1910] Hall: Studies in Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 



27 



Fig. 13. 



Callistemon brachyandrus. 



6. C. brachyandrus Lindl. 



A slenderly branched shrub, the young 

 shoots softly hairy, the hairs sometimes 

 persistent and giving the whole shrub a 

 soft gray tone: leaves rigid, terete, or 

 slightly flattened or channeled, sharp- 

 pointed, % to 1^ in. long: flower-cluster 

 2 or 3 in. long, 1">4 in. wide: stamens about 

 14 in. long, the deep-red filaments nearly 

 obscured by the golden-yellow anthers. 

 Illustration: Elg. 13. 



Rare with us but very desirable, 

 the combination of the slender twigs, 

 gray foliage, and golden bloom, being 

 a novelty among Bottle-brushes. Re- 

 quires frequent heading in for best 

 results. 



MELALEUCA. 



This genus of about 100 species includes a majority of the 

 so-called tea-trees of Australia and many of the shrubs known 

 in California as Bottle-brushes. The flowers are often arranged 

 as in Callistemon, which may be considered the true bottle-brush 

 genus, but the clusters are not so large and showy, except in one 

 species, Melaleuca hypercifolia. But if Melaleuca lags behind 

 Callistemon in the matter of brilliant coloring, the various species 

 exhibit more grace and symmetry of outline, and the available 

 species are now so numerous that one or more sorts may be 

 selected for almost any situation. 



All of the species here considered are suitable for nearly 

 any locality in California, being hardy, except in the moun- 

 tainous districts, and capable of withstanding at least moderate 

 drought. It must be remembered, however, that the arboreous 

 species will seldom develop into more than fair-sized shrubs 

 unless given attention and occasional irrigation, and that a 

 combination of warm summers and a moist soil are essential to 

 the luxuriant development sometimes described. So far as I 

 know, no Melaleuca has yet been killed by frost in California. 



For ordinary yard planting the best kinds are M. lateritia 

 and M. armillaris, the former with brick-red flowers, the latter 



