Flowers of Autumn 



ago Linnaeus laid it down as a canon that colour 

 could not be used as a differentia — it is too 

 changeable ; color in eadem specie mire ludit hinc 

 in differentia nil valet ; and we must agree that 

 so it must be. Yet differences of colour are 

 noted in flowers, and it is not easy to say why 

 they should not be noted in leaves, but they are 

 not. This year the autumn tints were very late, 

 and in most cases very poor. In the Thames 

 valley the beech showed no change of colour 

 even in the second and third weeks in October, 

 and in my own garden, the Parrotia Persica, often 

 a marvel of many colours, showed none this 

 year. On the other hand, the Salisburia was 

 as beautiful as ever, but very late and for a 

 very short time ; and, as in former years, the 

 Rhus cotinoides was by far the most beautiful 

 of all autumnal shrubs. The thin leaves allow 

 the light to shine through them, and when so seen 

 I can only compare their colour to the richest old 

 cathedral ruby glass ; the mixture of deep crimson, 

 with a suspicion of gold, is almost peculiar to this 

 fine North American shrub. I must not dwell 

 further on the autumn tints and colours except 

 to say that every year I see something of fresh 

 interest and beauty in them. This year I note 

 two things that I had not noted before. In the 

 Salisburia the rich colour begins at the lowest 

 branch of the tree and works upwards ; with most 

 other trees the course is different ; and in Coton- 

 easter horizontalis the deep red of the leaves begins 



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