Chap. IX. 
NEW PLANTS OBTAINED. 145 
any one time had I met with so many really fine 
plants, and they acquired additional value from the 
fact that a great portion of them were likely to 
prove suitable to our English climate. Amongst 
conifers there was the beautiful parasol fir (Scia- 
dopitys verticellata), Thujapm dolabrata, Retinospora 
obtusa and R. pisifera, Nayeia ovata, several new 
pmes and cypresses, and varieties of almost all 
these species having variegated leaves. 
Amongst other shrubs there was a charming 
species of Eurya, having broad camellia-looking 
leaves, beautifully marked with white, orange, and 
rose colours; a pretty variegated Daphne; several 
species of privets, yews, hollies, box, and ferns. In 
addition to these there were two or three new spe- 
cies of Skimmia — shrubs which bear sweet-scented 
flowers, and become covered with red berries, like 
the holly, during winter and spring; a palm with 
variegated leaves, a noble species of oak, some 
new Weigelas, and a number of curious chry- 
santhemums. 
This list of beautiful trees and shrubs, all new to 
English gardens, may appear a long one, yet I 
must add to it several representatives of other two 
genera which are particularly worthy of notice. 
The first is a shrub or small tree called Osmanthus 
aquifolius. This genus is closely allied to the olive ; 
it produces sweet-scented white flowers, and has 
dark-green prickly leaves like the holly. Curiously 
enough, the leaves on the upper branches and 
shoots of the Osmanthus are produced without 
