58 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



horticultural periodicals ; when developed the long shoots, 

 densely clothed with golden yellow flowers, make this a most 

 desirable and very ornamental plant. B. actinacantha is 

 another Chilian species almost as handsome, when well grown, 

 as the favourite B. D anoint. 



The family Bixinere is principally a tropical one, but the 

 two genera Idesia and Azara are worth mention in this paper. 

 Idesia polycarpa is a Japanese tree of considerable stature 

 in its native country. In England it does not appear to be 

 long-lived, but it is worth growing on account of its hand- 

 some foliage and the pendulous panicles of yellow male flowers. 

 The tree is dioecious (the female flowers are green), but are 

 followed by enormous numbers of small orange-coloured fruits 

 as large as peas. Like hosts of plants which are generally 

 regarded as hardy, this is somewhat tender in a young state 

 but if sheltered for a few years it appears to be able afterwards 

 to dispense altogether with protection. I have seen large trees 

 in Northern Italy in places where the winter cold is more severe 

 than with us. Several of the Azaras make charming wall plants ; 

 perhaps the hardiest is A. microphylla, introduced from Chili 

 by Messrs. Veitch. The habit of this is very graceful, and its 

 small fragrant yellow flowers are produced in great profusion 

 on established plants ; it should be planted in sheltered places. 

 It would be interesting to know how this species has fared at 

 Belvoir Castle since April 1890, when the late Mr. W. Ingram 

 read his paper on " Spring Flower Gardening." He says : "I 

 should like to call special attention to that very handsome ever- 

 green, Azara microphylla. It is now (at the beginning of April) 

 in full bloom, but it makes its presence felt not by the attractive 

 characters of its flowers, but by the wonderful fragrance they 

 exhale. The garden is filled with an aroma resembling vanilla." 



The Camellia family (Tcrnstrcemiacece) furnishes us with the 

 genus Stuartia, surely one of the most ornamental genera in 

 cultivation. The Japanese S. pseudo- Camellia has been exhibited 

 frequently before the Koyal Horticultural Society, and the North 

 American S. virginica and S. pentagyna are two of the most 

 beautiful plants I know. Those who are familiar with the 

 fine bush of S. virginica at Sion House do not need to be 

 stimulated by any word of praise of this plant. 



The Mallow family contains, in addition to Hibisctis syriacus, 



