July 29, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



355 



seedlings of 6". villosa, raised in the Arboretum, show 

 a decided tendency to vary in the time of flowering, in the 

 size and shape of the leaves, and in the size of the inflores- 

 cence — an indication, perhaps, that this species will respond 

 readily to efforts made to improve it by selection. The best 

 form here, and the last one to flower, has large, rather light 

 green, ovate-lanceolate leaves, great broad terminal panicles 

 which stand up on long stems above the plant and produce a 

 remarkably attractive appearance. The flowers are individu- 



instead of the two lateral ones of that species, which very rarely 

 perfects its terminal buds. The flowers of the Chinese plant 

 emit a strong and disagreeable Privet-like odor. In spite of 

 this serious defect, however, many persons believe that this is 

 the most valuable of the Lilacs recently brought into our 

 gardens. 



And this brings us to an entirely different section of the 

 genus, the Ligustrinas, which botanists unite with Syringa, 

 although they are distinct in habit and general appearance, and 



Fig. 60 — Iris Robinsoniana. — See page 352. 



ally large, with a rather short corolla-tube and short, ovate 

 lobes ; they are of a delicate flesh-color, shading into rose, and 

 quite unlike, in color, those of any other Lilac. S. villosa is 

 perfectly hardy and a vigorous grower, promising to attain, 

 ultimately, a large size, the best plants here being now about 

 eight feet high and eight or ten feet across the branches. It 

 differs from the common Lilac in that the terminal bud de- 

 velops, so that the inflorescence is terminal, three clusters of 

 flowers being sometimes produced on the end of the branch 



easily to be distinguished by their creamy white flowers, with 

 a very short corolla-tube, barely exceeding the calyx in length. 

 There are three of these plants now in cultivation. The best- 

 known and the first to flower, the flowers appearing with those 

 of S. villosa, is 5. Amurensis, whose native country is ex- 

 plained in its specific name. It has been cultivated for a num- 

 ber of years, and is a bold, strong-growing shrub of irregular 

 outline, with rather rigid branches and large, leathery, ovate- 

 pointed leaves. The flowers are produced in short clusters 



