XXVII. CALYCANTHA^CE^E : CALYCA r NTHUS. 



453 



Synonymts. Calycanthi sp. Lin., Lam., Willd. ; Biittnerm Du Ham. Arb., 1. p. 114., not of Lin. ; 

 Beurren'a Ehret Plot. t. 13.; Bastena Adans. Fam. 2. p. 294. ; Pompadoura Buchoz ; Caly- 

 canthe, Fr. ; Gewiirzstrauch (spice shrub), Kelch Blume, Ger. : Calicanto, Ital. 



Derivation. From kalux, a calyx, and anthos, a flower; the calyx is coloured, and resembles a 

 corolla. The name allspice was given to it by the inhabitants ox Carolina, from the strong aro- 

 matic smell of the bark. 



Gen. Char. Lobes of calyx disposed in many series, imbricate, lanceolate, 

 all somewhat coriaceous and coloured. Stamens unequal, deciduous, 

 12 outer ones fertile. Acfienia numerous. (Don's Mill.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; entire, coriaceous. 

 Flowers axillary, rising after the leaves, of a lurid purple colour, and 

 sweet-scented, as well as the bark and leaves. 



Deciduous shrubs, natives of North America ; propagated, in England, by 

 layers. DeCandolle states that the removal of the terminal leaf bud of a 

 shoot causes the production of two new flower buds ; and that by this practice 

 a succession of flowers, during the whole summer, may be obtained when 

 desirable. (Dec. Prod.} 



* 1. C. FLO'RIDUS L. The flowery Calycanthus, or Carolina Allspice. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 718. ; Nutt. Gen. Amer., 1. p. 312. ; Dec. Prod., 3. p. 2. : Don's Mill., 2- 



p. 652. 

 Synonymes. C. sterilis Walt. Car. 151.; sweet-scented Shrub, in Carolina ; common American 



Allspice ; Calycanthe de la Caroline, Fr. ; Carolinische Kelch Blume, Ger. ; Pompadur, Ital. 

 Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 503. ; Du Ham. Arb., 1. t. 45. ; Lam. 111., t. 446. f. 1. ; Guimp. Abb. 



Holz., t.4. ; ouryzg. 810. ; andj%. 811. showing the fruit. 



Spec. Char., $c. Wood 

 of the trunk, and es- 

 pecially of the root, 

 intensely camphor- 

 scented. Branches 

 spreading ; branchlets 

 tomentose. Leaves 

 oval, tomentose be- 

 neath. Flowers mostly 

 abortive. Fruit top- 

 shaped. (Dec. Prod.) 

 A dense orbiculate 

 bush. Carolina, on the 

 shaded banks of rivu- 



811. Calycantbus fldridus. lets> Heigh| . g ft ^ g ft> 



Introduced in 1726. Flowers dusky, purple, scented ; May to August. 

 Fruit brown, rarely seen in England. General aspect of the foliage, in 

 summer, dark brownish green. Decaying leaves bright yellow. Naked 

 young wood dark brown. 



Varieties. DeCandolle gives two forms of this species : 



* C. f. 1 oblongus, leaves oblong (Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2,, 3, p. 282.) ; and 



* C. f. 2 ovate*, leaves roundishly ovate (Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., 3. 



p. 282.). 



The following varieties are in Loddiges's Catalogue for 1836; and plants 

 of most of them are in their arboretum, and in that of the Horticultural 

 Society : 



^ C. f. 3 asplenifolius has cut leaves. 



* C. f. ^ferax has fertile flowers. 



& C. f. 5 glaucus has leaves somewhat glaucous. 



3fe C. f. 6 inodoms has flowers nearly scentless. 



36 C. f. 7 longifolius has elongated leaves. 



Sfc C. f. 8 variegatus has variegated leaves. 



The flowers grow singly on short peduncles at the extremity of the 

 branches ; they have two series of narrow thick sepals, which spread open, 

 and turn inward at the top, like those of the anemone or clematis. It thrives. 



G G 3 



812. C. flcjnck 



