ARISTOLOCHIA 207 



summer it sends up shoots 8 to 10 ft. high, which flower from June to August. 

 It ripens seed with Canon Ellacombe at Bitton, near Bristol. From all 

 the other species here mentioned it is distinguished by the smooth, glossy 

 leaves. 



A. CALIFORNICA, Torrey. 



A vigorous, decidudus climber, with twining, downy stems, 10 ft. or more 

 high. Leaves heart-shaped, rounded or blunt-pointed at the apex, 3 to 8 ins. 

 long, nearly as wide ; downy on both sides ; stalk downy, I to 2 ins. long. 

 Flowers solitary on slender, downy stalks i in. long, with a tiny ovate bract at 

 mid-length. Calyx tubular, inflated, about 2 ins. long, bent double, about f in. 

 wide at the bend ; downy, slightly contracted at the mouth, where are three 

 slightly expanding lobes, dull purple. 



Native of California ; introduced to Kew in 1877 by Sir Joseph Hooker, 

 who had collected it at Chico. In foliage it is similar to A. tomentosa, the 

 leaves remaining downy until they fall, but not so markedly so. The flower, 

 too, is less downy, larger, broader, and more inflated. A. Sipho differs from 

 both in its smooth flowers, with a large bract on the stalk. 



A. HETEROPHYLLA, Hemsley. 



A rambling or climbing, half-woody, deciduous shrub, whose young shoots 

 and leaves are covered with fine down ; buds hairy. Leaves narrowly to 

 broadly ovate, with a heart-shaped base, or sometimes with a shallow or 

 prominent rounded lobe at each side near the base ; pointed, i^ to 4 ins. long, 

 f to 2 ins. wide, dull green ; leaf-stalk \ to I in. long. Flowers solitary on 

 almost smooth stalks i^ to 2 ins. long, which spring from the leaf-axils singly 

 or in pairs, and are furnished near the base with a leaf-like, heart-shaped bract. 

 The flower has the typical "Dutchman's pipe" shape characteristic of the 

 genus, the tube being about 2 ins. long, yellow, downy, the terminal part 

 sharply curved upwards ; the orifice is \ in. diameter, bright yellow inside. 

 The spreading part of the flower is lurid purple, almost black, the lower lobe 

 rounded, the two side ones given a pointed shape by the curling back of the 

 margins. Flowers in June. Fruit 2 to 2^ ins. long, i in. wide, six-ribbed. 



Native of W. China ; introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1904. It 

 is quite hardy in the Coombe Wood nursery. The flowers are pretty and 

 striking, and the plant a decided curiosity. 



A. MOUPINENSIS, Franchet. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 8325.) 



A deciduous climber, of vigorous habit, with downy stems. Leaves heart- 

 shaped, usually pointed at the apex, 2^ to 5 ins. long, three-fourths as wide ; 

 covered beneath with down, slightly downy above ; stalk i to 2 ins. long, downy. 

 Flowers solitary, produced in June from the joints of the stem, on slender, 

 pendulous, slightly downy stalks about 2 ins. long. Calyx \\ ins. long ; the 

 tube inflated, i in. wide, somewhat flattened, downy, pale green, much bent 

 back so as to expose the yellow mouth and three spreading lobes, which are 

 yellow, dotted with purplish red, greenish towards the margin. Seed-vessel 

 3 ins. long, i j ins. wide, with six ridges. 



Native of W. China ; discovered by the Abbe David in 1886, but first 

 introduced to cultivation by Wilson in 1903, and flowered in the Coombe Wood 

 nursery in 1908. It appears to be quite hardy, and, although not showy, is 

 well worth growing for its prettily coloured, quaintly formed flowers. 



