628 



HYDRANGEA 



H. PETIOLARIS, Siebold. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 6788 ; H. scandens, Maximowicz.) 



A deciduous climber, reaching in Japan to the tops of trees 60 to 80 ft. high, 

 and attaching itself closely to the trunks and limbs by means of aerial roots ; 

 young stems smooth or hairy, older ones with peeling brown bark. Leaves 

 roundish ovate, straight or heart-shaped at the base, and with short, tapered 

 points ; regularly, sharply, and finely toothed ; i^ to 4^ ins. long, two-thirds to 

 nearly as wide ; dark bright green and smooth" above, paler and often with 

 tufts of down in the vein-axils beneath ; stalk varying in length from j to 4 ins. 

 Corymbs expanding in June, flat, from 6 to 10 ins. across, with large white 

 sterile flowers on the margins, i to if ins. across, and on 'stalks I to i^ ins. 



HYDRANGEA PETIOLARIS. 



long ; the small fertile ones with which the centre is filled being a duller 

 white ; stamens fifteen to twenty-two ; flower-stalks downy. 



Native of Japan ; introduced in 1878. This climber ascends trees, walls, 

 or whatever support it has, in much the same way as ivy does. It grows 

 vigorously, and flowers well on a wall, but a more effective way of growing it 

 is as a bush in the open, for it is very hardy. A few plants may be put round 

 the base of an upturned tree-stump, boulder, or even a mound, which they will 

 soon climb over and cover. After that, the mass assumes a low, spreading, 

 bushlike form, light and elegant in appearance, and very striking when in 

 flower. This Hydrangea is in gardens often called " Schizophragma 



