14-52 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 



Drriuntion. Pteron, a wing ; karua, the common walnut. The fruit has wings; and, except in 

 these, resembles that of the walnut. 



% 1. P. CAUCA'SICA Kunth. The Caucasian Pterocarya. 



identification. Kunth in Anna!, des Scien. Nat, 2. p. 346. 



St/rw>iymes. Juglans pteroc&rpa Michx. Fl.Bor. Amer ., 2. p. 192., Bicb Fl. Taur. Supp. 33. p. 622., 

 ' WUld. Sp. PI., 4. 455., Spreng. Syst., 3. p. 865. ; tfhus obscdrum Bicb. Fl. Taur.Cauc., no. tiU6. ; 



J./raxinif 61ia Lamond MS., N. Du Ham., 4 p. 182. ; Fraxinus Isevigata Hart Par. 

 Engravings. Our Jig. 1276. from a seedling plant, and the plate of this tree in our last Volume 



Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, in a leaf, about 19; ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 argutely serrate, glabrous ; each with the lower or hinder side of its 

 base attached to the petiole. (Lamarck MS., and Spreng. Syst. / 'eg., iii. 

 p. 865.) The following description is translated from that 

 written by Poiret, published in the Encyclopedic Mctho- 

 dique : "A tree, about 40 ft. high, with an ample and tuft- 

 ed head. Young branches brownish green, very smooth, 

 glossy. Pith disposed in thin membranes, placed trans- 

 versely, and at about a line distant from one another : J. 

 regia has its pith arranged in a similar manner. Leaves 

 alternate, very large, commonly having 19 leaflets each, 

 which are oblong, denticulate with blunt teeth ; have their 

 upper surface very smooth, almost glossy, and of a beau- 

 tiful rather dark green, their under surface paler; and 

 are disposed almost alternately. Buds, when bursting, of 

 a rusty or brownish red colour. One remarkable character, and which 

 serves to distinguish the species clearly, is, that each of the leaflets has 

 one side of its base shorter than the other, and one of them attached, 

 at least while the leaf is young, to the petiole. It occurs, in many in- 

 stances, that, when the leaf gets old, the attached part of the leaflet 

 becomes distinct from the petiole; but it is always the case that one side of 

 the base is longer than the other. The petiole is round and very tumid at 

 the base, smooth, and of a beautiful clear green." This tree is a native of 

 moist woods at the foot of Caucasus, where it was discovered by Steven, and 

 described by him in the Mem. Soc. Nat. Cur. Mos., iii. p. 247, and iv. p. 70.; 

 as noticed by Bieberstein in the Supplement to his Flora Taur.Cauc, quoted 

 above. It was introduced into England as J. /raxinifolia, several years 

 since, and there are specimens under that name in the Horticultural Society's 

 Garden, and in the collection of Messrs. LpddSges, where they form broad 

 bushy plants, not yet more than 8 ft. or 10 ft. high. At Croome, in Wor- 

 cestershire, there is a tree, 15 years planted, which is 25ft. high. This 

 species appears to have been first brought into notice by the elder Michaux, 

 who, on his return from Persia in 1782 (seep. 1411.), introduced into 

 France a plant from the shores of the Caspian Sea; which, ac- 

 cording to Bosc, was the first that had ever been seen in Europe, and 

 which still exists at Versailles, flowering there every year. It is described 

 as growing from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high ; and, though affected by frost, is yet 

 sufficiently hardy to be classed among ornamental trees of the third rank. 

 It is readily propagated by layers. For small gardens, and diminutive 

 arboretums, this tree may serve very well to exemplify the ./uglamlacese. 

 Care should be taken to train it to a single stem, and not to plant it in 

 soil so rich and moist as to prevent it from ripening its wood. Perhaps, 

 also, something might be gained in point of hardiness by grafting it upon 

 the common walnut, either on the collar of the stock, in order to form 

 dwarf trees, or bushes; or standard high, in order to form trees that would 

 from the first have clear straight stems, and as they would ripen their wood 

 better, in consequence o-f growing slower than low trees or bushes, so they 

 would perhaps show blossoms and ripen fruit. Some years ago, Messrs. 

 Booth of the Floetbeck Nurseries reintroduced this species into Britain as 

 a new tree (see Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 207.), under the name of Ptero- 

 carya caucasica, being not aware of its identity with Juglans yraxinitolia. 

 Plants, in London, are 2s. 6d. each ; and at Bollwyller, 3 francs. 



