39° 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING 



in beds on the grass, in the rock garden, against a wall, or 

 in the open border. K. j. major is unfortunately far too 

 seldom seen considering its great value as a hardy flowering 

 shrub. The flowers are double, freely produced, larger, and 

 superior to the last-named. The single-flowered kind, K. japonica 

 {Corchorus japonicus) is seldom met with nowadays ; it is never- 

 theless a very fine shrub, with rich yellow flowers. Another sort 

 having variegated foliage, and named K. j. foliis variegatis, 

 deserves a place in the rock garden ; it is of rather slow 

 growth, and a little tenderer than the type. 



Laburnums. — The Common Laburnum {L. vulgare) is too 

 well known to need description. When in flower (April to 



June) its pendulous ra- 

 cemes Of golden-yellow 

 flowers are of exquisite 

 beauty. It succeeds in 

 dry as well as in damp 

 soils. L. v. Carlieri 

 {Cytisus Carlieri) is also 

 very free-flowering, its 

 flowers being produced 

 in long, narrow racemes. 

 L. v. foliis aureis is 

 a, distinct variety with 

 golden - yellow foliage, 

 which colour it retains 

 throughout the summer; 

 it is free in growth. 

 L. alptnum {Cytisus alpinus) (Fig. 252), 

 the Scotch Laburnum, varies in height 

 from 20ft. to 30ft. ; in habit it re- 

 sembles the first-named species, but its 

 leaves are larger, and it is generally 

 three weeks later in bearing its richly- 

 & V* coloured flowers, on which account it 



W. \, should be planted to prolong the floral 



" display. L. a. Parksii is another excel- 



lent kind, with very long racemes of 

 flowers. L. a. Watereri and L. a. 

 grandiflora are attractive free-flowering 

 sorts. L. a. autumnahs is the latest of all the Laburnums 

 to flower, and although not so ornamental as other members 

 of the genus, it is too valuable to be omitted altogether. 

 L. Adami (Cytisus Adami\ a hybrid between L. vulgare and 

 Cytisus purpureus, bears yellow and reddish-purple flowers on the 

 same tree, and in some cases on the same branch. L. cara- 

 manicum {Cytisus caramanicus, Podocyti'sus caramanicus), introduced 

 from Asia Minor twenty years ago, is a very rare and beautiful 



Fig. 252. — Laburnum 

 alpjnum. 



