SUB-VARIETIES. 39 



a shrub, which, in a state of cultivation, varies in height 

 from four to six feet, its foliage resembling that of 

 Portuguese laurel. The trunk is erect and slender, 

 averaging about three inches in diameter and covered 

 with a whitish-brown bark, rather rough in appearance. 

 The branches are numerous, ordinarily bending down- 

 wards when the plant begins to grow old, but when 

 young and vigorous extend in a round form like an 

 umbrella. The wood is very limber and pliable, so much 

 so that the ends of the longest branches may be bent 

 down to within three inches of the ground without 

 snapping. The leaves are oval in form, dark green in 

 color, shiny and sharp pointed as those of the citron 

 tree, ranged on the branches opposite, but at a little 

 distance from each other. The flowers or blossoms are 

 also numerous, clustering with projecting antlers, snowy- 

 white and very fragrant, but of short duration, disap- 

 pearing quick, but rapidly followed by the fruit spring- 

 ing apparently from them. The fruit is a small berry, 

 green at first, but assuming a rich scarlet as it ripens. 

 From this species has been propagated the numerous 

 varieties now known to commerce. The range of this 

 species is at elevations of from i ,cx)0 to 4,000 feet above 

 sea-level between the latitudes of 1 5 north and 1 5 south, 

 but its cultivation may be extended for commercial pur- 

 poses to 36 north and 30 south in latitudes where the 

 temperature does not fall below 55; still the most favor- 

 able climate for it would be where the temperature does 

 not fall below 60 to 80 in the shade, and as to humidity 

 there should be no month in the year entirely devoid of 

 rain, the total of which should range from 100 to 150 

 inches per annum, that is, an absence of extremes of 

 temperature with a constant supply of moisture. This 

 species is cultivated chiefly in Arabia, India, Ceylon, 



