CHAP. I. 



JUNUNCULA'CEiE. XANTHORHrZA. 



255 



plants are at Hopeton House, and in Dalkeith Park. In Ireland, the plant 

 attains a large size with little or no protection, as will appear by the notice of 

 one 12 ft. high at Lord Ferrard's, already given in p. 109. 



Commercial Statistics. Soon after the tree peonies were imported from 

 China, they began to be propagated in the nurseries, and the price was, at first, 

 ten guineas a plant. In 1820 the price had fallen to six guineas, and in 1825 

 to two guineas. Price in 1836, in London, from 3s. 6d. to 10.?.; at Boll- 

 wyller, where it is a conservatory plant, from 10 francs to 30 francs; and 

 in New York, ?. 



Genus II. 



XANTHORHrZA L. 



The Yellow Root. 

 Mono-Tri-gynia. 



Lin. Syst. Polyandria 



Gen. Char. Calyx of 5 deciduous sepals. Petals 5. Carpels 2 — 3-seeded, but 

 usually solitary from abortion. (Don's Mill. , i. p. 65.) There is only one 

 species known. 



-** X. ^piifo'lia VHerit. The Parsley-leaved Yellow Root. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 1581. ; Lam. 111., 854. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 65. ; Don's Mill, 1. p. 65. 



Synonymes. Xanthorhiza apiifblia j Zanthorise a Feuilles de Persil, Fr.\ Sellerie-blattrige Gelbwurr, 

 Ger'. 



Derivation. From the Greek words xanthos, yellow, and rkiza, a root, applied from the deep yellow 

 colour of the roots. The French name needs no explanation ; and the German is a literal trans- 

 lation of the English one. 



Engravings. Lam. 111., t. 854. ; L'Her. Stirp. Nov., p. 79. t. 38. ; Bot. Mag., 1736. ; E. of PL, 3993. ; and 

 our fig. 31. 



Description. A small shrub with yellow creeping 

 roots, throwing up numerous suckers ; with irregu- 

 larly pinnate leaves, branched racemes, and small 

 purplish flowers, which are usually unisexual from 

 abortion, rising from the scaly buds. {Don's Mill., 

 adapted.) The flowers appear early in May, and 

 continue a month or upwards before they drop off. 

 We have never heard of its ripening seeds in 

 Europe. Nevertheless, this may have often occurred, 

 and been overlooked, from the inconspicuousness of 

 the shrub, and the smallness of its fruit. 



Geography, History, Sj-c. Found on shady banks of rivers from Virginia to 

 Georgia, where it flowers in May. It was first described by L'Heritier, and 

 introduced in England, about 1776, by John Bush. It is so readily propa- 

 gated by suckers, of which it throws up a great number, that it is in most 

 botanic gardens, though, from having no great show in a shrubbery, it is seldom 

 met with in private collections. To us it appears a plant of very great interest, 

 from the uncommon colour of its elegant panicles of flowers, their early ap- 

 pearance in spring, and the finely divided light green leaves, which succeed them. 

 The plant is of so limited a habit of growth, that under no circumstances do 

 we suppose that it would rise higher than 3 ft. or 4 ft., which height it attains 

 in three or four years ; but it spreads by its suckers, which, though they are nu- 

 merous, do not come up at a great distance from the stem. As the shoots 

 are not liable to be killed by frost, and never require pruning, it forms a de- 

 sirable bush for a shady moist situation. Its roots afford abundance of deep 

 yellow juice ; but they have hitherto not been used in dyeing ; probably, be- 

 cause there are already so many plants, which grow more rapidly, that afford 

 a yellow colour. Plants are so seldom asked for in the nurseries, that the 

 name of this shrub is seldom to be found in the catalogues. Price, in London, 

 Is. 6d.; at Bollwyller, ? ; and in New York, 25 cents. 



u 



