EL^AGNUS 507 



E. MULTIFLORA, Thunberg. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 7341 ; E. longipes, A. Gray.') 



A deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub, 6 to 10 ft. high, as much or more 

 across ; young branches covered with red-brown scales. Leaves oval, obovate, 

 or ovate ; i^ to 2^ ins. long, f to ii ins. wide ; tapered at both ends, green, 

 and furnished with scattered tufted hairs above, becoming smooth later, silvery 

 beneath, with a dense covering of tiny scales, intermingled with which are 

 larger reddish brown ones ; stalk ^ in. long. Flowers fragrant, produced in 

 April and May along with, and in the leaf-axils of, the new shoots ; often 

 solitary, about in. long, $ in. wide ; scaly like the under-surface of the leaf. 

 Fruit ^ in. long, oblong, deep orange, scaly, with a very acid but agreeable 

 flavour ; stalk | to I in. long. 



Native of Japan, whence it was introduced about 1862 ; also of China and 



Erobably Corea. It is cultivated in Japan for its fruit, and, according to 

 argent, becomes a small tree 20 to 25 ft. high, with a trunk I ft. in diameter. 

 The fruits are very abundantly borne, and make the bush very handsome when 



MULTIFLORA (in fruit). 



ripe in July, hanging along the under-side of the branches. Birds are fond 

 of them. 



E. multiflora is a variable species, and the form described above with long- 

 stalked fruits is sometimes regarded as a separate species (E. LONGIPES 

 A. Gray}. A form with shorter-stalked, smaller fruits and more lanceolate 

 leaves has been called LONGIPES var. CRISPA, Maximowicz. 



E. ORIENTALIS, Linnceus. 



(E. sativa, Horl. ; E. tomentosa, Moench?) 



A deciduous tree up to 20 ft. high, not so spiny as E. angustifolia, of which 

 it is sometimes considered a variety ; young shoots downy as well as scaly. 

 Leaves oval or ovate, i^ to 3 ins. long, ^ to I in. wide ; rounded at the base, 

 blunt at the apex, dull green above," covered beneath with silvery scales 

 and starry tufts of down ; stalk to \ in. long. Flowers yellow inside, 

 silver)^ outside ; very fragrant. Fruit roundish oval, yellowish, with silvery 

 scales. 



