148 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[March 9, 1912 



— 



five, leaflets, which are lance-shaped, 3 inches or 

 more in length, and J inch in width ; they are 

 a rich dark-green colour above, the undersides 

 being clothed with a thick tomentum. The 

 somewhat insignificant pink flowers are borne in 

 terminal racem- , 2 inches to 3 inches in length; 

 the shining black fruits are of a moderate size, 

 and their flavour is not unpleasant. Both Mr. A. 

 Henry and Mr. E. H. Wilson met with this 

 species in China, growing at an elevation of 

 from 4,000 feet to 7.000 feet. The long, slender, 

 trailing shoots furnished with the evergreen 

 leaves make this Rubus a particularly desirable 

 plant for covering pergolas, arches and pillars. 

 R. Henrvi, Hemslev and Kuntze, closelv re- 



gemblea this 



(see 

 the 

 He col- 



species. 



R. BIFLORUS VAR. QUINQUEFLORUS, Focke 



fig. 63). — This is the most striking of all 

 I Gambles introduced by Mr. Wilson, 

 lected seeds in West Szech'uan, south east of 

 T.ichien-lu, at an altitude of 5,000 feet to 6,000 

 feet. The growths are particularly strong, being 

 12 feet in height, and the stems 4$ inches in 

 circumference at the base. The waxy-white 

 bloom on the stems is a particularly striking 

 feature. They are armed with large, stiff spines, 

 i inch in length. The leaves are pinnate, about 

 a foot in length, and generally consfst of five 

 leaflets, which are white beneath and green 

 above. The flowers are white, jj inch in dia- 

 meter, being borne in terminal and axillary 

 panicles of about five flowers. The fruit is a 

 rich, golden-yellow colour, equal in size to those 

 of most of our cultivated Raspberries, and of a 

 good flavour. This species, so far as I am able 

 to judge, is likely to prove the most useful of 

 the Chinese Raspberries to the hybridist for rais- 

 ing new fruits. 



R. corchorifolius, Linn, (see fig. 63). — The 

 plant is more or less erect in habit. The steins 



grow 

 with 



from 4 feet to 6 feet in tyeight, are clothed 

 a lightish down, and armed with small 

 spines. The leaves are simple, ovate-cordate, 

 sometimes three-lobed, dull green above, pubes- 

 cent beneath. They are 4£ inches to 5 inches 

 long and 3 inches wide; the petioles are 1 inch 

 in length, and clothed with prickles, which ex- 

 tend along the midrib beneath the leaves. The 

 flowers are white, and are followed by largo, 

 bright red fruits, which Mr. Wilson describes as 

 delicious. R. corchorifolius grows at an eleva- 

 tion of about 7,000 feet in Central and Western 

 China. 



R. 



Miquel (see 



This 



coreanus, Miquel (see fig. 63).- 

 species is more upright in growth than most of 

 the Chinese Brambles, and is self-supporting. 



The bluish-white stems are 7 feet or more in 

 length, and furnished abundantly with elegant 



pinnate leaves, which are 7 inches to 9 inches 

 in length, and generally consist of seven or nine 

 leaflets. The stems axe armed with straight 

 prickles, while those on the petioles are hooked. 

 The flowers and fruit are of no value. Mr. 

 WiUon records finding this Bramble at an eleva- 

 tion of 6,000 feet in Central and Western China. 



R. omeiensis, Rolfe (see fig. 63). — The growths 

 of this Rubus are long and slender, 11 feet to 

 12 feet in length, and unarmed. Their colour is 

 reddish-brown on the exposed surfaces. The 

 leaves are simple, prominently lobed and toothed, 

 dull-green above, light-green or greyish and 

 downy beneath. They are 4 inches to 6 inches 

 in length and the same width. The purplish 

 flowers are produced in panicles and the fruits 

 are black. It is a common species in Western 

 China. Mr. Wilson collected the type specimen 

 on Mount Omiei, hence the specific name. R. 

 clemens, Focke, is probably synonymous. The 

 long, straggling growths of this Bramble lying 

 on the ground root freely; no doubt the plant 

 would spread rapidly over a large area of ground 

 if allowed to grow unchecked. 



of all 



63). 

 the 



This is 

 Chinese 



R. thibetanus, Focke (see fig. 

 one of the handsomest 

 Brambles. .The name R. Veitchii. Rolfe, which 

 is a synonym, w r ill be more familiar to readers 

 in this country, but according to botanical rules 



it must be dropped in favour of R. thibetanus, 

 which is a slightly-older name given by Focke, 

 who first described this species. The plants 

 grow to a height of 6-7 feet, have blue-white 

 stems and attractive, much-divided, fern-like 

 foliage. At first erect, the stems arch grace- 

 fully with age. Both stems and petioles are 

 plentifully furnished with spines. The pinnate 

 leaves are 6 inches to 9 inches long, and consist 

 of four or five pairs of leaflets, with a larger 



THE MARKET FRUIT GARDEN. 



It is hardly too much to say that, after five 

 months of drought, we have had an equal period 

 of mud. Except for small portions of October 

 and November, and during about a week of hard 

 frost at the end of January and the beginning of 

 February, the land has been constantly in 

 waterlogged condition since the drought broke 

 up. Never before, since I began to keep not f 





FlG. 62. — FRUITING SPRAY OF RUDUS BAMBUSARUMt 



long ago 



terminal one. The leaves are dark-green above the weather — and that is 



and white beneath. The purple flowers are been an equally wet season. 



borne in small, terminal panicles ; the blue-black 



fruits are of moderate size. It is interesting to 



note that Mr. Wilson collected this species in 



Western China in the dry regions of the Min dition since the end of that month. 



Valley. The blue-white stems and handsome, 



fern-like leaves make it a useful species for 



a large bed or group in the shrubbery border. 



•*■ 0* (To be continued.) 



-has there 



uwu an cquciiiv wet »caauii. XllOSe 01 U& 



most of our fruit-planting done in the latter pa 

 of November have reason for self-congratulatio^ 



as the land has never been in even passable c 



Those *no 



had much planting to do, it may be ^°?? 

 have most of the work still undone, and 1 * 

 earnestly to be hoped, for this and other reaso 

 that March will Drove a dry month. 





