214 A ra liacecz A ra lia. 



medicinal properties, but of no special merit as ornamental 

 plants. 



2. FlTSIA. 



Spinescent or unarmed small trees or shrubs with large 

 palmately-lobed leaves. Flowers in umbellate racemes or 

 panicles. Petals valvate. Fruit compressed laterally. .Only 

 three species are included here, two of which are occasionally 

 grown. 



1. F. Japdnica, syn. Aralia Sieboldii, A. papyri/era. Eice 

 Paper Tree. A very handsome and, distinct small but rather 

 tender tree with large palmate deciduous leaves densely 

 covered with a stellate pubescence. A native of Formosa. 



2. F. horrida, syn. Panax horridum. A very spiny thick- 

 stemmed shrub with palmately-lobed cordate petiolate prickly 

 leaves and terminal inflorescence. A native of North America. 



Eleutherococcus senticosus is a recently introduced prickly 

 shrub from North-eastern Asia. It has palmately divided 

 deciduous leaves on very long petioles, and small dioecious 

 umbellate flowers; male lilac and female yellow. It is re- 

 ported to be quite hardy. 



3. H^DERA. 



Climbing evergreen shrubs with simple leaves. Flower- 

 umbels paniculate. Petals valvate, with an equal number 

 of stamens. Seeds with ruminated albumen. The derivation 

 of the name is obscure, but supposed to be from the Celtic 

 hedra, a cord, in allusion to the stems. There is an Australian 

 species with pinnate leaves, and all the other forms are referred 

 to one species by some botanists, and by others they are grouped 

 under several different names. The extreme varieties are very 

 distinct and readily recognised, but there are some intermediate 

 forms which are not so easily disposed of. The Ivies are found 

 throughout the north temperate and warm regions of the Old 

 World, and some of the forms are local, which has led to their 

 receiving names indicative of the countries they inhabit, whilst 

 others have been less appropriately named. Without commit- 

 ting ourselves on the species question, we will enumerate a few 

 of the most distinct forms. It should be remembered that the 

 leaves on young plants and on flowering branches are often very 

 different from the bulk. Ivies rarely flower in the creeping 

 form, or when climbing until they have reached the summit 



