256 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SHRUBS 



Kdlmia. The Kalmias or American' 'Laurels' are amonu the most 



beautiful shrubs in cultivation. About all are hardy throughout and 



should he cultivated much more generally than they are. The special 



peculiarities of the Kalmias are in the flowers, which are cup-shaped with 



ten hollows in which the anthers are 

 held till released by the action of 

 insects. The leaves are entire, and 

 alternate, opposite, or whorled in 

 arrangement on the stem. 



So many evergreen plants, of 

 many families, both in America and 

 lOurope are called laurels that it 

 would be better to drop it as a name 

 unless some distinctive modifier can 

 >---'''^|]3i^-^/ps:\V^^ fix upon the plant intended. '-The 



'^^ -<<Y-;cizx\\S>^ |i^=s^~^ V flower of Kalmia is one of those 



proposed as a national flower emblem, 

 especially on account of the exquisite 

 symmetrical beauty of the single 

 flower." Kalmia is a purely Ameri- 

 can genus and deserves 

 a distinctive name. The 

 best plan would be to 

 always call these Ameri- 

 can plants Kalmias. 



They are less particular about soil and position than the hardy 



Rhododendron, growing well in sandy and loamy 



soils and especially thriving in damp shady places. 

 Broad-leaved Kalmia, Mountain 'Laurel,' 



or Calico Bush (48.3) — Kalmia latifolia — is gen- 

 erally a shrub 4 to 10 feet high, though sometimes a 



tree to 30 feet, with a rounded head and evergreen, 



alternate (or irregularly whorled), entire, glossy 



leaves 3-4 inches long. The flowers are white or 



rose-colored in large terminal clusters. May and 



June. The individual flowers are about f inch 



broad. 



Narrow-leaved Kalmia, Sheep 'Laurel,' 



Lambkill or Wkkv (434) — Kalmia angustif 61 ia— 



is alow shrub, 1 to 3 feet high, with usually narrow 



evergi-een, opposite (or whorled in threes) leaves 



1 to 21 inches long. The flowers are of many shades of red to purple in lateral 



Fig. 435. — Pale Kalmia. 



4.3(5. — Hairy 

 Kalmia. 



clusters, June and July. 



The individual flowers are nearly \ inch broad. 



