rOEEST TREES. 107 



Only one species reaching as far north as the United States, 

 and this only in Southern Flordia. 



Amyrls sylTatica. — {A. Floridana, Nutt.) Florida Torch-wood. — 

 Leaves small with divided ovate pinnae. Flowers with four 

 white petals. Fruit purple, containing one seed or nut. 

 "Wood yellowish-white, close-grained and susceptible of a high 

 polish, and the wood is also fragrant, having a balsamic odor. 

 A small tree of no value except for cultivation in tropical 

 climates. 



Andromcda-arborea. — See Oxydendron. 



ARALiA. — Angelica Tree. 



There are several indigenous species of plants belonging to 

 this genus, but only one with a woody stem, the others are 

 herbaceous plants. 



Aralia spinosa. — Hercules' Club. — Leaves very large, crowded at 

 the summit of the stem, bipionatedly compound. Flowers 

 minute, white, in very large panicles, succeeded by small, 

 berry-like, black fruit. The stem and branches are very 

 prickly, especially while young. A well-known shrub or small 

 tree, often cultivated in gardens on account of the tropical 

 appearance of its immense compound leaves. Not quite hardy 

 in the more Northern States, the stems are often killed down 

 in winter, but the roots usually survive, and throw up vigorous 

 shoots in the spring. Native of Southern Pennsylvania, Ken- 

 tucky, and southward to Floiida, and westward to Texas. In 

 Southern swamps it sometimes reaches a hight of fifty feet, 

 with a stem a foot in diameter. A tree desirable only as a 

 curiosity or for ornament. The roots if disturbed throw up 

 suckers in great numbers. EeadUy propagated from seeds or 

 cuttings of the roots. 



There are several Asiatic species and varieties, several of 

 which are now quite common in gardens. The Aralia chi- 

 nensis, also known as A. canescens, A. elata, also Dimorphan- 

 thus elatus, Miguel, or D. manschuri<nts, Maximowicz, is as 

 hardy as our indigenous species, and the flowers are in larger 

 panicles. A Japanese species, Aralia Japonica of Thunberg, and 

 Fatsia Japonica of Decaisne and Planchon, has yielded several 

 handsome varieties with variegated foliage, but these are of 

 more interest as ornamental shrubs, than as useful trees. 



