656 



INDIGOFERA ITEA 



fine bristle-like elongation of the midrib ; bright green above, both surfaces 

 furnished with pale flattened hairs. Racemes erect, about 5 ins. long, 

 the flowers crowded on the upper half; rose-coloured, f in. long; calyx 

 slightly hairy, and with sharp, unequal, lance-shaped lobes. Pod i^ to 2 ins. 

 long, jj in. wide. 



Native of N. China, Manchuria, and Korea ; not very common in cultiva- 

 tion. It is allied to I. decora, but is distinguished by the shorter, broader 



leaves hairy on both sides. The calyx teeth of I. decora 

 are also shorter and broadly triangular and the flowers paler 

 coloured. 



SAXIFRAGACE.E. 



A small genus of deciduous and evergreen small trees 

 or shrubs, one species native of N. America, the others of 

 E. Asia. It belongs to the Escallonia group of Saxifra- 

 gaceae, and has alternate leaves, five-parted flowers, but 

 differs from Escallonia itself in the narrow petals, and all 

 other allied hardy shrubs like Philadelphus, Deutzia, 

 Hydrangea, etc., by its alternate leaves. The only 

 genuinely hardy species is I. virginica. 



I. ILICIFOLIA, Oliver. 



An evergreen shrub of bushy habit, said to attain a 

 height of 1 8 ft. occasionally in a wild state, and already 

 ITEA ILICIFOLIA. 6 to 8 ft. high in this country ; stems quite smooth. Leaves 

 holly-like but thinner, broadly oval, 2 to 4 ins. long, i^ to 

 2| ins. wide, the apex short-pointed ; dark glossy green above, paler below, 

 both surfaces smooth, except for tufts of hair in the axils of the chief 

 veins beneath ; margins armed with stiff spiny teeth ; stalk | to \ in. long. 

 Racemes pendulous, arching, 6 to 12 ins. long, \ in. wide, crowded with 

 greenish white flowers ; petals narrow, \ in. long. Blossoms in August. 



Native of W. China ; discovered by Henry, and first raised from seeds sent 

 by him to the late Lord Kesteven, with whom it flowered at Casewick in 1895. 



