FORSTTHIA VIRIDISSIMA. 
FORSYTHIA VIRIDISSIMA. 
Nat. Order, Oleace^. 
cell, pendulous compressed, luax^nei.— [EiulUcherj Gen. I'tant, 
No. 3356.) 
FousTTHiA viniDissiMA, LuuUeij. Deep-green Forsythia. — 
Branches erect, square, leaves simple, oblong and oblong-lan- 
ceolate, seiTated towards tbe summit, quite entire in the lower 
half ; ilowers appeariufr before the leaves, shortly stalked, in 
pairs, nodding ; sepals roundish ; convex, as long as the ovaiy. — 
{Zhidletf, Journ. Hort. Soc, vol. i., p. 226 ; Bot. Jieffisier, 1847, 
tab. 39.) 
Generic Chauacter. — ^Forsythia, Vahl. Calyx very shortly 
campanulate, four-parted, deciduous. Corolla hypogyaious, sub- 
campanulate, four-parted, tube very short, limb contorted in 
Eestivation. Stamens two, inserted at the bottom of the tube of 
the corolla, included. Ovary two-celled ; omles many in each 
cell, pendulous in several rows from placentas inserted on the 
middlcof the dissepiment on each side ; style short ; stignm capi- 
tate, two-lobed. Capsule ovate, rather compressed, somewhat 
woody, corticated, two-celled, bursting loculicidally into two 
iiattish valves ha\ing the septa in the middle. Seeds few in a 
BESCRIPTION. — A deciduous shrub, flowering before the leaves are produced. Branches 
erect and square. Leaves deep full green, simple, oblong and oblong-lanceolate, jDrettily 
serrated iu tbe upper half. Flowers produced from large prominent buds scattered along the 
shoots jiroduced the year before ; numerous, forming a profusion of deep yellow blossom ; they 
are shortly stalked, in pairs, and noddiug ; lobes of the caljrs roundish, convex, as long as the 
ovary ; lobes of the coroUa broadly strap-shaped, emarginate. 
History. — ^This plant was fovmd by Mr. Fortune, first in a garden in Chusau, afterwards 
in the province of Cheldang, in China ; and was introduced by him, some five or six j-ears 
since, to the garden of the Horticultural Society, whence it has been distributed. Being a 
plant of easy propagation, it has now become rather extensively circulated. Our di'awing was 
made in March last, from a forced plant in the possession of Mr. Ayres, at Brooklands Nursery, 
Blackheath.— A. H. 
Culture. — The management of this plant appears to be very simple, for it seems to delight 
in any free soil, and grows with considerable freedom. Unfortunately the flowers are too deli- 
cate in texture to bear exposure to rough wind, as they are readily bruised, and soon show the 
efiects of rough treatment ; but, planted and trained against a wall, or in a very sheltered 
situation, it will be found a useful and excellent plant. Of its perfect hardiness there can be 
no question ; and, planted in a sheltered situation, it will yield a quantity of flowers when such 
things are very acceptable. The Forsythia is readily propagated hj cuttings, either of the 
young or old wood. If the yoimg wood is used, the pot containing the cuttings must be plunged 
in a gentle bottom heat, and in a close frame, but cuttings of the matured wood ■noil strike 
readily under a hand glass in the autumn, and like other deciduous plants they may be jjlanted 
out before thej' begin to grow in the spring. To insure the plants blooming it is necessary that 
they be planted in rather poor soil, so as to insui-e well ripened shoots of a medium growth, rather 
than strong succulent ones, which rarely produce flowers, and are not so likely to resist the 
efiects of a severe winter. Towards the evening and during the night the plant is slightly 
fragrant, but not sufficiently so to be perceptible excejjt upon a near approach to it. As a 
plant for eaiiy forcing for the conservatory the Forsythia will be found very useftil. For that 
pm-pose it should be grown in a pot so as to induce it to form a head of small well ripened 
shoots each of which will produce a quantity of flowers ; the flowers are very diu'able and a plant 
in the conservatory will remain in perfection for several weeks. Perhaps the best treatment to 
insiu-e success will be, to take nice strong plants in the spring, and pot them in jsots suitable to 
their size, using a tolerably rich soil, and taking care to stop the shoots as they progress in 
growth, so as to insm-e the formation of a compact and handsome specimen. As the plants progress 
in growth give them pot room, by frequent shifting, but to insure their blooming they should 
not be shifted later than the end of July. A few plants introduced into the forcing house in 
November will be in bloom by Christmas, and by introducing a few jDlants every month a suc- 
cession may be maintained until their natm'al season of blooming. — A. 
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