370 FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 



who believe that 8. vulgaris is only a long- cultivated form of ^S^. persica. 

 There are numerous garden forms and nursery varieties of the species 

 generally cultivated, most of them distinguished by slight differences in the 

 size or colour of the flowers. The White Lilac, sold in abundance by 

 florists during winter, is not really a white-flowered variety, but speci- 

 mens, purple or lilac forms, of 8. vulgaris, which, under a system of rapid 

 forcing at a high temperature in the dark, do not develop this colour. 

 Princi ais ecies SERINGA CHiNENSis (Chinese). Rouen Lilac. " Lilas 



Varin " of the French. Stems about 4 feet high. Leaves 

 very smooth, oval-lance-shaped, small. Flowers usually intense violet, 

 but somewhat variable. Introduced 1795. Plate 179B. 



S. EMODI (Mount Emodus). A tall shrub (9 feet high) with warty 

 excrescences on the stems, and egg-shaped, pointed leaves. Flowers 

 purplish or white in dense-flowered panicles; May. Introduced from 

 Himalaya, 1840. The var. variegata has the leaves blotched with yellow. 



S. JosiK.EA (Countess von Josika's). Stems 5 to 10 feet high. 

 Leaves elliptic, wrinkled, slightly fringed, whitish beneath. Flowers 

 bluish purple, scentless; May. Introduced from Hungary, 1835. 



S. PERSICA (Persian). A distinct species with straight slender 

 branches, 4 or 5 feet high, and small lance-shaped leaves which are some- 

 times broken up into pinnate lobes. The flowers are bluish purple or 

 white; May and June. The species is much smaller than any other. 

 Plate 179A. 



S. VULGARIS (common). Common Lilac. Small tree, 8 to 25 feet 

 high. Leaves heart-shaped, shiny. Flowers red, blue, white, or purple ; 

 April or May. Plate 178. Numerous varieties are in cultivation. 



From the numerous varieties and hybrids which have 

 ■ been named by the nurserymen the following will be found 

 a good selection : — 



Alba gmndijlora, large, white. Mathieu de Domhash, reddish mauve, 



Alphonse Lavallee, pale blue with violet double. 



tinge, double. Michel Buchmr, pale lilac, rosy margins, 



Charles X., purplish lilac, white when double. 



forced. Eantinculi/lora, dark red, becoming lilac. 



Dr. Lindley, reddish lilac. double. 



Lemoinei, pale ashy lilac, double. Rubella plena, red changing to rosy violet, 



Madame Lcmoine, double white. double. 



3Tarie Legraye, white. Souvenir de L. Spath, bright scarlet. 



When one thinks of the frequency with which Syringas 



3 planted in town gardens, and how they thrive in poor 



, with no attention, and under depressing conditions generally, hints 



jultivation appear to be superfluous. Hardy and long-suffering, how- 



