372 CLETHRA 



shaped ; i to 4 ins. long, f to 2 ins. wide ; abruptly tapered at the apex, 

 toothed except near the base, almost or quite smooth except on the midrib 

 and stalk, the latter being downy and & to f in. long. Flowers fragrant, 

 in. across, thickly set on erect, cylindrical, downy racemes 2 to 6 ins.' 

 long and f in. wide, produced in August at the end of the current season's 

 shoots and in the axils of their uppermost leaves. Petals white, obovate, 

 rounded at the apex ; sepals persistent, ovate, downy ; stamens and style 

 smooth ; flower-stalk in. long, downy. 



Native of Eastern N. America; introduced in 1731. A very handsome 

 shrub, useful on account of its late flowering. It loves abundant moisture 

 at the root. Propagated by layers or by separating the sucker growths at 

 the base. 



Var. PANICULATA (C. paniculata, Atfori) has terminal panicles (not merely 

 clustered racemes), and is superior to the type. It is the best of all the 

 Clethras that can be grown out-of-doors, being quite hardy," a vigorous grower, 

 and equal in flower beauty to C. tomentosa. 



C. CANESCENS, Reinwardt. 



(C. barbinervis, Siebold^) 



A deciduous shrub, 3 to 6 ft. high in cultivation, more bushy and less erect 

 the American species ; young shoots at first sprinkled with a minute starry 

 down. Leaves often clustered at the end of the twig, oval or obovate, 

 more tapering at the base than at the apex ; 2 to 5 ins. long, i to i\ ins. wide ; 

 hairy at first on both sides, but especially so on the midrib and nerves beneath, 

 toothed ; stalk to f in. long. Flowers white, in. across, produced from 

 July to September in a rather compact, terminal panicle 4 to 6 ins. long, 

 covered with white> starry down ; calyx and seed-vessel hairy ; stamens 

 smooth. 



Native of Japan and China ; introduced in 1870. It is a very pretty 

 shrub where it thrives, but it is not so hardy as C. alnifolia, although it will 

 survive all but the severest winters near London. The leaves have usually 

 two or more pairs of veins than the American species. 



C. TOMENTOSA, Lamarck. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 3743 ; C. alnifolia var. pubescens, Aiton?) 



A deciduous shrub up to 6 or 8 ft. high, branches erect ; young shoots very 

 downy. Leaves obovate, i^ to 4 ins. long, f to 2 ins. wide, tapering to a 

 very short stalk at the base, toothed on the terminal half, pointed ; upper 

 side with scattered short hairs, lower side felted with a thick, pale wool. 

 Flowers fragrant, white, nearly \ in. across, produced during September in 

 erect, woolly racemes up to 6 ins. long, either terminal or from the uppermost 

 leaf-axils. Sepals woolly, ovate-oblong, ^ in. long ; stamens smooth ; style 

 downy ; flower-stalk woolly, in. long. 



Native of the south-east United States ; introduced in 1731. Closely 

 allied to C. alnifolia, and sometimes regarded as a variety of it, it is 

 distinguished by flowering a month later and by its greyish aspect due to 

 the woolly covering of its various parts. Its flowers, too, are purer white, 

 larger and more ornamental, and the style is downy. Its distribution in 

 a wild state does not extend so far north as that of C. alnifolia, an(| it is 

 not quite so hardy. At Kew, however, it does not surfer from cold. 



