I IO 



FLORA AND SYlVA. 



The American Red-bud ( C. canadensis) . — 

 Despite its name this is not a Canadian tree, 

 but found in the central and southern United 

 States, though hardy much further north and 

 the hardiest kind in English gardens. Though 

 its flowers are smaller and not so showy as in 

 the European kind, mature trees are of great 

 beauty, and where abundant, as in the rich 

 bottom-lands of the sheltered southern valleys, 

 their profusion of pink flowers in April and 



tallest of the group, reaching 50 to 60 feet in 

 the southern provinces of China, with a girth 

 of 12 feet. It is commoner in American gar- 

 dens than in our country, forming a small tree 

 of compact rounded outline, flowering freely 

 and ripening its seeds in many parts. It is bet- 

 ter in habit than the American tree, rather slow 

 in growth, but starting to bloom while young, 

 and for its neatness and beauty of flower is 

 valued for small gardens. Its flowers, coming in 



May lights up the whole country. Itscommon | May, are of deep rich rose, very numerous, and 

 form is that of a low tree, rarely more than larger than in other kinds, as are also the leaves, 

 20 feet high, but spreading far in an irregular of deep rich green and rounded form, tapering 

 rounded head, and decreasing in size as one tra- abruptly, and, though variable in shape and 

 vels north; the finest wild trees are found in the size, often 5 or 6 inches long and wide ; they 

 woods of eastern Texas and Indian Territory, are thickly carried, and being hard, shining, 

 where they reach a greater height than any- | and leathery, they resist drought, and are al- 

 most free from insect pests. Though 

 hardy, it is a rare tree in Europe, being 

 difficult of increase save from seed — a 

 slow process. The tree is also known as 

 C. japonica, and is common in Japan, 

 but it is believed to have come original- 

 ly from China. 



Griffith's Red-bud {C.Griffithi). — 

 A new and little-known kind, found 

 growing in the mountains of Afghani- 

 stanata heightofmorethan io,ooofeet, 

 as a prostrate trailing shrub with 

 smooth, rounded leaves. Coming from 

 such a home it will doubtless prove 

 hardy if its flowers are of sufficient 

 beauty to make it of value. 



The Hairy Chinese Red-bud (C. 

 racemosa). — A new and beautiful kind 

 where else, flowering at the same time as the recently discovered in the Szechwan province 

 Dogwood,and very beautiful in their combined of southern China as a low shapely tree of 20 



THE AMERICAN RED - BU D \ FLOWER AND LEAF. 



effect. It is profuse in flower, the clusters upon 

 old branches coming often inches across, and, 

 as in Europe, the buds are eaten as a salad by 

 the French Canadians ; the flowers are followed 

 in autumn by seed-pods of a rich reddish- 

 brown. The leaves are more pointed than those 

 of the common Judas-tree, hairy beneath in 

 the axils of the large veins, and turning to a 

 fine scarlet when fading in the autumn. In Bri- 

 tish gardens it is an uncommon tree, but well 

 worthy of trial where the Judas-tree is tender, 

 and it flowers a little earlier. A double-flowered 

 variety is grown in American gardens, and 

 there is also a hairy or pubescent form. 



The Chinese Red-bud {C.chinensis). — The 



or more feet, with rounded leaves varying in 

 length and breadth, and covered upon their 

 stems and under-surface as well as upon the 

 young shoots with a coating of soft down. 



The Texan Red-bud (C.texensis). — A form 

 common in the valley of the Rio Grande as a 

 large shrub, covered in spring with rosy-pink 

 flowers, but probably too tender for British 

 gardens. 



Species and their Native Countries. — Cercis SiU- 

 quastrum of Linnaeus, south-eastern Europe, Asia Minor, 

 and Persia, to the frontiers of India ; califomica (occiden- 

 talis of Torrey), Californian coast region ; canadensis, central 

 and northern United States ; chinensis (japonicaoi Siebold), 

 China ; Griffithi, Afghanistan ; racemosa, southern China ; 

 texensis, western United States. 



B. 



