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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS cotoneastbr 



COTONEASTER. — A genus con- 

 taining about 20 species of erect or trail- 

 ing trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, 

 leathery, entire, usually woolly or white 

 beneath (a fact not mentioned again in 

 the descriptions below), often evergreen. 

 Flowers in axillary and terminal cymes, 

 or solitary. Calyx-tube 5-lobed. Petals 5. 

 Stamens many. Fruit an ovoid, top- 

 shaped, or roundish drupe, containing 

 2-5 seeded stones. 



According to soil, situation, and mild- 

 ness or otherwise of the season, the decid- 

 uous kinds either retain their leaves for a 

 greater portion of the year, or lose them 

 at the usual period. . The evergreen kinds, 

 even when not in bloom or berry, have a 

 peculiarly graceful and ornamental ap- 

 pearance in the depth of winter. The 

 dwarfer kinds might be used with advan- 

 tage for covering banks or rising ground, 

 or for making thickets or coverts. 



The accompanying list will show at a 

 glace the evergreen and the deciduous 

 species. 



Evergreen DecidMous 



C. buxifolia C. acuminata 



C. microphylla C. affinis 



C. pannosa C. bacillaris 



C. rotundifolia C. frigida 



C. thymifolia C. horizontalis 



C. integerrima 

 C. laxiflora 

 C. multiflora 

 C Nummularia 

 C. Simonsi 

 C. tomeutosa. 



Culture and Propagation. — Cotoneas- 

 ters grow well in ordinary soU, and are 

 ornamental trained against a wall, or to 

 fill up a corner in the shrubbery or border. 

 They may be increased by seeds sown in 

 spring, or better still in autumn as soon 

 as ripe ; by cuttings and layers in autumn, 

 or by grafting in March on C. Simonsi 

 and C. integerrima, the Quince (Pyrusvul- 

 ga/ris), or the Hawthorn [Oraicegus Oxy- 

 acamtha). Plants are so readily raised by 

 means of seeds, cuttings, and layers that 

 it is astonishing that grafting is at all 

 practised. 



C. acuminata. — A deciduous Hima- 

 layan species 10 ft. or more high. Leaves 

 1^2 in. long, tapering to a point, very 

 hairy when young, smooth when old. 

 Flowers pinky white, 2 or more together 

 on very short cymes. Fruit large, hand- 

 some, scarlet. 



Culture d'c. as above. 



C. affinis. — Closely related to 

 C. bacillaris and C. frigida, native of 

 Nepaul. It is shorter and stiffer in habit 

 than the two species mentioned, and has 

 the under surface of the leaves covered 

 with a woolly down. 



Culture rfc. as above. 



C. bacillaris. — A bold, large-growing 

 deciduous species, 15-20 ft. high, from 

 Nepaul, with oblong or obovate lance- 

 shaped leaves 1-3 in. long, narrowed into 

 a stalk. Flowers white, g in. across, 

 in clusters along the slender shoots. 

 Fruits in graceful, drooping clusters, dark 

 brown or black. 



There is a variety called florihvmda 

 which differs but little if at all from the 

 type, and another called ohtusa, in which 

 the leaves are blunt instead of pointed. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. buxifolia. — An evergreen species, 

 native of the Nilghiri Mts., 3-10 ft. high, 

 with drooping branches. Leaves eEiptic- 

 acute or ovate, like those of the common 

 Box {Biixus sempervirens) in shape. 

 Flowers in April and May, white, 2-6 in 

 a short cyme. 



Culture rfc. as above. This is a very 

 free-growing species, and attains large 

 proportions. 



C. frigida. — An almost evergreen 

 species about 10 ft. high, native of Nepaul. 

 Leaves more or less oblong lance-shaped, 

 acute, 3-5 in. long. Flowers in April and 

 May, white, in woolly cymes, followed by 

 large clusters of bright red fruits about the 

 size of small Peas. 



Culture rfr. as above. This is one of 

 the most ornamental species, especially 

 when studded with its brilliant fruits. 



C. horizontalis. — As a bush in the 

 open this fine species grows only about 

 2 ft. high, but against a wall it will reach 

 a height of 6 ft. or more. The young 

 branches are covered with a thick brown 

 wool, but the leaves — about 3 in. long — 

 are smooth, shining green, and are set 

 very close together, bright red or yellow 

 in autumn. Flowers in May and June, 

 small pinkywhite in great profusion, 

 succeeded by round red attractive fruits m 

 autumn and winter. 



CuUnre dx. as above. 



C. integerrima (C. vulgaris ; Mespilm 

 Coioneaster). — A shrub 3-5 ft. high, native 

 of Carnarvonshire, Europe and W. Asia, 

 Leaves broadly elliptic-oblong, blunt or 



