OPUNTIA 



209 



Punica. Pomegranate (331) — Puuica Gran^tum — is a large hand- 

 some deciduous slirub or sujall tree, to 15 feet, witli sliowy scarlet 

 flowers, hardy as far north as Washington. The leaves are mostly oppo- 

 site, oblong, entire-edged, smooth and shin- 

 ing. The flowers (1 inch broad) are nearly 

 solitary, axillary, in summer. The fruit is 

 a large, 2 to 4 inches broad, many-seeded 

 edible berry, ripe in September and can be 

 kept ior several weeks ; there are both sour 

 and sweet varieties. Dwarf Pomegranate 

 — Punica Granktum nana — is the best vari- 

 ety for ornamental cultivation, as it grows 

 to the height of only G feet and has both 

 single- and double-flowered forms. As a 

 conservatory plant it blooms throughout the 

 year. [Twig cuttings under glass. ] 



Lagerstrcemia indica. Crape 'Myrtle' 

 (332) is one of the most beautiful and pop- 

 ular of large shrubs or small trees, 10 to 

 25 feet, in cultivation. It is hardy with 

 slight protection north to Philadelphia. In 

 the South it is to be 

 found in nearly all ^f^^^ 



Fig . 331 . — Pomegranate . 



private grounds. The beauty of the plant is due to 

 the large clusters of flowers with their wavy 

 (crinkled or fringed) stalked petals, in summer ; v; -? 

 it blooms continuously for two or three months. ^^'^ 

 The usual color of the flowers is bright pink, but 

 there are varieties ranging from white to purple. 

 The fruit is a 3- to O-celled capsule with winged 

 seeds. The rather small (2 inches) 

 leaves are generally opposite ; near 

 the tips of the branches they become 

 alternate, oblong, with entire margins. 

 [Twig cuttings.] 



Opiintia. The Ca ctls plants hardly 

 come within the scope of this book, 

 but there are forms which are woody 

 and hardy enough to endure the 

 winters in the New England states, 

 and some in the southern states 

 -apgar's shrubs — 14 



Fig. 3;52. — Crape 'Myrtle. 



