146 
THE AUCUBA. 
Chap. IX. 
spines, exactly as we see on old holly-trees. All 
the species of Osmanthus have variegated varieties 
in Japan, many of which are very beautiful objects 
for garden decoration. 
The other genus to which I would call attention 
is the well-known Aucuba. In Europe we know 
only the variegated variety of Aucuba japonica , 
which is one of the most useful of our evergreens, 
inasmuch as it is perfectly hardy in our climate, 
and flourishes even in the smoke of large towns 
where our indigenous shrubs refuse to live. But 
in the shaded woods near the capital of Japan I 
met with the true species of Aucuba japonica, of 
which the variegated one of our gardens is, no 
doubt, only a variety. This species has beautiful 
shining leaves of the brightest green, and becomes 
covered, during the winter and spring months, 
with bunches of red berries, which give it a pretty 
appearance. In fact, the Aucuba of the woods near 
Yedo is the “ Holly of Japan.” I frequently met 
with hedges formed of this plant, which were very 
ornamental indeed. In the woods there are 
numerous varieties of both sexes, some of which 
show the faintest traces of variegation, while others 
are nearly as much marked as the Aucubas found 
in our English gardens. In addition to the 
Aucubas found in a wild state, I had, in this col- 
lection, several garden varieties, with distinct and 
beautiful variegation, and the male plant of our 
common garden species, to which I have alluded 
in an earlier chapter, the introduction of which is 
