370 CLERODENDRON 



CLERODENDRON. VERBENACE^:. 



A large genus of shrubs and climbers, mostly tropical, only three 

 species of which are hardy. Leaves opposite. Flowers in wide, cymose 

 or corymbose clusters. Corolla slender-tubed, five-parted at the mouth, 

 (^alyx at first bell-shaped or inflated, persistent, becoming fleshy, with 

 the sepals reflexed. Stamens four. Fruit fleshy, and highly coloured. 



C. FARGESII, Dode. 



(C. trichotomum var. Fargesii.) 



A vigorous, deciduous shrub, of very leafy habit ; young wood greyish, 

 almost smooth. Leaves ovate, taper-pointed, entire, variable in size, 2 to 8 ins. 

 long, about half as wide ; purple-red when quite young, afterwards glossy green 

 on both sides, with scattered hairs on both surfaces. Flowers produced in 

 August from the axils of the terminal leaves in cymose clusters, the whole 

 forming an inflorescence at the end of the shoot, 4 to 6 ins. across. Corolla 

 white, f to i in. across, star-shaped, the five lobes narrow oblong, radiating 

 from a slender tube f in. long. Calyx green, ovoid, conspicuously five-angled, 

 and with five-pointed lobes, downy on the ridges.. Fruit about the size of a 

 pea, porcelain-blue, surrounded by the five fleshy, reflexed lobes of the per- 

 sistent calyx become pink with age. 



Native of Szechuen, China ; introduced to France by Pere Farges, and 

 first raised by Mr Maurice de Vilmorin in 1898. It is closely allied to 

 C. trichotomum, but differs in the paler, more slender shoots ; smaller, brighter 

 green, less downy leaves ; in the green, not red, young calyx ; and paler blue 

 fruits. It is inferior in beauty, but is -probably hardier and does not die back 

 like C. trichotomum. The leaves have an unpleasant odour when crushed, 



C. FCETIDUM, Bunge. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 4880.) 



In the open air this species can scarcely be regarded as a shrub. It is 

 killed back to the ground every winter, but sends up vigorous, erect, woody 

 shoots during the summer 3 to 6 ft. high, bearing large heart-shaped leaves 

 4 to 8 ins. long and nearly as wide, coarsely toothed, downy on the veins. In 

 August and September come the terminal rounded corymbs, each 4 to 5 ins. 

 across, densely packed with purple-red blossoms. It has lived for many years 

 at the foot of a greenhouse wall at Kew, spreading rapidly by its suckers, and 

 forming in summer a 4 ense thicket of stems. Although the flowers are 

 fragrant, the leaves when crushed emit a heavy nauseous odour. Easily 

 increased by, division in spring. 



Native of China ; introduced by Fortune in 1844. 



C. TRICHOTOMUM, Thunberg. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 6561.) 



A deciduous, small tree, 10 or 12 ft. high, of bushy, rather sparse habit \ 

 branches very pithy, downy when young. Leaves variable in size, and 

 considerably larger on young plants than on adult ones ; in the latter they are 

 ovate or oval, 4 to 9 ins. long, 2 to 5 ins. wide, occasionally toothed, soft, with 

 scattered down beneath, and flaccid ; stalks downy, i to 4 ins. long. The lower 



