174 ^SCULUSAILANTHUS 



It has developed no fruit at Kew, and I understand from Mr Jouin, of Plantieres, 

 that it does not bear seed in the nursery. For public places this is an 

 advantage. 



M. TURBINATA, Blume. JAPANESE HORSE-CHESTNUT. 



A tree 80 to TOO ft. high in Japan, and said to have a trunk 20 ft. in girth ; 

 winter buds very resinous. Leaves like those of M Hippocastanum, con- 

 sisting of five to seven stalkless leaflets, but more regularly toothed and 

 tapering more gradually at the apex. On the small plants at Kew they are 

 obovate, and as much as 16 ins. long and 6 ins. wide, the whole leaf with its 

 stalk 27 ins. long. Panicles erect, 4 to 8 ins. high, with a stalk half as long. 

 Flowers f in. across, creamy white, produced two or three weeks later than 

 those of common horse-chestnut. Fruit without spines, but rough ; broadly 

 pear-shaped, 2 ins. wide near the top, tapering to a short, warted stalk. 



Native of Japan up to 5500 ft. altitude on the main island, also in Yezo. The 

 largest tree in this country, now 25 ft. high, is in the Coombe Wood nursery. 

 It flowered in 1901, which is the only recorded blossoming of the species in 

 England. It is very similar in general appearance to L. Hippocastanum, but 

 hitherto has grown much more slowly. It is distinguishable by the different 

 toothing of the leaf, still more so, of course, by the Pavia-like fruits. Mr 

 Elwes says that the timber of this tree, although lacking strength, often shows 

 a wavy figure, and is used in Japan for house fittings and articles of domestic 

 use. Little can be said of the value of the tree for gardens and parks, but it 

 would seem to be inferior to the common horse-chestnut in all respects except 

 in size of leaf. In that respect it is certainly the most striking of all. Young 

 trees are curiously stiff and sturdy in habit. 



AILANTHUS. SIMARUBACE^E. 



A group of tall trees with alternate, pinnate leaves, found in temperate 

 and tropical Asia. The flowers have no beauty, but the samaroid fruits 

 are often richly coloured, and add much to the attractiveness of trees 

 already very attractive in their fine, handsomely divided foliage. The two 

 species in cultivation thrive best in a rich, deep soil, and can be propagated 

 by suckers from the root, by root-suckers, and by grafting. 



A. GLANDULOSA, Desfontaines. TREE OF HEAVEN. 



A large, deciduous, often unisexual tree, frequently 50 to 70 ft., rarely 100 ft. 

 high, with a trunk 2 to 3 ft. in diameter, and a rounded head of branches. 

 The older bark is marked with numerous grey fissures. Leaves pinnate, from i to 

 i^ ft. long on adult trees (often twice as large on young ones), composed of fifteen 

 to over thirty leaflets, unpleasant smelling. Leaflets usually 3 to 6 ins. long, 

 ovate, pointed, often slightly heart-shaped at the base; the margin entire except 

 for one to three teeth on both sides near the base, each marked with a conspicuous 

 gland ; stalks j to $ in. long. Flowers in terminal panicles, with male and 

 female flowers as a rule on separate trees (but not always) ; greenish, the male 

 ones evil-smelling. The fruit consists of one to three, sometimes five, keys 

 like those of the ash, several hundreds of which are borne on large branching 

 panicles 9 to 12 ins. high and through. Each key (samara) is about ij ins. 

 long, \ in. wide, flat, thin, narrow-oblong, tapering towards both ends, with 

 one seed in the centre. The keys are reddish brown, and a tree in full fruit is 

 handsome. They have a peculiar twist at each end, which causes them to 



