Chapter M: UGNI (syn Eugenia Ugni).--Valdivia, 1845. A small-growing, (1)

Myrtle-like shrub, that is only hardy in favoured parts of the country. It is of branching habit, with small, wiry stems, oval, coriacious leaves, and pretty pinky flowers. The edible fruit is highly ornamental, being of a pleasing ruddy tinge tinted with white. This dwarf-growing shrub wants the protection of a wall, and when so situated in warm seaside parts of the country soon forms a bush of neat and pleasing appearance.

NEILLIA.

NEILLIA OPULIFOLIA (_syn Spiraea opulifolia_).--Nine Bark. North America, 1690. A hardy shrub, nearly allied to Spiraea. It produces a profusion of umbel-like corymbs of pretty white flowers, that are succeeded by curious swollen membraneous purplish fruit. N. opulifolia aurea is worthy of culture, it being of free growth and distinct from the parent plant.

N. THYRSIFLORA, Nepaul, 1850, would seem to be quite as hardy as N. opulifolia, and is of more evergreen habit. The leaves are doubly serrated and three lobed, and cordate-ovate. Flowers white in spicate, thyrsoid racemes, and produced rather sparsely.

NESAEA.

NESAEA SALICIFOLIA (_syn Heimia salicifolia_).--Mexico, 1821. This can only be styled as half hardy, but with wall protection it forms a pretty bush often fully a yard in height. The leaves resemble those of some species of Willow, being long and narrow, while the showy yellow flowers are freely produced in August and September. It thrives best when planted in light, dry soil, and in a sheltered position.

NEVIUSA.

NEVIUSA ALABAMENSIS.--Alabama Snow Wreath. Alabama, 1879. This is a rare American shrub, with leaves reminding one of those of the Nine Bark, Neillia opulifolia, and the flowers, which are freely produced along the full length of the shoots, are white or yellowish-green, with prominent stamens of a tufted brush-like character. It is usually treated as a green-house plant, but may be seen growing and flowering freely in the open ground at Kew.

NUTTALLIA.

NUTTALLIA CERASIFORMIS.--Osoberry. California, 1848. This shrub is of great value on account of the flowers being produced in the early weeks of the year, and when flowers are few and far between. It grows from 6 feet to 10 feet high, with a thick, twiggy head, and drooping racemes of white flowers borne thickly all over the plant. Few soils come amiss to this neglected shrub, it growing and flowering freely even on poor gravelly clay, and where only a limited number of shrubs could succeed.

OLEARIA.

OLEARIA HAASTII.--New Zealand, 1872. This Composite shrub is only hardy in the milder parts of England and Ireland. It is of stiff, dwarf growth, rarely growing more than 4 feet high, but of neat and compact habit. Flowering as it does in late summer it is rendered of special value, the Daisy-like white blossoms being produced in large and flat clusters at the branch tips. The leaves are neat and of leathery texture, and being evergreen lend an additional charm to the shrub.

O. MACRODONTA (_syn O. dentata_), from New Zealand, 1886, is tolerably hardy, and may be seen in good form both at Kew and in the South of Ireland. The large Holly-like leaves are of a peculiar silvery-green tint above, and almost white on the under sides. Flowers white, and produced in dense heads in June and July.

O. Forsterii and O. Gunniana (_syn Eurybia Gunniana_) are nearly hardy species, the latter, from New Zealand, bearing a profusion of white Daisy-like flowers on dense, twiggy branches.

ONONIS.

ONONIS ARVENSIS.--Restharrow. A native undershrub of very variable size, according to the position in which it is found growing. It creeps along the ground, the shoots sending out roots as they proceed, and is usually found on dry sandy banks. The flowers when at their best are very ornamental, being bright pink, and with the standard streaked with a deeper shade. They are abundantly produced, and render the plant very conspicuous during the summer and autumn months. When planted on an old wall, and allowed to roam at will, the Restharrow is, perhaps, seen to best advantage.

OSMANTHUS.

OSMANTHUS AQUIFOLIUM ILLICIFOLIUS.--Holly-leaved Osmanthus. Japan. This is a handsome evergreen shrub, with Holly-like leaves, and not very conspicuous greenish-white flowers. It is a very desirable shrub, of which there are varieties named O.A. ilicifolius argenteo-variegatus, O.A. ilicifolius aureo-variegatus, and O.A. ilicifolius nanus, the names of which will be sufficient to define their characters.

O.A. ILICIFOLIUS MYRTIFOLIUS.--Myrtle-leaved Osmanthus. A very distinct and beautiful shrub, with unarmed leaves. It is of dwarf, compact growth, with small, sharply-pointed leaves, and inconspicuous flowers. For the front line of a shrubbery this is an invaluable shrub, its pretty leaves and neat twiggy habit making it a favourite with planters. The variety rotundifolius is seldom seen in cultivation, but being distinct in foliage from any of the others is to be recommended. They grow freely in any good garden soil, but all the better if a little peat is added at the time of planting.

OSTRYA.

OSTRYA CARPINIFOLIA (_syn O. vulgaris_).--Common Hop Hornbeam. South Europe, 1724. A much-branched, round-headed tree, with cordate-ovate, acuminate leaves. Both this and the following species, by reason of the resemblance between their female catkins and those of the Hop, and between their leaves and those of the Hornbeam, have acquired the very descriptive name of Hop Hornbeam. This is a large-growing tree, specimens in various parts of the country ranging in height from 50 feet to 60 feet.

