ing wax candles: Standley: “Flora of the 
Panama Canal Zone” says “when loaded 
with fruit the tree is of striking appear- 
ance. The fruit has an apple-like odor. 
It is said to afford an excellent feed for 
cattle.” 
AFRICAN POLYGALA (P. virgata). 
South African shrub of the moister areas, 
bearing spikes of fairly large, superficially 
pea-like, purple flowers. This genus, in 
the Milkwort family, has many species in 
the temperate zone. P. virgata is illus- 
trated in color in Compton: “Our South 
African Flora.” 
"CHINESE RADERMACHERA (R. 
sinica). Nehrling introduced this ever- 
green tree fifty years ago and was amazed 
at its growth to 20 feet in two years. He 
wrote: “This beautiful tree flowers abund- 
antly in my garden in July-August. It in- 
clines to be a night-bloomer, and the long 
flower-trumpets cover the ground every 
morning. The corolla is pale sulphur- 
yellow, funnel-shaped, with crimped mar- 
gin. The blossoms exhale a strong carna- 
tion-like perfume. These trees will only 
maintain a shapely form when planted 
alone. When given space to develop, the 
large, crimped, bipinnate foliage and lux- 
uriant growth combine with the upright, 
funnel-shaped flower to make it an ob- 
ject of great beauty.” 
*ROBINSONELLA (RR. _ cordata). 
Medium-sized Guatemalan evergreen tree 
which bears in spring quantities of 3-inch 
bluish-purple, hibiscus-like flowers, giving 
rise to the common name of “blue hibis- 
cus.” It is still exceedingly rare in the 
United States but fully warrants an effort 
to cultivate it widely. For more complete 
information see Menninger article in book 
list. 
RANDIA (R. dumetorum). Large 
evergreen shrub from South India, allied 
to gardenia, bearing white flowers 1l-inch 
across, singly or in threes, followed by yel- 
low fruits used as a fish poison. Oppo- 
site spines along the branches make them 
useful for thorn-fences. 
REDPRUT RYAN CRS jrutticosa | ara ais 
free-flowering, glossy-leaved, straggling 
bush, native of Kenya, Africa, is conspicu- 
ous with its showy, dark red flowers, each 
with a black spot at the throat. Highly 
recommended as an ornamental. 
YELLOW RUTTYA (R. scholessi). A 
very attractive form of R. fruiticosa to 5 
feet with deep yellow orchid-like flowers, 
each with a black spot at the throat. The 
name R. scholessi has not been recognized 
botanically. 
MITRAGYNE (Stephegyne parvifolia). 
Burmese evergreen tree to 30 feet with 
golf-ball like flower heads, white or yel- 
low, like pincushions. Allied to Nauclea 
in the coffee family. 
*AFRICAN STEREOSPERMUM (S. 
kunthianum). Precocious small tree 15- 
80 feet of wet savanna country that 
thrives also in dry areas. “Very hand- 
some tree,” says Kennedy, with its pro- 
fusion of bell-shaped 1%- to 2-inch, bright 
mauve flowers in large drooping clusters 
before the new leaves in March. The 
blossoms are sometimes pinkish white or 
lilac. “When in bloom it has much the 
appearance of a peach tree,” wrote Un- 
win, with “beautiful pink blossoms.” 
Eggeling says: “Well worth cultivating.” 
The 20-inch seed pod looks like a legume. 
Hutchinson found the tree “growing - 
among rocks, gay with cymes of mauve 
flowers streaked with carmine, bark pa- 
pery, leaves pinnate.” Dutton says in 
northern Rhodesia “the flowers are like 
the Jacaranda, but of a clear mauve. The 
effect is particularly beautiful, but it lasts 
only for a few weeks.” 
SCINDAPSUS (S. aureus). This is 
the right name for the vine commonly 
called Pothos. When it grows down, the 
leaves are small; when it grows up they 
become very large. 
SPANISH BROOM (Spartium junc- 
eum). Hardy, bushy shrub to 8 ft. with 
rush-like branches. Profusion of yellow, 
sweetly-scented pea-shaped blooms during 
Spring. Needs pruning directly after 
flowering. 
AUSTRALIAN YELLOW ELDER 
(Stenolobium smithi). This hybrid be- 
tween S. velutina and Tecomaria capensis 
is an evergreen shrub. It produces an 
orange-colored flower with red in it al- 
though occasionally a pure yellow. The 
shrub is much bushier in habit than S. 
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