Sophora. 



313 



erect, handsome, and hardy plant, and sends up numerous 

 stems which will thrive in almost any good soil. The 

 flowers are orange-yellow with five ellipti- 

 cal petals, obtuse and spreading. There 

 are several varieties, double and single, 

 the double being most in use, but the 

 single having more beauty, and to be pre- 

 ferred for many situations. The foliage 

 is bright glossy green, smooth above, and 

 slightly hairy on the under side. The 

 height is from three to six feet. There 

 are one or two varieties having foliage 

 variegated with white, and these cannot 

 fail to be appreciated when better known. 



SOPHORA. 



THE sophoras include a number of 

 small trees and shrubs, natives of 

 eastern Asia and certain portions 

 of North America, and possessed of much 

 interest. They belong to the order Legu- 

 mmos(Z, and number not far from twenty 

 species, with numerous varieties that are 

 worthy of notice. The best-known member of the family 

 is catalogued as S. japonua, though it is supposed to 

 be a native of China, and to have been taken to Japan 

 many centuries ago, carrying with it the popular name, 

 pagoda tree, which is still applied to it in both coun- 

 tries. This name comes from the fact that it is largely 

 planted in the vicinity of temples and public buildings. 



KERRIA JAfONICA. 



