ASCYRUM ASTRAGALUS 221 



(Hypericum), but readily distinguishable by having four sepals and four 

 petals instead of five. This species is grown in the rock garden at 

 Kew, where it flowers from July to September; it likes a light, loamy 

 soil, and can be increased by cuttings taken in July. It appears to be 

 a rather delicate plant, or perhaps naturally short-lived, for which reason 

 it is advisable to renew the stock from seed occasionally. 



ASIMINA TRILOBA, Dunal. PAPAW. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 5854.) 



A robust, deciduous shrub in this country, but developing into a small 

 tree in the south-eastern United States. Leaves alternate, obovate, 

 pointed, short-stalked, 4 to 8 ins. long, smooth except when quite young. 

 Flowers produced singly on the wood of the previous year, during June. 

 Calyx three-lobed; each lobe J in. long, ovate, downy outside. Petals 

 six, of a dull lurid purple, the outer three much the larger, roundish, 

 i in. long ; the inner three half as large. Flower-stalk thick, often 

 recurved, i to \ in. long, densely downy. Fruit bottle-shaped, 3 to 5 ins. 

 long, containing when ripe a sweet, yellow, edible pulp. 



Introduced from the south-eastern United States by Peter Collinson in 

 1736, this interesting shrub has never become common. Its foliage is 

 striking, but the flowers although curious are not ornamental, and the 

 fruit rarely develops in this country. It is of interest botanically as the 

 only hardy plant of its natural order. It grows rather slowly, and one of 

 the finest specimens in this country is at Claremont, a huge, spreading 

 bush 15 ft. or so high. It thrives in a good loam, and propagation can 

 be effected by layering ; but seeds, procurable from American nurserymen, 

 are preferable. 



ASTRAGALUS TRAGACANTHA, Linnceus. GOAT'S THORN. 



LEGUMINOS^:. 



A dwarf, deciduous, excessively spiny shrub of extremely slow growth, 

 rarely exceeding i ft. in height. The old wood is completely covered 

 with the closely set, sheathing bases of stiff, sharp spines, i to 2\ ins. 

 long, which are really the persistent stalks of the leaves become hard 

 with age. These spines remain on the plant for many years. Leaves 

 pinnate, i| to 2 ins. long, composed of seven to eleven pairs of leaflets 

 set on a spine-tipped, hoary stalk. Leaflets J to \ in. long, obovate or 

 elliptic, covered with silky down. Flowers purplish red, J to f in. long, 

 borne about four together in short axillary umbels; calyx \ in. long, 

 cylindrical, five-toothed, hairy. 



Native of the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor. This remarkable 

 and pretty shrub was cultivated by Parkinson in 1640, and is interesting 

 as one (but not the chief) of the plants that yield the gum-tragacanth, 

 used in medicine as a demulcent. It is so slow of growth that a plant I 

 have known for over twenty years is still but 12 ins. high, its lower branches 



