Trees, Shrubs and Vines 
resembles that of the silver-bell-tree elsewhere described. 
Of our three native species, one or two are worthy of 
cultivation—S. grandiffora, about six feet high, and the 
lower .S. obassia, the flowers of both clustered in racemes. 
But a better species is the one from Japan, SS. serrudata, 
with finer leaves and larger blossoms, of quite an arboreal 
figure with spreading branches. Its hardiness and adap- 
tability also recommend it, with perhaps the only draw- 
back that its flowering period is very brief. 
The fact that a plant blossoms as late as September or 
even October attracts attention, and becomes a large in- 
ducement to its cultivation. We have two such species 
in the Desmodium genus, both of foreign growth—JD. 
penduliflorum, of purplish-rose color, and D. japonicum, 
with white blossoms. The flowering is profuse in both 
if well trimmed each year, and the effect of drooping 
flower-laden branches so late in the season is particularly 
pleasing. 
Closely allied to the spirzea is a small genus, Axo- 
chorda, better known as pearl bush, from the tint of its 
blossoms. It comes from China, and is quite hardy in 
the Northern States. Properly treated it is orna- 
mental, but as its foliage is scanty it must be pruned 
quite close. As in spirzea the beauty is mainly in its 
bloom. 
A shrub only four or five feet high, but with a single 
shaft that makes it arboreal, is the leather-wood, whose 
clustered, greenish-yellow flowers develop before the 
long and tapering leaves. Its chief interest is the re- 
markable character of its bark, which is as impression- 
able as softened wax, but at once regaining its shape 
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