i8o 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



C. affinis differs from bacillaris only in the un- 

 der side of leaf being downy, and the more 

 regular form of the flower heads in bacillaris, 

 but there are many intermediate forms. With- 

 out the dark-coloured berries it is difficult also 

 to distinguish C. affinis from C.frigida. Native 

 of the Himalayas. 



C.frigida (Wallich) (Alpine Rockspray). 

 — A tall tree-like shrub, or small tree. The 

 young main shoots are at first covered with 

 a yellowish or brown-grey down, which be- 

 comes thinner later on. The leaf-stems droop 

 and are thickly haired. The leaves of main 

 branches are sub-evergreen, narrow and long, 

 wedge-shaped at base, short-pointed or roun- 

 ded off, the ends terminating in a spine ; the 

 upper sides dark green and smooth, the lower 

 sides remaining covered with brown or red- 

 dish hairs, thickest on the veins and at the 

 edges. Leaves 2 to 3 inches long, or there- 

 abouts, by 1 to 1 i inches broad. Blossoms snow- 

 white and in numerous panicles, borne on 

 long hairy stalks. Berries scarlet, conical, and 

 continuous through the greater part of the 

 winter. Himalayas. In England one of the 

 handsomest of autumn-berried shrubs for the 

 garden. These three Himalayan species, lastly 

 described, attain in their native habitats and in 

 warm climates the size of small trees, but in 

 colder regions are cut down, and though re- 

 covering do not bloom ; at least, I have never 

 seen any, and have, therefore, quoted the de- 

 scriptions. Unfortunately, also, these two or 

 three species are much confused, and their de- 

 scriptions by various authors so contradictory, 

 that without the aid of leaves, blossoms, and 

 berries all from the same plant it is impossible 

 to distinguish them with certainty. This 

 mostly applies to C. affinis, which now resem- 

 bles a variety of frigida with red berries, now 

 a variety of bacillaris with dark brown fruit, 

 and is again itself with violet-brown berries, 

 only to appear again with red or dark red ber- 

 ries. Possibly under the name of affinis plants 

 of various derivations have been described, 

 sometimes broad-leaved forms of frigida, some- 

 times more hairy forms of bacillaris; hybrid 

 growths also are not impossible. In general I 

 have followed the lead of Hooker. 



C. lanata (Decaisne) (Woolly Rockspray). 

 — A low, thickly ramified and small-leaved 



shrub, with spreading twigs covered at first 

 with whitish-grey down, later becoming dark 

 brown and smooth. The leaves are sub-ever- 

 green with very short stalks, are light green 

 above covered with thick down beneath, whit- 

 ish-grey on the young leaf but tinged with 

 yellow in autumn, the edges at first closely 

 fringed. In shape the leaves are long or broad 

 elliptic, both ends equally pointed. A little 

 more than half-an-inch in length the leaves 

 are tipped with a short spine and narrowed 

 towards the stalk ; on the flower-stalks the 

 leaves are a little smaller. Blossoms appear 

 from the end of June to the end of July, in 

 umbels of four to six. The calix is conical, and 

 next to the outer side of the tip covered close 

 with long hairs. The fruit (according to De- 

 caisne) is red and about the size of a pepper- 

 corn. According to the same authority the 

 shrub is a native of the Nilgherries, but this is 

 uncertain. It is an interesting form distinct in 

 the shape and hair of the calix tip, which sug- 

 gests the buxifolice group; but, unfortunate- 

 ly, it is not hardy in our climate. A specimen 

 planted perished in its first winter. C. lanata 

 of many gardens belongs to C. buxifolia. 



C. rotundifolia (Wallich) (Round-leaved 

 Rockspray). — This as a living plant is un- 

 known to me ; but, from descriptions, is an 

 upright wiry shrub rising from a little over a 

 quarter of a yard to a little more than half a 

 yard high. The branches are at first thickly 

 i covered with yellowish-grey hair, but later be- 

 come smooth, glossy, and red-brown in colour. 

 According to Loudon, it is a bush 3 to 4 feet 

 high, with low-lying branches. The leaves are 

 leathery in texture, evergreen and short in the 

 stalk; according to Dippel almost circular in 

 shape, or broad oval or oval, and broad-ellip- 

 tical, rounded at both ends, or narrowing off; 

 in length half-an-inch or little less, and almost 

 the same in breadth, both surfaces sparsely 

 haired, the upper side deep green, and the lower 

 light green in colour. According to Koch the 

 leaves are close set, round or ovate in form, 

 somewhat narrowing at the base, and hairy on 

 both surfaces. The white blossoms appear at 

 the end of May or beginning of June, accord- 

 ing to Dippel, in number from one to three; 

 according tol Loudon singly ; in size a little 

 more than 1 inch across; in colour white and 



