GUELDER ROSE. 259 



to the utter exclusion of both stigma and 

 stamina; hence, this plant cannot produce 

 seed, but as it is easily propagated by layers 

 or cuttings, as well as by suckers, this variety 

 is kept perfect. In its natural uncultivated 

 state, this shrub produces its .flowers on 

 cymes, the inner ones of which are perfect 

 flowers ; but those in the margin of the cyme 

 are abortive, and merely consist of a large, 

 irregular, flat petal, without any organ of fruc- 

 tification. 



The guelder rose or snowball-tree, loves a 

 moist soil ; where it not only grows more 

 rapidly than in dry situations, but produces 

 more numerous and larger globes of its pale 

 petals. Emblematically, this flower is used 

 to represent the winter of age. 



s 2 



