ASTILBE 



ASTILBE 



423 



3. grandis, Stapf. St. 4-6 ft. : Ivs. ternately pinnate 

 or 3-pinnate; Ifts. ovate to oblong-ovate, doubly ser- 

 rate, 2-4 in. long, slightly hairy, petiole hairy: panicle 

 2-3 ft. long with spreading branches; fls. crowded, 

 petals 3 times as long as calvx, stamens longer than 

 petals. July. Cent. China. G.C. III. 38:426. R.B. 

 33:232. 



cc. Stamens shorter than petals: st. 1-4 ft. 



D. Lfts. distinctly cuneate at the base: petals about twice 



as long as calyx. 



4. japonica, Gray {Holeia japdnica, Morr. & Decne. 

 H. barbdta, IVIorr. & Decne. iSptVsa japdnica, Hort.). 

 Fig. 428. Erect, 1-3 ft., hairy on the petioles and nodes: 

 Ivs. 3-2-ternate, petiole reddish; lfts. ovate-acute, 

 tapering to the base, serrate: fls. white, in a pubescent 

 racemose panicle with .somewhat recurved branches; 

 sepals obtusish, as long or slightly longer than pistils. 

 Japan. B.M. 3821. On. 48, p. 366. Mn. .5:174.— Com- 

 monly known as a spring glasshouse plant in this coun- 

 try, but hardy in the open. There are various cult, 

 forms, as var. grandiflora, Hort., with larger and denser 

 panicle; var. compacta, Hort., the panicle more com- 

 pact; var. multifiora, Hort.; var. variegata, Hort., with 

 variegated Ivs.; var. purp&rea, Hort., 

 with purple-shaded foliage. 



DD. Lfts. rounded at the base or occasion- 

 ally broadly cuneate: petals 2]Ar4 times 

 as long as calyx. 



5. Lemoinei, Lemoine. Foliage grace- 

 ful, standing 1 J 2 ft. high, with lfts. broad- 

 oval, dentate and crimped, satiny green, 

 hairy: fls. with white petals and 10 pink 

 stamens, very- numerous, in plume-like 

 clusters, disposed in panicles IH ft. long. 

 Gn. 48, p. 3.55. R.H. 1895, p. 567. A.F. 

 11:459. — Garden plant, a hybrid of A. 

 Thunbergii and A. astilboides. Hardy, and 

 forces well. 



6. astilboides, Lemoine (Spirka astilboides, Moore. 

 Spirssa Aruncus var. astilboides, Hort., not Maxim. A. 

 aruncoides, Lemoine). Fig. 429. St. 2-3 ft.: Ivs. 2-3- 

 pinnate; lfts. ovate to ovate-oblong, 1-2'/^ in. long, 

 doubly and sharply serrate, hairy: fls. white, crowded 

 in dense spikes, forming a panicle, with straight spread- 

 ing branches; sepals acutish, shorter than pistils; petals 

 linear-oblong, at least 2)2 times as long as sepals. 

 Intro, from Japan. G.C. II. 14:113. — Var. floribunda, 

 is supposed to be a cross of this species and A.japo7iica. 



7. Thunbergii, Miq. St. 1-2 ft.: Ivs. 2-3-pinnate, the 

 lfts. slender-stalked, ovate, l}2-33-'2 in. long, serrate, 

 j'ellowish green, hairy: fls. white, on reddish stalks, 

 often changing to pink, in clusters on rather slender 

 spikes forming a spreading panicle; petals 2}^ times as 

 long as the calyx. Japan. F.M. 1881:457. R.H. 1895, 

 p. 565. — A graceful plant. Forces well. 



8. chinensis, Franch. & Sav. (Hot'eia chinensis, 

 Maxim.). Plant 1^2-2 ft., graceful: Ivs. ternately 2-3- 

 pinnate; lfts. ovate-lanceolate, doubly serrate, 2-.3J-2 in. 

 long, hairy: fk. in a branchy, rather narrow panicle; 

 petals linear-spatulate, white, 3 or 4 times as long as 

 the yellowish white or pink calvx; stamens lilac; 

 anthers blue. July. China. M.D.G. 1907:. 547.— Pos- 

 sibly a form of the preceding. 



9. rdsea, Van Waveren & Kruijft (A. hybrida rosea, 

 Arendsj. .\ hybrid between A. chinensis and A. ja- 

 ponica. Similar to .4. japonica in habit, but fls. pinkish. 

