TENDER SHRUBS IN SOUTH-WEST 177 



Abelia FLORIBUNDA. — Mexico. A beautiful ever- 

 green shrub, bearing clusters of drooping pink 

 flowers about 3 inches in length. Requires a sunny 

 and sheltered site. Finest specimen 6 feet. Several 

 gardens. 



Abutilon vexillarium. — Rio Grande. A hand- 

 some evergreen species generally grown against a 

 wall. It throws up long, slender, arching shoots 

 from 6 to 8 feet in length, studded with pendulous 

 ball-shaped flowers with crimson sepals, yellow petals, 

 and dark-brown stamens which are very striking and 

 often remain in bloom for six months. Common. 

 A. vitifolium — Chili. A most ornamental ever- 

 green shrub of which there are two forms, one 

 bearing lavender flowers, the other white. In excep- 

 tional cases it attains a height of 20 feet, and when 

 covered with its large blossoms, which are about 3 

 inches in diameter, and feathered to the ground with 

 foliage, it presents a lovely picture. Large specimens 

 form pyramids of bloom, and in some gardens 

 numbers of these are to be found. Wall protection 

 unnecessary. 



Acacias. — ^Australia. In Cornish and South Devon 

 gardens many species are to be met with in robust 

 health. A. affinis, very generally confounded with 

 A. dealbata, is the most common. In many cases 

 A. affinis is grown as A. dealbata. The leaves of the 

 former are green, while those of the latter are bluish 

 and its flowers are less bright in colour. A group 

 of A. affinis about 35 feet in height was a wonderful 

 sight at Tregothnan at the end of March, being 



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