THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN— III. 



141 



leaves slightly reduced in size, the leaves have but three 

 leaflets. I believe this species is practically unknown in 

 this country ; yet it has some points that render it more 

 desirable for arbors and ornament than Akehia qiiiiiata. 

 First, it is very hardy. Its home is in the mountains of 

 northern Japan, and it would doubtless be hardy any- 

 where in the United States. Secondly, it is a much more 

 rapid and vigorous grower than the former species. I 

 found some very fine vines of this kind in the lower moun. 

 tains in the northern part of Iwati prefecture, which is 



well up toward the northern point of the main island. 

 One vine, especially, attracted attention by its size and 

 load of fruit. It grew in a spot of rich soil, mostly leaf 

 mold, by the side of a spring, in the edge of a wood, 

 where it rambled over a thick growth of tall bushes and 

 small trees within an area of a square rod. 



The vine is slender, voluble, deciduous ; foliage abund- 

 ant, light green, and mostly in clusters on the old wood ; 

 petioles long, leaflets three, raised on rather long stalks, 

 jointed both at base and at point of radiation, and in the 

 autumn the leaflets drop some time before the petioles. 



The flower and fruit are like those of the preceding 

 species, and the description there given answers also here. 

 A good illustration of the fruit is given in the frontispiece, 

 but owing to the perspective the right hand fruits appear 

 smaller than they are. The general introduction of this 

 vine would be a great acquisition to American horticul- 

 ture. For wicker-work it would be as good as A. qtiinnta, 

 though the vines are a little heavier, but the Japanese use 

 them in the same manner as described above. Neither 

 of these two species is cultivated, but the fruit of the wild 



vines is regularly gathered, mostly by women and chil- 

 dren, and marketed in the towns. It ripens in October. 



The family Ternstrcemiaceae contributes three useful 

 vines, all of the genus actinidia. They are found in the 

 northern mountains generally and especially in Yezo, the 

 northern island of the empire. They are deciduous vines 

 which climb by twining, with alternate, ovate, serrate 

 leaves about as large as good sized cherry leaves which 

 they much resemble, except that they are not smooth like 

 the latter. The upper surface is dark green, the lower 

 surface light green, with prominent veins, and beset with 



Fig. 3. MuBE, or Stauntonia Hexaphylla. Flowers Natural Slte. (See page 138.) 



