- 

 cles. R.H. 1878, pp. 452, 453; 1883, p. 80; 1901, pp. 

 40,41. 



Section LIGTJSTRINA. 



12. pekinensis, Rupr. (Ligtistrina amurensis var. 

 pekinensis, Maxim. Ligustrina pekinensis, Regel). 

 Large shrub, attaining 15 ft., with slender, spreading 



3763. Syringa persica, one of the common lilacs. ( X Jfl 



branches, brownish red when young: Ivs. ovate to ovate- 

 lanceolate, usually narrowed at the base, acuminate, 

 rather dark green above, pale or grayish green and 

 glabrous beneath, 24 in. long, 1-1 ^ in. broad: fls. yel- 

 lowish white in large glabrous panicles, usually in pairs 

 at the ends of branches; stamens about as long as limb. 

 June. N.China. G.F. 3: 165; 7:385. M.D.G. 1899:425. 

 Large shrub, of excellent habit, with handsome foliage 

 retained until late in fall; flowers profusely only when 

 older. Var. pendula, Hort. With very slender, pendu- 

 lous branches. 



13. amurensis, Rupr. (S. ligustrina, Hort. Liqfa- 

 trina amurensis var. mandshurica, Maxim. Ligustrina 

 amurensis, Regel). Shrub, attaining 12 ft., with spread- 

 ing or upright branches: Ivs. broadly ovate to ovate, 

 usually rounded at the base, bright green above, pale or 

 grayish green and glabrous beneath, 2-6 in. long, 

 l in. broad: fls. yellowish white, in large, rather 



loose glabrous panicles ; stamens almost twice as long as 

 limb. June. Manchuria. Gt. 12:3%; 45, p. 64. G.F. 

 2:271. Gn. 12, pp. 623, 624. R.H. 1877, pp. 453-155. 

 Sometimes cult, under the name of S. sibirica or S. 

 sibirica alba. 



14. japonica, Decne. (Ligustrina amurensis var. 

 japonica, Maxim.). Fig. 3764. Pyramidal tree, attain- 



