172 PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS chimonanthus 



II. CALYCANTHACE^— Allspice Order 



Shrubs with square stems, and opposite, simple, and scabrous leaves without 

 stipules. Flowers perigynous, axillary, solitary, and often fragrant or aromatic. 

 Sepals and petals numerous, imbricated and combined in a fleshy tube. 

 Stamens numerous, inserted in a fleshy rim at the mouth of the tube, the inner 

 ones being sterile ; filaments short. Carpels many, distinct, inserted in a 

 cavity, one-celled, tapering to a filiform style. The fruit is an etserio of inde- 

 hiscent one-seeded achenes. 



CALYCANTHUS (Allspice Tree). 

 A genus of handsome deciduous N. 

 American shrubs, with rather large, 

 purple or livid sweet-scented flowers. 

 They grow in somewhat shaded, moist 

 soil in the warmer parts of the country, 

 but in very cold districts may require 

 a little protection in winter. 



Culture and Propagation. — Allspice 

 trees Uke a rich, well-drained sandy peat 

 and loam, but wUl grow well in any good 

 garden soil. They are useful for the 

 shrubbery, or in beds by themselves on 

 the grass in warm and sheltered positions, 

 or they may be trained on walls which 

 are overhung and shaded by tall trees. 

 Propagation may be effected by sowing 

 seeds in a cold frame in spring, or as 

 soon as fuUy ripe. The plants may also 

 be increased by division of the clumps or 

 offsets, and also by layers in summer and 

 autumn, this method being probably the 

 easiest in our climate. 



C. floridus (Ca/roUna Allspice). — A 

 native of Carolina 4-6 ft. high, with 

 spreading branches and ovate leaves, 

 downy beneath ; the wood and roots 

 smelling strongly of camphor. The 

 flowers, which have a sweet apple scent, 

 appear in May. There are several forms 

 of this species which receive distinctive 

 names in catalogues. 



Culture do. as above. 



C. glaucus (C. fertilis). — This is also 

 from Carolina, and grows about the same 

 height as C. florid/us. The leaves are 

 ovate and lance-shaped, pointed, glaucous 

 and downy beneath, and the livid purple, 

 not strongly scented flowers appear in 

 May. C. ohlongifoKus is a variety with 

 somewhat elongated leaves. 



Cultiire Sc. as above. 



C. laevigatus.— A shrub 3-6 ft. high 

 with strictly erect branches, from the 



mountains of Pennsylvania. Leaves 

 oblong, thin, blunt or acute, bright green, 

 smooth, or nearly so, paler beneath. 

 Flowers in May, livid purple, like those 

 of C. glaucua. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. occidentalis (C. macrophylhis). — 

 This is the ' Sweet-scented Shrub ' of 

 California, and grows 6-12 ft. high, having 

 oblong or ovate heart-shaped pointed 

 leaves, slightly downy on the veins 

 beneath. The brick-red sweet-scented 

 flowers which are 3-4 in. across — each 

 petal being about 2 in. long and J in. 

 broad — are produced from Jime to 

 October. 



Culture dc. as above. 



CHIMONANTHUS. — A genus 

 closely related to Calyoanthus, and con- 

 taining only one species, described below, 

 with the characters of the genus : — 



C. fragrans {Winter Sweet). — This 

 beautiful hardy shrub is a native of 

 China and Japan, and was at one time 

 also known under the name of Calycan- 

 thus prcccox. It grows 8-10 ft. high or 

 more in the British Islands, and from the 

 middle of December until the end of 

 February and March its leafless twigs 

 are covered with sweet-scented yellow 

 blossoms, each about 1 in. across and with 

 a purple-brown centre. The numerous 

 outer scale-like sepals gradually pass into 

 petals, from which they are scarcely dis- 

 tinct. The stamens are in two rows, the 

 5 outer ones only being fertile and united 

 at the base, the inner ones being sterile 

 and united into a oonelike tube. The 

 leaves appear after flowering is over, and 

 are lance-shaped, tapering in outline, 

 slightly hairy beneath, and rather rough 

 to the touch. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 charming winter-flowering plant should 



