TEA FAMILY 



inches broad and two inches long ; the edges are some- 

 what crimped and scalloped. In the centre of the 

 flower is a cluster of many stamens with large orange- 

 colored anthers. In full bloom the plant is an object 

 of surpassing beauty. 



GORDONIA 



Gordbnia pubesccns. Gordbnia altamaha. 

 Named in honor of James Gordon, a London nurseryman. 



Gordo)iia pubesccns has a unique history, for so far as 

 known the species at one time consisted of a single 

 individual ; and all the plants of the species now ex- 

 isting are the offspring of that ancestor. The original 

 form was discovered in Georgia and planted in the 

 Bartram Gardens near Philadelphia in 1790. Since 

 that time all efforts to rediscover the tree have been 

 futile and it is now believed that no other wild speci- 

 men exists. Either by mere chance a species Avas res- 

 cued as it was upon the point of extinction, or the in- 

 dividual discovered w^as a hybrid of a different species. 



The plant is a fairly hardy shrub eight to ten feet 

 high in the Arnold Arboretum ; at the south it be- 

 comes a small tree. The bright shining foliage is very 

 liandsome, and ere the leaves fall they assume a rich 

 crimson tint. The blossoms are pure white, deliciously 

 fragrant, three inches across, with a cluster of bright 

 yellow stamens w^ithin. The petals do not continue 

 very long, falling usually upon the second day. 



The high personal value of the shrub rests upon the 

 fact that it is an autumn bloomer. The flowers appear 



34 



