1684 



SONEtJlLA 



SOPHORA 



with small white dots and is pale green below. Var. 

 punctata is much like the preceding variety but has 

 paler leaves. Var. picta has the purplish Ivs. of the 

 tvpe, with an irregular lanceolate strip of silvery gray 

 down the middle. Var. Robert Sallier. R.B. 20:61, has 

 dark green Ivs. peppered white and with a lanceolate 

 figure of silver down the middle. Said to be a hybrid 

 of vars. picta and punctata. It has the stripe of one 

 and the dots of the other. 



5. margariticea, Lindl. This is the most important 

 species. The name "margaritacea" means "pearly," re- 

 ferring to the regular rows of pearly spots between the 

 nerves and parallel with them, which are characteristic 

 of the typical form. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate, acutely ser- 

 rate, 7-9-nerved, glabrous, purplish below, acute at the 

 base: fls. rosy. B.M. 5104. P. S. 11:1126 (nerves too 

 parallel). I. H. 2:40. Lowe 16. — Supposed to be na- 

 tive of Java. In Vol.11, edition 1, page 684, Gravesia 

 guttata, var. margaritacea, is erroneously referred to 

 Sonerila instead of Salpinga. Salpivga margarita- 

 cea is readily told from Sonerila margaritacea by its 

 5-nerved lvs. and floral parts in 5's. 



6. H^ndersoni, Hort. This is referred by Cogniaux to 

 S. margaritacea, of which it is perhaps merely a horti- 

 cultural variety. For trade purposes it is convenient to 

 treat it like a distinct species. It seems to be the chief 

 parent in the development of the numerous hybrids 

 with blotched foliage. It differs from the type in hav- 

 ing a broader leaf with a shorter acumen and rounded 

 base, and especially in being covered with irregular 

 blotches, which, however, do not cross the nerves. 

 P.M. 1875:159. I.H. 23:230. — The blotches are all about 

 the same size. S. MAmei, Linden, has more regular and 

 roundish blotches, which are nearer white and on a 

 darker ground. The under side is netted with rosy pur- 

 ple. I.H. 23:254. 



7. argSntea, Hort. (S. Hindersoni, var. arghttea, 

 Pournier). For horticultural purposes this may be 

 treated as a distinct species, characterized by its silvery 

 foliage, resembling that of certain begonias, with no 

 dark green except on the nerves. This is the parent of 

 most of the forms that have a silvery cast of foliage, 

 just as S. Hendersoni is responsible for the irregular 

 blotches. I.H. 23:230. -Sonerila Alp. Van De Sande 

 shows the Hendersoni and argentea blood in the large 

 silvery blotches, most of which are larger than in Hen- 

 dersoni. 



A very handsome hybrid between the orientalis and marga- 

 ritacea groups is called Mme. Paul du Toict. It has the serrate 

 leaf and some of the sllveriness of S. argentea, with the num- 

 berless minute dots of the S. orientalis group. It is much like 

 Robert Sallier, but the central coloring is bronzy as well as sil- 

 very and more broken up by the f 



SOFHOBA (Sophera, Arabian name of a tree with 

 pea-shaped flowers). Including Styplmolobinm and 

 Edwardsia. Leguminbsm. Ornamental deciduous or 

 evergreen trees or shrubs, sometimes perennials with 

 alternate, odd-pinnate leaves, papilionaceous, yellow, 

 whitish or violet flowers and long and narrow monili- 

 form pods. The best known species, <S. Japonica, is 

 hardy as far north as Mass., but S. platycarpa seems to 

 be somewhat hardier. The evergreen species with large 

 yellow fls. are tender and can be grown only in the 

 southern states and California; they are very showy in 

 spring when they are in bloom; in England they are 

 often planted against a wall, where they can be easily 

 protected against light frost. S. Japonica is especially 

 valuable for its late-appearing flowers, which are white 

 and disposed in ample panicles; the foliage is dark green 

 and graceful and the tree is conspicuous in winter on 

 account of its dark green branches. The Sophoras 

 thrive best in well-drained sandy loam but grow fairly 

 well in rather dry soil. Prop, by seeds and the varieties 

 by grafting on the typical form; some species are also 

 increased by greenwood cuttings and by layers. 



