BUMELIA BUPLEURUM 275 



BUMELIA LYCIOIDES, Gaertner. SOUTHERN BUCKTHORN. 



SABOTAGED. 



A deciduous, small tree over 20 ft. high in a wild state, but usually 

 a shrub little more than half that height in cultivation ; branchlets smooth, 

 and on young specimens usually armed with spines f in. or less long. 

 Leaves firm and rather hard in texture, varying in shape from narrow 

 oval to obovate (the former shape more characteristic of young plants), 

 i to 4 ins. long, \ to ij ins. wide; always tapered to the base, pointed 

 or rounded at the apex, not toothed, and quite smooth except for a 

 few silky hairs about the midrib beneath; conspicuously veined; stalk 

 \ to \ in. long. Flowers \ in. in diameter, produced in August and 

 September each on a smooth stalk \ in. or less long, crowded numerously 

 in hemispherical clusters in the leaf-axils. Corolla white ; calyx com- 

 paratively large, green. Fruit egg-shaped, \ in. long, black, rarely or 

 never seen in this country. , 



Native of the south-eastern United States, and known in England 

 since 1752, but not ornamental enough to be generally cultivated. It 

 is quite hardy at Kew, but appears to be the only one of the genus of 

 which so much can be said. The leaves on young sterile plants resemble 

 those of a peach in size and shape. Several other species have at times 

 been introduced, but they need at least the warmth of the south-western 

 counties to thrive. Amongst them B. TEN AX, Willdenow, whose leaves 

 are covered beneath with a tawny yellow, silky down; and B. LANUGINOSA, 

 Persoon, with a more or less woolly down, are the most interesting. 



BUPLEURUM FRUTICOSUM, Linnceus. UMBELLIFER^:. 



An evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub, of lax habit, 5 to 8 ft. high, 

 with slender, not much divided branches, and smooth, purplish young 

 shoots. Leaves alternate, firm, narrowly obovate, stalkless, tapering at 

 the base, rounded or with a short, bristle-like tip at the apex, entire ; 2 to 

 3.1 ins. long, f to ij ins. wide; quite smooth, and of a bluish green. 

 Flowers small, yellow, produced in a terminal umbel 3 or 4 ins. across. 



Native of S. Europe and the Mediterranean region ; introduced more 

 than three hundred years ago. This shrub is of interest as being the sole 

 shrubby representative of the great natural order of Umbellifers that 

 can be cultivated in the open air in Britain. Four herbaceous members 

 of the same genus are natives of chalky districts in Britain, and are 

 known in country places as "buplevers." This introduced shrub is not 

 particularly hardy. At Kew it can only be kept safely by growing it 

 against a wall, where it is 8 to 10 ft. high. In most maritime districts 

 and in the south-western counties it succeeds admirably, and its yellow 

 flower-clusters and blue-green foliage make a very effective contrast. It 

 flowers from July to September, and is propagated easily by cuttings. 

 It is one of the best shrubs for planting on exposed cliffs near the sea, 

 and is very well adapted for chalky districts. 



