102 FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



California Storax (Styrax Califomica). — This is an orna- 

 mental shrub of five to eight feet, rarely fifteen feet high, and 

 sometimes gregarious, like the Hazel (Corylus rostrata), and 

 of similar size and general appearance, only more upright. 

 The leaves are egg-shaped, often broadly so, and rather blunt 

 at both ends, always so at base, but sometimes slightly sharp- 

 ened at the top, margins entire, and set on short leaf-stems; 

 in Autumn tints of bright yellow it simulates young poplar 

 bushes seen a little way off, but closely inspected one sees 

 more or less of starry, soft wool. The soft, downy, and 

 chastely white flowers are exquisitely charming, like expand- 

 ing eardrops, usually much larger than those of the snow- 

 drop or Silver-bell Tree {Halesia), and of similar form, but 

 few in the clusters; the pretty contrast of the ten large 

 bright orange anthers render them, in a high degree, hand- 

 some; thus, as these short racemes hang from the tops of the 

 twigs, another grace is added to beauty. The flowers are 

 succeeded by a single globular seed, like a small nut, nearly 

 half an inch in diameter, set in the thin burr-like calyx. 

 This kind of half-hazel envelope has a close short downy nap 

 or outside coating. When sheltered, the whole shrub itself 

 becomes more graceful, for where it is much exposed it is 

 apt to become rather too rigid. Not the slightest trouble is 

 experienced in domesticating the California Storax, as no 

 ordinary slight neglect or rough treatment seems to do it 

 any harm at all. Does it not appear very strange to say that 

 such an interesting and altogether available shrub, well 

 known for nearly half a century, is not yet introduced; Mr. 

 Ellis, at the State University, alone excepted. This is another 

 native floral companion of the Service tree before noted, yet 

 with a much lighter green, thin, and delicate foliage, more 

 definitely localized flowers, hence the general and striking 

 contrast. 



The Lovely Wild Syringas — Mock Orange (Philadel- 

 phus Lewesii, California variety, and P. Gordonianus). — 

 Among the vast concourse of May flowers, the Mock Orange 

 bushes display their large, frank, and chaste bridal blooms 

 lovliest of the lovely. Grandest and fairest of these forms is 

 P. Gordonianus; ten to twelve feet, openly spreading, arch- 

 ing, and waving their ample wreaths, fragrant as the happy 

 Isles at respectful distances ; but for too great familiarity it 

 hath little odor of affection. Perched high, as we often see 

 it, a crown of glory upon heaven's own sacred earthly altars — 

 isolated rocky heaps — whereon no profane hands of self- 

 derived intelligent work were ever lifted, nor their cold iron 

 withal ; surrounded, too, by the neatest native lawn your eye 

 ever beheld. What wonder, then, the lone beholder, coming 

 suddenly out the dark tangled wild-wood, should stand rapt in 