More than 25 species in the temperate regions of both 

 hemispheres. Trees, shrubs or herbs; lvs. odd-pinnate, 

 with usually opposite small Ifts.: fls. papilionaceous, in 

 racemes or terminal leafy panicles; calyx with 5 short 

 teeth; standard orliicular or broadly obovate; stamens 



. stalked, almost 

 npressed, few- to many- 



10, free or connate only at tl 



terete or 4-winged, rarely 



seeded, moniliform, iudehiscent or tardil 



The fls. and frs. of S. Japonica yield a yellow dye, S. 



tomentosa has medical properties, and the seeds of S. se- 



cundiflora contain sophorine, a poisonous alkaloid. S. 



tetraptera is a valuable timber tree in its native country. 



2348. Soohora Japonica. 



platycarpa, 2. 

 australis, s. L. Eorolkowi, s. L. secundiilora, 3. 



Oliilenns, 5. Macnabiana, 4. tetraptera, 4. 



Ohinensis, s. L. maerocarpa, 5. tommtoaa, s. L. 



chrysophylla, s. L. mierophylla, 4. violacea, s. L. 



A. Fls. white or violet. 



B. Lvs. deciduous: fls. in terminal panicles. 



0. Calyx rounded at the base. 



1. Jap6nica, Linn. (StyphnoUbiitm Jap\6nicum, 

 Schott). Japan Pagoda Tree. Tree, attaining 60 ft., 

 with spreading branches, forming a dense round head: 

 lvs. 7-9 in. long; Ifts. 5-13, distinctly stalked, ovate to 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute, rounded at base, dark green and 

 glossy above, more or less pubescent beneath, 1-2 in. 

 long: fls. yellowish white, % in. long, in loose panicles 

 15 in. long: pod distinctly stalked, glabrous, terete, 

 2-3 in. long, % in. broad. July-Sept. China; cult, in 

 Japan. Gn. 24, pp. 210, 211, 214; 29, p. 222. G.M. 38:665. 

 Gng. 6, p. 247. M.D.G. 1898: 183. -Var. p6ndula, Loud. 

 Pigs. 2348, 2349. With long and slender pendulous 

 branches. R.H. 1876:194, 195. Gn. 9, pp. 600, 601; 24, 

 pp. 202, 203, 211; 28, p. 27. M.D.G. 1898:182. The form 

 with variegated lvs. has little to recommend it. There 

 are several allied forms in cultivation probably intro- 

 duced from E. Asia, of similar appearance and of about 

 the same hardiness; they are yet imperfectly known 

 under provisional names: such are S. Ohinensis, Korol- 

 Jcowi, tomentosa and violacea, for which see supple- 

 mentary list. The pictures of the Weeping Sophora 

 (Pigs. 2348, 2349) are adapted from Revue Horticole. 



cc. Calyx narrowed into the pedicel. 



2. platycArpa, Maxim. Tree, similar in habit to the 

 preceding but with very distinct fr. : Ifts. 11-15, alter- 

 nate, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous or 

 nearly so, 2-35^ in. long: fls. white, over K in. long; 

 calyx gradually narrowed into the short pedicel: pod 

 oblong to oblong-lanceolate, compressed and 2-winged, 

 1-5-seeded. Japan.— Has proved hardier than ,?. Ja- 

 vonica. and is therefore to be recommended for northern 

 regions. 



BB. Lvs. persistent: fls. violet, in terminal racemes. 



3. secundifldra, Lag. Small tree, 35 ft. high, or shrubby, 

 with short, slender trunk and upright branches forming 



