500 GARDEN PLANTS. PART II. 



of this old familar flowering shrub of the English gardens in 

 India : undoubtedly the climate must be utterly unsuited to it ; 

 for it can hardly fail of having been at some time introduced. 



Forsythia. 



F. viridissima. A small shrub of spreading habit, native of 

 China, where, when in full blossom, it is said to be a most 

 beautiful object ; blossoms in January, when the plant is quite 

 leafless, with flowers very similar to those of the Yellow Jasmine, 

 but from the scanty way in which they are produced upon the 

 bare stems, the plant, in this country at least, is not particularly 

 attractive. It is said to be benefited by being transplanted, and 

 that it is easily propagated by layers or cuttings. 



SOLANACE^E. 

 Oestrum. 



1. C. foetidissimum. A pleasing shrub about five or six feet 

 high, but with leaves that have a detestable smell when bruised : 

 bears, at different seasons of the year, drooping fascicles of small 

 tubular flowers, in size and form resembling percussion caps, of a 

 dingy lemon colour. It throws up an immense number of suckers 

 which require to be continually removed, as they produce no 

 flowers and only serve to weaken the plant, the flowers being 

 borne at the ends of the old stems. It yields seed, and is easy 

 of propagation by removal of suckers. 



2. C. aurantiacum. Mentioned as a very beautiful shrub, and 

 the most ornamental of the genus ; is not met with, I believe, 

 in this country. 



Habrothamnus. 



H. fasciculatus. A very choice and beautiful pot-plant, of 

 shrubby habit, about three or four feet high, with soft rough 

 lanceolate leaves, six or seven inches long; bears in great 

 profusion, during the Cold season, drooping bunches of deep- 

 crimson flowers, much resembling those of a Heath. It is 

 accounted a very greedy plant, requiring to be often repotted 

 in large pots. It grows with great vigour in the Cold months ; 

 but large old plants are almost sure to die off in the Kains. 



