354 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



specimen of Exoch or da granctiflora that 

 I have ever seen, about 1 5 feet in height 

 and the same in diameter — it must be a 

 picture in the spring, when white with 

 blossom. A bush of learia macrodonta 

 8 feet in height and 9 feet through was 

 in flower at the time of my visit, and was 

 a beautiful sight; other Olearias are also 

 grown. Another plant in full bloom was 

 Boronia elatior 31 feet in height, and 

 smaller specimens of B. megastigma 

 were also flowering, as was a shrub of 

 Abutilon Boule de Neige in the open,and 

 A. vitifolium — common in the south- 

 west — was likewise present. Datura 

 sanguinea is fully 10 feet high and bears 

 its flowers well into the winter, and a 

 bush of Sparmannia africa?ta is 6 feet 

 in height and the same across, while a 

 shrub of Senecio Greyi was covered with 

 blossom. Among other flowering trees 

 and shrubs are Magnolia hypoleuca, 

 Drimys W r inter v, Eucryphia pinnati- 

 folia, Buddleia Colvillei, Cea?iothus in 

 variety , Myoporum Icetum — an Austra- 

 lian shrub or tree with lanceolate leaves 

 covered with innumerable transparent 

 spots, Lagerstroemia inaica. Viburnum 

 Awajufoand other Guelder Roses, Ozo- 

 tham?ius rosmarinifoliuS) Cornus tarta- 

 rica Gonchalti, Ptelea trifoliata aurea, 

 Camellia reticulata growing in bush 

 form, and Dimorphotheca Ec&lonis, 

 which had stood in theopen unprotected 

 through the winter. The garden con- 

 tains a fine collection of Rhododendrons 

 comprising almost all the best known 

 species and varieties, a deep rose-co- 

 loured form of R. Aucklandi [Griffithi- 

 anum) being particularly hne. But the 

 chief point of interest among the Rho- 



dodendrons in this garden rests with the 

 fragrant flowered section, which, as a 

 rule, even in the south-west, are grown 

 against walls, being considered more 

 tender than the majority of the species 

 and hybrids, and generally known as 

 greenhouse Rhododendrons. In the 

 sheltered valley at Trebah, however, 

 they have formed great bushes, R.fra- 

 grantissimum being over 7 feet in height, 

 Countess o/Sefton and Gibson i 6 feet by 

 6 feet, Lady Alice Fitzwilliam 5 feet in 

 height, and exonensis 3 feet high and 5 

 feet through. The common Azalea also 

 grows amazingly, one pink - flowered 

 bush measuring fully 1 2 feet across. Of 

 Bamboos there is a fine selection , Arun- 

 dinaria nobiiis being considerably over 

 20 feet in height, Phyllostachys nigra 

 has formed fine clumps, and P. Quilioi 

 isfully 20 feet high. This Bamboo made 

 14 inches of growth between Saturday 

 night and Monday morning. Lower 

 down in the valley thegroups of Japanese 

 Iris (/. laevigata or Kcempfert) are es- 

 pecially fine, the stems and foliage be- 

 ing vigorous and the flowers enormous. 

 Lilium giganteum also does well here. 

 Tree- Ferns are growing on a sloping 

 lawn and thrown into high relief by a 

 leafy background. Woodwardia radi- 

 cans is finer than I have ever seen itelse- 

 where,one clump,growing in a sheltered 

 and tree-shaded nook,being over 20 feet 

 across, while one frond that I measured 

 was 9 feet 1 1 inches in length. Lomaria 

 magellanica^ which is fairly common in 

 gardens in the south-west, also attains 

 exceptional proportions here. Numbers 

 of Cordylines are dispersed about the 

 grounds, and on a sloping grassy bank 



