208 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



Evergreen Japanese Guelder Rose {V. 

 Sandankiva). — A tender Japanese shrub thriv- 

 ing only under glass in this country, and though 

 evergreen, of minor interest for the greenhouse. 

 Its slender leafy branches attain some 5 or 6 

 feet,with shining dark green leaves and creamy- 

 white flowers tinged with pink, drooping in 

 close conical clusters of about 1^ inches. The 

 fruits are red, but do not set freely under glass, 

 nor even in the south of Europe-where it is 

 planted in shrubberies and more often seen 

 than in this country. Syn. V. suspensum. 



Sargent's Guelder Rose (V.Sargentii). — 

 A Chinese kind of recent introduction and very 

 near the Common Guelder Rose but of denser, 

 more upright habit, darker stems with thick 

 spongy bark, and leaves thicker and distinct in 

 shape. The outer sterile flowers also are larger 

 — measuring more than an inch across — with 

 dark purplish anthers, but in fruiting it is less 

 free. 



Siebold's Guelder Rose {V. Sieboldt). — A 

 deciduous hardy shrub of free growth, with 

 stout branches reaching 10 feet, and dark green 

 leaves, flat, thick, and leathery, shining above 

 and hairy beneath, with an unpleasant smell 

 when bruised. White flowers in broad clusters 

 during early spring, and rosy fruits ripening 

 to bluish-black. Japan. Syn. V. reticulatum. A 

 plant with handsome, glossy foliage and beau- 

 tiful in flower; its fruits drop as soon as ripe. 

 Though sometimes supposed tender, Messrs. 

 Gauntlett (to whom we are indebted for some 

 fine heads of flower) assure us of its hardiness 

 in the south-west, where it is quite uninjured 

 by 1 6 degrees of frost. It resembles V.plicatum 

 in aspect and habit, but is rather more free in 

 growth and less rigid in outline. Grown also in 

 two or three garden forms, including reticula- 

 tum, which is smaller in all its parts, less hairy, 

 of paler green, and neither so vigorous or hardy 

 as the parent; a second variety bears variegated 

 leaves. 



The Laurustinus (V. Tinus). — One of 

 the best of hardy evergreens, flowering freely 

 throughout the winter in mild seasons and 

 beautiful when laden with its many clusters of 

 flowers, rose-pink in the bud and upon expan- 

 sion, but pure white when fully open. Hand- 

 some at all seasons for its leaves of deepshining 

 green, slightly hairy upon the veins and stalks, 

 and in mild seasons for its datk blue berries. It 



is a common shrub in woods and moist places 

 of the south of Europe, with a fondness for old 

 walls and ruins. In the dry seasons of the Medi- 

 terranean coast it is very subject to thrip, and 

 plants many feet in height, both wild and in 

 gardens, are often utterly spoiled by this pest 

 in a short time. As a shrub of neat habit it is 

 much grown in pots and gently forced for the 

 greenhouse or rooms in early spring. Quite a 

 number of garden forms are grown of which 

 the best are: — 



Froebel's Laurustinus [V. T. Froebeli). — 

 A very neat compact form,with leaves oflighter 

 green and flowers of purer white. 



The Hairy Laurustinus {V. T. hirtum). 

 A variety from Spain and Portugal, hardier 

 than the common form, with rounder leaves, 



1 hairy beneath and upon the edges, and a long 

 season of bloom from autumn throughout the 



; winter. A good kind for exposed places. 

 The African Laurustinus {V. T. lucid- 

 urn). — A very distinct form from the moun- 

 tains of North Africa, less branched and widely 

 spreading in habit, old plants covering much 

 ground though keeping low. Its leaves are 

 brightly glossy and shining, particularly when 

 young; the leaves, flowers, and flower-clusters 

 also are larger than in the European kind. It 

 is, however, rather difficult of increase and ten- 

 der (except upon walls) in many gardens, its 

 leaves and buds being killed in severe seasons. 

 Even when not destroyed the buds often fail 

 to open well and never until spring is far ad- 

 vanced; it is, therefore, not worth planting in 

 many places. Grown as a pot-plant under glass 

 it lasts long in beauty, but will not stand forc- 

 ing. A variegated form is also in cultivation. 



The Purple Laurustinus [V. T. purpu- 

 reum). — A compact form of free growth, in 

 which the leaves are suffused with dull purple 

 against which the pale flowers show in sharp 

 contrast. Neat and constant. Among minor 

 forms zvzpyramiaale (or strictum) of erect taper- 

 ing habit and dense growth, with large leaves 

 and flowers, but blooming later and not so free, 

 while the rigid stems are wanting in grace. 

 Virgatum is a much-branched Italian form of 

 erect tapering habit, and narrow, hairy leaves; 



, while rotundtfolium is yet another leaf variation. 

 Finely variegated forms of all these kinds are 

 to be had, but being tender their garden value 

 is small. 