 The two best known forms are var. Peach Blossom, with 

 lighter pink fls., R.H. 1908, p. 341, and var. Queen 

 Alexandra, with deeper pink fls. M.D.G. 1911:53. 



AA. Color of petals pink. 



10. Davidii, Henry (.1. chirten.sis var. Ddvidii, 

 Franch.). .St. 4-6 ft.: Ivs. ternately pinnate or bii)in- 

 nate; lfts. ovate to ovate-oblong, 1-1 J 2 in. long, coarsely 



and unequally serrate: panicle about 2 ft. long, narrow, 

 with ascending, spike-like slender branches, the lower 

 4-5 in. long; fls. nearly sessile, crowded, fascicled, 

 bright rose-pink; petals linear; stamens 10, shorter than 

 petals with violet filaments and dark blue anthers. 

 July. N. and Cent. China. B.M. 7880. G.C. III. 

 ^ 32 : 103. R. H. 



1907:40. Gn. 

 72, p. 179. M. 

 D.G. 1907:545. 



11. rubella, 

 Lemoine. A hy- 

 brid between A. 

 Lemoinei and A. 

 Davidii (or A. 

 LemoineixA. 

 chinensis x A . 

 Davidii). Similar 

 to A. Lemoinei, 

 but fls. rose-col- 

 ored; panicle 

 more compact 

 than in A. Da- 

 vidii. R.B.34:28. 

 — Other forms 

 of the same parentage are var. 

 rutilans, Rehd. {A.rutilans, Le- 

 moine), with rosy-carmine fls. 

 and white stamens, and var. 

 carminea, Rehd. (A. carminea, 

 Lemoine), with violet-carmine 

 fls. ; also Crepuscule, with flesh- 

 colored fls.; Lumineux, with 

 rosy carmine fls. changing to 

 pink, plant over 3 ft. high; 

 Magenta, with carmine fls.; 

 Solferino, with violet-pink fls.; 

 and Titien, with delicate pink 

 fls., plant over 3 ft. high. A 

 series of hybrids of A. Davidii 

 with different species has been 

 put into the trade under the 

 collective name of A. Arendsii, 

 Arends. M.D.G. 1907:546. 

 These comprise the following 

 crosses : A . Damdii x A . astilboi- 

 des, with rosy-lilac fls. in loose and graceful feathery 

 panicles; stamens and petals much exceeding the 

 sepals; here belong the varieties Juno, with purplish 

 pink fls., plant over 3 ft. high; Venus, also with pur- 

 phsh pink fls.; Vesta, with ro.sy hlac fls.; and Ceres, 

 with lilac-pink fls. A. Davidii x A. japonica, with 

 creamy white to pale pink or salmon fls. in dense spikes; 

 petals and the pink stamens not much exceeding the 

 sepals; here belongs Rose Perle. A. Davidii x A. rosea, 

 similar to A. japonica in habit, with purplish pink to 

 salmon or nearly white fls.; this cross may be classed 

 with A. rubella. A. Davidii xA. Thunbergii, taller, 4-5 

 ft. high with large feathery panicles, their branches 

 nodding at the tips: fls. pale pink to white. 



12. rfibra, Hook. & Thoms. St. simple, 4-6 ft., long- 

 hairy: Ivs. 2-ternate; lfts. oblique-ovate, more or less 

 cordate, 1-3 in. long, sharp-serrate: fls. numerous, rose- 

 red, in compact, robust panicles, with the main branches 

 erect and numerous short lateral branchlets about 1 

 in. long; stamens 10, shorter than petals. India. B.M. 

 4959. — Needs protection. Little known in Amer. 



A. crenatilohata, Small (A. dccandra crenatilobata, Brit.). Allied 

 to A. decandra. Lfts. creiiatcly toothed, the terminal one usually 

 3-Iobed. N. C. — .4. simplirifCAui, .Makino. Low, not exceeding 1 ft.: 

 Ivs. simple, ovate, deeply lobt^d or incised, about 3 in. long: panicle 

 slender and narrow, the branches short, with star-like white fla. 

 Japan. G.C. IIL 48:2'.I4: r2:101.— .4. lirescens, Hutchins. 

 .Mlied to A. rivularis. Lfts. obliquely cordate-ovate, 3-4 in. long, 

 denticulate: panicles much branched with .-imall greenish white 

 fragrant fls.: petals wanting; stamens 10, China. 



Alfred Rehder.! 



