HANDSOME BARKS 73 



are perhaps the best. The character is displayed in a less marked degree 

 in R. lasiostyhiS) R. coreanus, -R. occidentalis^ R. thibetanus, and in our 

 native dewberry, R. casius. 



Of a different type of whiteness is the silvery hue of the birches, 

 amongst which the common B. verrucosa occupies a foremost place. 

 Perhaps even more silvery are the trunks of B. papyri/era and B. Ermani. 

 Others of a similar character are B. utilis and B. Jacquemontii. All 

 these give charming winter effects, especially in association with evergreens. 

 Several birches, especially when- young, have rich reddish or yellowish 

 brown bark, like B. lutea and B. ocddentalis ; so also has Prunus Maackii. 



A beautiful and striking bark is that seen in Acer pennsylvanicum 

 (Moose-wood). On branches two or more years old the bark 

 becomes striped with conspicuous, jagged, blue -white lines. Quite 

 similar is the bark of the new Chinese species A. Davidii and the 

 Japanese A. cratagifolium. The young shoots of a form of Moose-wood 

 (var. erythrodaduni) turn a rich red after the leaves have fallen. On fine 

 winter days the red twigs of Alnus incana var. ramulis coccineis give a 

 pretty glow, enhanced later by the red of the catkin scales. The yellow- 

 barked variety of the common ash stands out quite distinctly among its 

 fellows in winter. It retains its colour on branches several inches in 

 circumference. A lime with golden yellow twigs is Tilia platyphyllos 

 var. aurantia. 



There are several shrubs whose young shoots retain a vivid green or 

 brown during their first winter. Amongst them are the kerrias and 

 stephanandras ; but although very pleasing as an addition to their other 

 beauties, the colour of their stems scarcely justifies special plantings of 

 the species. 



