Laurustinus and the Viburnums 



attractive florets, going to such extremes, indeed, that 

 now there is nothing behind the attractiveness, nothing 

 is left when they wither; the florets are all absolutely 

 sterile, mere empty show, fruit is an impossibility. 



The Wayfaring Tree, V. lantana, as its English 

 name implies, is a small tree rather than a shrub. 

 Here the flowers are all alike and perfect and all 

 small, and in flat groups as in the Laurustinus. Here, 

 too, we have gorgeous red berries and brilliant foliage 

 in autumn. The leaves, stalks and buds are downy ; 

 hence it is sometimes known as the " Cotton Tree." It 

 also is a native of this country and makes a desirable 

 addition to a garden. 



The Viburnum plicatum (with pleated leaves) and 

 macrocephalum (with specially large flower-heads) are 

 the Japanese and Chinese equivalents of our Guelder 

 Rose. They were found by Robert Fortune during 

 his wanderings in China and Japan, and firs^ sent to 

 England in 1844. They both have fertile and sterile 

 forms, as does our native plant, but both exceed ours 



in beauty and size of flower clusters. V. macrocephalum 



i< 



is not so hardy in this country as the other Viburnums. 

 To Viburnum tomentosum mariesi one would call 

 special attention, as it is comparatively little known, 

 though it appears , hardy, and is certainly one of the 

 most desirable shrubs that could grace a garden. A 

 specimen recently seen flowering in a Cornish garden 



259 



