HARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS, 



299 



2 feet high. It has small dark-green foliage, and ter- 

 minal racemes of globular white, pink, crimson, or purple 

 flowers according to the variety, appearing towards the 

 end of summer and continuing till November. 



Daphne. — Dwarf or trailing shrubs with undivided 

 leaves, and usually highly odoriferous flowers. This genus 

 includes some of the most desirable of small evergreen 

 and deciduous shrubs. In addition to those enumerated 

 below, D. indica rubra and alba, and some others, which 

 are commonly treated as greenhouse shrubs, will succeed 

 against a wall. They all prefer a peaty soil, but thoroughly 

 rotten leaf-mould and turfy loam will replace it. 



D. Cneorum (fig. 363). — A prostrate trailing evergreen 

 shrub with narrow linear leaves, and bright rosy-red 



Fig. 363.— Daphne Cneorum. 



fragrant flowers, appearing in great profusion in early 

 spring. Europe, 1752. There is a variegated variety, 

 and another with white flowers. 



D. Laureola, Wood Laurel. — This indigenous shrub 

 grows about 2 or 3 feet high, and is worth planting in 

 shady places for its glossy foliage, and its greenish -yellow 

 sweet-scented flowers, from February to March. British. 



D. Mezereum, Mezereon. — A small erect shrub 3 to 

 6 feet high, with pink, rose, purplish, or white flowers, 

 produced all along the branches very early in spring 

 before the leaves appear, and succeeded by scarlet or 

 yellow berries. The berries and bark are poisonous. 

 Europe, and possibly indigenous in England. Var. 

 grandiflorum has deep-purple flowers, f inch across, pro- 

 duced in November. 



D. pontica. — Very similar to the D. Laureola, but 

 differing in the lighter-green foliage and decidedly yel- 

 low flowers, which appear in April and May. Asia Minor, 

 1759. 



D. sericea (D. collina). — An erect - growing species 

 about 2 feet high, with small oblong-obovate leaves, and 

 terminal clusters of hairy rose-coloured flowers, produced 

 through the winter and spring. D. neapolitana is a 

 variety with purple and white flowers. South Europe, 1752. 



Daphniphyllum. — A small genus of evergreen Japanese 

 shrubs of handsome close-growing character. D. glau- 

 ceseens grows to a height of 6 or 8 feet, and has pointed 

 leaves 6 to 8 inches long, glaucous on the lower surface. 

 D. jezoense is similar in character, but dwarfer. Both 

 are liable to be cut by frost when young, but otherwise 

 are quite hardy. 



Decumaeia sarmentosa. — A trailing shrub of small 

 size, with simple leaves and white flowers, only produced 

 in warm situations. North America, 1834. 



Desfontainea spinosa. — A charmingly beautiful ever- 

 green shrub of dense compact habit, with opposite leaves, 

 which are waved and spiny-lobed like those of a Holly; 

 the flowers are axillary, tubulose, deflexed, 2 inches long, 

 bright-scarlet tipped with yellow. The cultivated plant 

 was introduced from Chili in 1850, but it extends over 

 the Andes, being also found in Peru, Equador, &c. It is 

 hardy only in a rather shady sheltered position in the 

 south or west. 



Deutzia. — Highly ornamental undershrubs, with small 

 simple leaves, and pure-white or pink fragrant flowers, 

 produced in spring. 



D. crenata. — An erect shrub with numerous slender 

 stems, from 4 to 8 feet high, and exceedingly chaste white 

 or pink flowers. There are two double -flowered varieties, 

 one white, the other pink. Japan, 1833. 



D. gracilis. — A very attractive dwarf, erect shrub, from 

 2 to 3 feet high, with axillary racemes of pure white 

 flowers appearing with the leaves in early spring. It 

 is quite hardy, and will, unless injured by late frosts, 

 develop its full beauty in the open ground; it is also 

 much used for forcing. Japan, 1843. 



D. Lemoinei. — A hybrid between D. gracilis and D. 

 parviflora. Its pure-white flowers are borne in great 

 profusion. 1894. 



D. setchuenensis (D. corymbiflora). — A new and singu- 

 larly beautiful shrub, introduced from China in 1895. It 

 grows about 4 feet high, with elegant drooping branches, 

 clothed in June with pure snow-white flowers. 



D. staminea (1841) and D. corymbosa (1838) are two 

 showy North Indian species. 



Diervilla (including Weigela). — Handsome shrubs, 

 bearing simple opposite leaves and showy bell-shaped or 

 funnel-shaped clustered, pink-rose or white flowers. Pro- 

 bably some of the garden varieties are of hybrid origin. 

 All flower in spring and early summer. 



D. amabilis. — A form of D. fiorida which grows 8 or 

 10 feet high, and has strongly reticulated leaves, the 

 veins being particularly prominent below. China, 1855. 

 The varieties referred here, probably some of them hybrids, 

 are: Isolina, white flowers with a yellow blotch in the 

 throat; striata, striped red and white flowers; Van Houttei, 

 white and pink ; and Stelzneri, purplish-red, very florif erous. 



D. canadensis. — A less showy species, with yellow 

 flowers; it forms a dwarf hardy shrub, about 3 or 4 feet 

 high. North America, 1739. 



D. fiorida ( Weigela rosea). — A very ornamental free- 

 flowering species, producing a profusion of rosy or whitish 

 flowers in April or May. Height 6 to 8 feet. The 

 varieties are numerous. China, 1845. 



D. Middendorfiana. — This has ovate-lanceolate, finely 

 reticulate leaves, hairy on the veins. Elowers yellowish- 

 white, dotted with pink on the lower petal. Siberia. 



Useful hybrid Diervillas are: — Abel Carriere, flowers 

 rich red-purple, and Eva Rathlce, rich bright-red flowers. 



Diospyrus. — Low trees, with simple leaves, and incon- 

 spicuous flowers. The species are only suitable for the 

 south and south-west. 



D. Lotus, Date Plum. — A tree 20 feet high, with dark 

 glossy green leaves. Caucasus, &c, 1596. 



D. virginiana, Persimmon. — A tree 20 to 30 feet 

 high; leaves green, glossy. Bears an edible fruit greatly 

 esteemed in North America. 



Edwardsia grandiflora (Sophora tetraptem). — A hand- 

 some New Zealand shrub with pinnate leaves and showy 

 yellow papilionaceous flowers, in large clusters. It needs 

 the shelter of a wall. 1772. E. microphylla is a variety 

 with very small leaflets and smaller flowers. 



