March  8,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
205 
RETINOSPORA  ERICOIDES. 
Ketinospora  is  a  generic  title  which  has  been  given  to  a  class  of 
Conifers  that  have  little  in  common  with  each  other  except  superficial 
appearances.  Under  the  name  of  B,.  ericoides  three  plants  are,  or  have 
been,  commonly  known,  one  of  which  is  a  North  American  species  of 
Cupressus,  and  the  other  two  varieties  of  two  species  of  Thuia,  one  of 
which  is  a  native  of  North-Eastern  America,  and  the  other  of  China 
and  Japan.  The  first  of  these  is  Cupressus  thyoides,  r/hich  was 
formerly  known  as  R.  ericoides,  but  of  late  years  this  has  been  dropped 
in  favour  of  ChamEecyparis  sphseroidea.  It  is  a  native  of  N.  America, 
and  is  commonly  known  there  as  the  White  Cedar,  though  this,  like 
most  other  common  names,  is  entirely  misleading.  It  forms  a  tree  of 
1  less  flattened,  and  the  leaves  more  pointed  and  less  appressed  to  the 
stems.  But  in  many  plants  of  this  variety,  more  especially  those  of 
some  age,  a  second  kind  of  growth  can  be  found  lower  on  the  branches 
and  near  the  main  stem  ;  this  growth  differs  little,  if  any,  from  that  of 
the  var.  ericoides. 
The  third  is  T.  orientalis  var.  ericoides,  which  is  very  much  like  the 
preceding  both  in  point  of  size  and  general  appearance,  but  the  winter 
tint  is  much  more  vivid,  and  the  plant  has  rather  more  of  a 
spreading  habit.  The  leaves  also  are  set  at  nearly  right  angles  to  the 
stem  instead  of  pointing  forward,  and  are  distinctly  glaucous  on  the 
back,  and  have  also  a  faint  glaucous  tint  on  the  upper  surface.  The 
connecting  link  between  this  and  the  type  is  not  very  clearly  shown,, 
though  traces  of  it  can  be  seen  in  the  vars.  intermedia  and  pendula. 
Fig.  54.— ROBINIA  HISPIDA. 
columnar  outline,  which  in  this  country  has  attained  a  height  of  about 
40  feet  so  far,  but  with  time  will  probably  reach  60  or  80  feet.  Its 
branches  are  short  and  much  divided,  especially  at  the  extremities,  and 
the  leaves  are  small  and  closely  adherent  to  the  stem.  It  can  be  easily 
raised  from  seed,  which  is  freely  produced  in  this  country. 
The  second  is  Thuia  occidentalis  var.  ericoides,  which  is  a  very 
different  looking  plant  to  its  parent  species,  the  well  known  American 
Arbor  Vitm,  as  it  only  grows  about  7  or  8  feet  high,  but  is  seen  at  its 
best  as  a  young  plant  of  about  2  or  3  feet,  when  it  forms  a  feathery- 
looking  specimen,  which  in  winter  assumes  a  pleasmg  bronzy  tint.  In 
summer  in  shows  little  of  this  colouring,  being  nearly  or  entirely 
green,  but  changes  on  the  approach  of  winter.  The  leaves  are  small 
and  point  towards  the  ends  of  the  branches,  and  are  green,  or  slightly 
glaucous,  on  the  back.  Though  this  plant'  differs  so  much  from 
T.  occidentalis  in  general  appearance  and  habit,  yet  the  connection 
between  the  two  can  be  clearly  seen  inT.  occ.  var.  Ellwangeriana,  in  which 
the  ordinary  growth  is  smaller  than  in  the  type,  the  secondary  branches 
These  two  latter  plants,  known  as  R.  ericoides,  are  perhaps  the 
most  useful  of  the  smaller-growing  Conifers,  as  they  are  easily  propa¬ 
gated  by  cuttings,  are  perfectly  hardy,  and  can  be  used  for  so  many 
different  purposes  of  decoration.  For  window  boxes,  the  filling  of  beds  • 
for  the  winter,  or  for  the  conservatory  they  are  invaluable,  as  they 
have  a  distinctive  beauty  of  their  own  that  is  very  effective,  and 
which  is  seen  at  its  best  during  the  winter  months. — C. 
Plant  Doctors. — A  writer  in  a  contemporary  urges  the  need  of  a 
new  class  of  educated  physicians,  whose  business  shall  be  the  care  and 
cure  of  disease-threatened  and  disease-stricken  plants.  “  The  time  wiU 
come,”  he  says,  “  when  every  agricultural  district  will  have  its  plant 
doctor.”  He  even  foresees  the  development  of  specialties  by  plant 
doctors  just  as  by  other  physicians,  so  that  in  many  difficult  and 
obscure  cases  of  disease  affecting  valuable  plants  the  services  of  such 
specialists  will  be  employed. 
