IS GENISTA. — CASUARINA. 



bruised. In man\' places in tlic garden the scent of the 

 small, white blossoms of Pittosporiiiii Tohira is almost 

 overpowerino-. These flowers are borne in large numbers 

 on an evergreen tree-like shrub which is not unlike the 

 Laurustinus ( ]'i/>ii)-iiiim Tunis). There is also a species 

 ■with almo>;t black tiowers. which ha\ e a \er\ curious 

 effect. Sweeth' scented like our Chickling \'etch (Lal/i- 

 yri/s safira) is a daint\- tree with '-weeping"' boughs, 

 which owing to the profusion of its "llowers looks e[uite 

 white at a little distance. It is a west Mediterranean 

 species of Hroom, GiViisfa moiiospcrma, one of the most 

 graceful plants of the Riviera, and ought to be called 

 a ''shower of blossoms". Passing suddenh" from this 

 plant it seems difficult to belie^'e that Genista Acanilio- 

 clada, a bush from the (jrecian hills, can belong to the 

 same genus. This plant is so thorn\- that it was trans- 

 ferred to Tartarus as an emblem of terror. Aspalathus, 

 called after the island of Aspalathe on the coast of 

 L^'cia, is said b\' legend to have furnished the rods with 

 ^\hich the ungodh' u'ere chastised in Hades. 



Visitors to the gardens cannot fail to notice the large 

 Casuarina trees which shade the entrance steps. The 

 name of this famih' was sup-g-ested h\ the thread-like, 

 gre\ -green, pendant twigs which hang down like the 

 feathers of a cassowar\-'s tail. As the twigs are leafless 

 the work of feeding the tree devolves upon them: this is 

 wh\' they are green, that is to sa^- contain the green 

 colouring matter — chloroph\dl — whose presence is 

 essential for the elaboration of the sap throughout the tree. 

 In Australia Casuarinas form vast, characteristic lorests. 



