328 



PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS genista 



high, with ovate lance-shaped leaflets, 

 rounded at the base. Flowers in June, 

 yellow, in drooping clusters. C. fragrans, 

 C. hirstitum, and C. pendulum are varie- 

 ties, the characters of which are indicated 

 in the names. The variety A Ischingeri has 

 very long clusters of flowers ; autuminale 

 flowers in autumn from the end of the 

 current year's shoots ; Parkesi has very 

 long racemes of deep yellow flowers ; 

 Watereri has racemes a foot or more in 

 length, and is probably the most beautiful 

 of all. 



Culture d-c. as above, p. 327. 



L. caramanicum. — A beautiful but not 

 well-known shrub 3-4 ft. high, native of 

 Asia Minor. Leaves small, shortly 

 stalked, 3-foliolate. Flowers in June and 

 July, bright yellow, in erect racemes 

 forming a large truss at the ends of the 

 shoots. Grows well in chalky soil. 



Culture d-c. as above, p. 327. 



L. vulgare (Cytisus Laburnum). — 

 Common Laburnum. — A tree 20-30 ft. 

 high, native of Central and S. Europe. 

 Branches round, whitish; leaflets ovate 

 lance-shaped, downy beneath. Flowers 

 from April to June, bright yellow, in 

 drooping racemes often nearly a foot in 

 length in the best forms. 



There are several varieties, among 

 which the best are : aureum, with golden- 

 yeUow leaves ; CarUeri, with verj' narrow 

 leaflets and long racemes ; involutum, 

 with the leaflets curled so as to form 

 ' rings ; ' quercifolium, with leaflets sinu- 

 ated and lobed, like a miniature Oak-leaf 

 in outline ; serotinum, flowers later than 

 most of the others ; monstrosum fasti- 

 giatum, is a form with erect flexible 

 branches ; and sessilifolium-is recognised 

 by the absence of leaf stalks. 



There is also a form with variegated 

 leaves, which is not particularly attractive 

 and may be regarded merely as a curiosity. 



Culture <tc. as above, p. 327. 



PETTERIA.— This genus has been 

 separated from Laburnum and Cytisus, 

 and has only one species here described 

 with the characters of the genus : — 



P. ramentacea (Cytisus Weldeni ; 

 Laburnum ramentaceum). — A dwarf 

 smoothish shrub, native of Dalmatia, with 

 digitately 3-foliolate leaves, elliptic entire 

 leaflets, and small, blunt or obsolete sti- 

 pules. Flowers in spring, yellow, in dense 

 terminal erect racemes. Calyx bell- 

 shaped, 3-lobed, ciliated. Standard petal 



round ; wings and keel oblong, rather 

 straight ; keel pouched on each side. 

 Stamens 10, united. Pod broadly linear, 

 rather sickle-shaped, compressed. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species will flourish in ordinary good 

 garden soil, and is suitable for massing 

 with other shrubs. Seeds are freely pro- 

 duced, and plants may be readUy raised 

 from these when sown either in autumn 

 or spring in cold frames, or out of doors 

 in the milder parts of the country'. Layers 

 may also be made in autiunn, and any 

 particularly fine varieties may be grafted 

 on seedling stocks of the commoner 

 forms. 



GENISTA (Rock Broom). — A 

 genus with about 70 species of smooth or 

 silky, armed or spiny shrubs. Leaves 

 simple or rarely digitately 8-foliolate. 

 Stipules minute or none. Flowers yellow, 

 rarely white, either singly or in clusters 

 at the ends of the branches. Calyx bell- 

 shaped, the upper lobes usually free, the 

 3 lower imited. Standard petal ovate ; 

 wings oblong ; keel oblong, straight or 

 slightly incurved. Stamens 10, united in 

 one bundle. Pod roundish, ovate, oblong, 

 or linear. 



Culture and Propagation. — Genistas 

 thrive in any good well-drained garden soil, 

 and are easily increased from seeds. 

 These may be sown as soon as ripe, or in 

 spring, either out of doors for the hardier 

 species, or in cold frames for the more 

 tender ones. The seedlings are pricked 

 out when large enough and given more 

 room to develop, and are ultimately 

 planted in their permanent positions. 



As many species begin to show signs 

 of decay after a few years' grovrth, it is 

 always safe to raise young plants from 

 seeds every two or three years to take the 

 place of any that show signs of weakness. 



G. aetnensis (Spartium cetnense). — 

 A native of Sicily and Sardinia, 6-15 ft. 

 high, with few linear silky leaves on the 

 younger twigs only. With the advance of 

 age the leaves drop and the slender green 

 branches have to perform their duties. 

 Flowers from June to August, in great 

 profusion, the bright yellow clusters being 

 in striking contrast to the deep green of 

 the twigs. 



Culture d-c. as above. 



G. angelica (Needle Furze; Petty 

 Whin). — A prostrate British shrub 1-2 ft. 

 high, with ovate - lance - shaped spiny 



