SCHIZANDEA 



GUSTABD APPLE OBDEB 



ASIMINA 177 



into a roundish or ring-like mass. Carpels 

 in the female flowers numerous, becoming 

 indehiscent berries when ripe. Seeds 

 kidney-shaped. 



S. chinensis. — A handsome climbing 

 shrub, native of China and Japan, with 

 stems 10-20 ft. long, clothed with simple 

 leaves, and bearing pale rosy flowers 

 during the summer months. After bloom- 

 ing, the berry-like fruits appear and 

 assume a scarlet hue when ripe, remain- 

 ing on the plant for the greater part of 

 winter. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is the only one fit for outdoor cul- 

 tivation in the United Kingdom. It re- 

 quires a warm sheltered position, and 

 must be protected in nofthern parts during 

 severe winters. A rich sandy loam, with 

 a little peat or leaf soil added, suits it well. 

 Cuttings of the more or less ripened shoots 

 may be rooted during the summer and 

 autumn months under handlights or in 

 greenhouses in the same way as Drim 

 and lUioium. 



KADSURA.— A genus of climbing 

 shrubs closely related to Schizandra, but 

 having usually leathery and only rarely 

 membranous leaves. The 1-sexed solitary 

 flowers are borne singly in the axils of the 

 leaves. Sepals and petals 9-15, gradually 

 changing one into the other. Stamens in 

 the male flowers numerous, more or less 

 united. Carpels in the female flowers 

 numerous, capitate, becoming berries 

 when ripe. 



K. chinensis. — A rather tender Japan- 

 ese climbing shrub, with smooth, leathery, 

 more or less oblong-oval leaves, with ser- 

 rate margins, and tapering at both ends. 

 The white flowers are borne diuring the 

 summer months on stalks opposite the 

 leaves. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — This plant 

 likes a warm sheltered position and flour- 

 ishes in southern parts of the kingdom in 

 rich sandy loam, peat and leaf soil. It 

 may be increased by inserting cuttings of 

 the more or less ripened shoots in sandy 

 soil under handlights during the summer 

 months. 



IV. ANONACEiE— Custard Apple Order 



An order of trees and shrubs with alternate, entire, exstipulate leaves, and 

 hermaphrodite or rarely 1-sexed flowers. Sepals usually 3, more or less 

 distinct. Petals usually 6, hypogynous. Stamens usually numerous. 



Although this order contains about 400 species, mostly natives of the 

 tropics, the foUovring genus is the only one that can be satisfactorily repre- 

 sented out of doors in the British Islands. 



ASIMINA. — A small genus of shrubs 

 or small trees, with feather-veined leaves, 

 and nodding short-stalked flowers borne 

 on the sides of the branches. Sepals 3, 

 ovate, valvate. Petals 6, in 2 rows, the 

 inner ones smaller than the outer ones. 

 Stamens numerous. Torus (or receptacle) 

 roundish. Carpels 3-15, becoming an 

 oblong thickened berry when mature. 



A. triloba. — A small tree or shrub 

 about 10 ft. high, native of Pennsylvania 

 and other parts of the United States. The 

 leaves are smooth, oblong, wedge-shaped, 

 and the pale purple bell-shaped flowers, 

 about 2 in. across, with a yellow centre, 

 are produced in early summer. The three 

 outer broadly ovate petals are distinctly 

 larger than the three inner ones, and the 



points of both series form almost an 

 equilateral triangle. 



Culture and Propagation. — This plant 

 is best grown in southern and western 

 parts of the kingdom in warm and shel- 

 tered situations, but is fairly hardy in the 

 neighbourhood of London. It likes a rich 

 sandy loam, but will also flourish in well- 

 drained good garden soil. To obtain new 

 plants, the branches may be layered 

 during the summer and autumn months, 

 and severed the following year when well 

 rooted. Imported seeds may also be sown 

 under glass in rich sandy loam, but the 

 young plants should not be placed in the 

 open air permanently until they have 

 attained a good size, and have been well 

 hardened and matured by exposure during 

 the smnmer months. 



