Mexican Orange and Skimmia 



With this division of the sexes it is therefore 

 necessary, in the case of S. japonica, to plant shrubs of 

 opposite sexes in close vicinity if the full development 

 of the Skimmia is to be attained. Both sexes have a 

 special period of beauty in March and April, when they 

 are covered with their clusters of white, star-like 

 blossom, and the female plants have also a second day 

 of charm in the autumn, when their flowers are 

 replaced by large red berries. No berries, of course, 

 appear on the male shrubs ; when their flowers wither 

 they fall completely away. Apparently the berries are 

 poisonous, for the name Skimmia, in its original 

 Japanese form, literally means, " a hurtful fruit." It 

 was Thunberg (1743-1828), the pioneer botanical explorer 

 of Oriental flora, who adapted the eastern name to 

 western use. 



Thus, largely owing to the division of sex, there 

 has been a good deal of confusion in the naming of 

 the Skimmias. Skimmia japonica, " one of the very 

 best town evergreens we possess,"* is a Japanese 

 plant, and the one described by Thunberg. It was, 

 however, only introduced into England as a living 

 plant a little before the middle of last century by 

 Robert Fortune. Afterwards it was also known as 

 S. oblata, while the male plant was called S. fragrans 

 owing to the sweet scent of the flowers. A variety 



* W. Robinson, " English Flower Garden." 



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