Calycanthus. 



13 



American sylva. It was introduced to English gardens as 

 early as 1826, where it has since held its own and is still a 

 favorite. The plant forms a small compact bush four to 

 six feet in height, though it is oc- 

 casionally much taller. The foliage 

 is composed of oblong-shaped 

 leaves, deep green, inclined to be 

 coriaceous, and slightly downy. 

 The blossoms are deep blue shad- 

 ing to purple, one and a half inches 

 across, with petals somewhat fleshy. 

 They appear early in spring, remain 

 well into summer, and are quite 

 numerous. Their long continu- 

 ance is very much in their favor. 



11 1 • SWEET-SCENTED SHRUB. 



Taken all m all, this calycanthus (calycanthus florious.) 



may be accepted as one of the best of our native shrubs. 

 C. glaucns is, it may be, a less valuable plant, but is 

 possessed of some interesting features that are worthy of 

 notice. It is not so strongly impregnated with the peculiar 

 odor referred to when its leaves or branches are bruised or 

 crushed, but it is still fragrant to a rernarkable degree. 

 The flowers are much the same, lurid blue, and of equally 

 long continuance. The leaves are longer, more sharply 

 pointed, and with more marked pubescence. C. Icevigatus 

 is found growing freely on some of the Pennsylvania 

 mountains, with taper-pointed leaves, bright green and 

 glabrous. The flowers are intense purple and quite showy. 

 Each of these has given off varieties more or less distinct, 

 but scarcely of increased value. 



