to September, in clusters of 3 to 5 at the 
ends of the branches. There are 7 veins 
in the lovely dark green leaves. 
*RED MELASTOME (Melastcma de- 
cemfidum. Syn. M. sanguineum). This 
beautiful evergreen shrub to 5 feet blooms 
somewhat earlier than the foregoing and 
keeps at it all summer. The large 7- 
petalled purplish-pink flowers are solitary 
or three together at the branch tips. Red, 
bristle-like hairs cover the stems and con- 
trast sharply with the beautiful dark green 
leaves (which have 5 veins). These Mela- 
stomes like sun or half shade. 
Credit “Album Floristico” 
CANNONBALL TREE 
*CANNONBALL TREE (Couroupita 
guianensis). This spectacular tall tropical 
tree from Trinidad bears its showy 5-inch 
red-pink-and-yellow flowers on __ long, 
hanging, woody branches which surround 
the trunk in an untidy manner. Freeman 
& Williams wrote the flowers are “very 
fragrant to a long distance, especially at 
night,” but Marshall called it “a curious 
smell, more unpleasant than fragrant.” 
Lancaster calls the flowers “sweet scent- 
ed.” The tree has the nasty habit of drop- 
ping all its leaves suddenly several times 
a year, but the flowers are freely produced 
and the straight trunk gets surrounded 
46 
by large and beautiful blossoms. These 
are followed by heavy, hard-shelled can- 
nonball-like avis to 8 inches in diameter 
which takes 9 months to ripen. Within, 
the seeds are buried in a pulp of highly 
unpleasant odor. 
FLAME BOTTLETREE 
*FLAME BOTTLETREE (Brachychi- 
ton acerifolius). One of the most spec- 
tacular of Australian flowering trees, this 
drops its leaves briefly for the flowering 
period and becomes an object of great 
beauty, as though on fire. Not only are 
the flowers themselves brilliant red, but 
the twigs turn red so the tree looks like 
a gigantic piece of coral. The large hand- 
some maple-like leaves are shining, dark 
green. This is prized in California as one 
of their finest flowering trees. 
KURRAJONG (Brachychiton populne- 
us). Handsome vertical Australian tree 
with leaves of many shapes. Showy choc- 
olate-spotted bell flowers in profusion are 
followed by boat-shaped pods. Valuable 
street tree in dry areas. See 1947 catalog. 
CELEBES STERCULIA (S. sp. D.F. 
235). Dr. David Fairchild found this 
handsome tree growing out over salt water 
on Lambeh Island. Its fuzzy, brilliant 
scarlet almond-like pods split open to re- 
veal the black seeds within. 