O. VIRGINICA.--Virginian Hop Hornbeam. Eastern United States, 1692. Resembles the latter, but is of smaller growth, rarely exceeding 40 feet in height. They grow fairly well in almost any class of soil, and on account of the long and showy catkins are well worthy of cultivation.

OXYDENDRUM.

OXYDENDRUM ARBOREUM (_syn Andromeda arborea_).--Sorrel-tree. Eastern United States, 1752. Unfortunately this species is not often found under cultivation, being unsuitable generally for our climate. In some instances, however, it has done well, a specimen in the Knap Hill Nursery, Surrey, being 30 feet high, and with a dense rounded head. The flowers are very beautiful, being of a waxy white, and produced abundantly. It wants a free rich soil, and not too exposed site.

OZOTHAMNUS.

OZOTHAMNUS ROSMARINIFOLIUS.--Australia, 1827. A pretty little Australian Composite, forming a dense, twiggy shrub, with narrow, Rosemary-like leaves, and small, whitish, Aster-like flowers which resemble those of its near relative, the Olearia, and are produced so thickly that the plant looks like a sheet of white when the blooms are fully developed. It flowers in June and July. In most parts of the country it will require protection, but can be classed as fairly hardy. Cuttings root freely if placed in sandy soil in a cool frame.

PAEONIA.

PAEONIA MOUTAN.--Moutan Paeony, or Chinese Tree Paeony. China and Japan, 1789. A beautiful shrubby species introduced from China about one hundred years ago. The first of the kind introduced to England had single flowers, and the plant is figured in Andrews' _Botanists' Repository_ (tab. 463) under the name of P. papaveracea. The flowers are white with a dark red centre. In the _Botanical Magazine_ (tab. 2175), the same plant is figured under the name of P. Moutan var. papaveracea. This is perfectly hardy in our gardens, and is the parent of many beautiful and distinct varieties, including double and single white, pink, crimson, purple, and striped.

PALIURUS.

PALIURUS ACULEATUS (_syn P. australis_).--Christ's Thorn, or Garden Thorn. Mediterranean region, 1596. A densely-branched, spiny shrub, with small leaves, and not very showy, yellowish-green flowers. It grows and flowers freely enough in light, peaty earth, but is not very hardy, the tips of the branches being usually killed back should the winter be at all severe.

PARROTIA.

PARROTIA PERSICA.--Persia, 1848. Well known for the lovely autumnal tints displayed by the foliage when dying off. But for the flowers, too, it is well worthy of culture, the crimson-tipped stamens of the male flowers being singularly beautiful and uncommon. In February it is no unusual sight to see on well-established plants whole branches that are profusely furnished with these showy flowers. For planting in a warm corner of a rather dry border it seems to be well suited; but it is perfectly hardy and free of growth when suited with soil and site. It is as yet rare in cultivation, but is sure, when better known and more widely disseminated, to become a general favourite with lovers of hardy shrubs.

PASSIFLORA.

PASSIFLORA CAERULEA.--Passion Flower. Brazil and Peru, 1699. Though not perfectly hardy, yet this handsome climbing plant, if cut down to the ground, usually shoots up freely again in the spring. The flowers, which are produced very freely, but particularly in maritime districts, vary from white to blue, and the prettily-fringed corona and centre of the flower render the whole peculiarly interesting and beautiful. P. caerulea Constance Elliott has greenish-white flowers; and P. caerulea Colvillei has white sepals and a blue fringe. The latter is of more robust growth, and more floriferous than the species.

PAULOWNIA.

PAULOWNIA IMPERIALIS.--Japan, 1840. This is a handsome, fast-growing tree, and one that is particularly valuable for its ample foliage, and distinct and showy flowers. Though perfectly hardy, in other respects it is unfortunate that the season at which the Paulownia flowers is so early that, unless the conditions are unusually favourable, the flower buds get destroyed by the frost. The tree grows to fully 40 feet high in this country, and is a grandly decorative object in its foliage alone, and for which, should the flowers never be produced, it is well worthy of cultivation. They are ovate-cordate, thickly covered with a grayish woolly tomentum, and often measure, but particularly in young and healthy trees, as much as 10 inches in length. The Foxglove-like flowers are purplish-violet and spotted, and borne in terminal panicles. They are sweetly-scented. When favourably situated, and in cool, sandy loam or peaty earth, the growth of the tree is very rapid, and when a tree has been cut over, the shoots sent out often exceed 6 feet in length in one season, and nearly 2 inches in diameter. There are many fine old trees throughout the country, and which testify to the general hardihood of the Paulownia.

PERIPLOCA.

PERIPLOCA GRAECA.--Poison Vine. South Eastern Europe, and Orient, 1597. A tall, climbing shrub, with small, ovate-lanceolate leaves, and clusters of curious purplish-brown, green-tipped flowers produced in summer. The long, incurved appendages, in the shape of a crown, and placed so as to protect the style and anthers, render the flowers of peculiar interest. Though often used as a greenhouse plant, it is perfectly hardy, and makes a neat, deciduous wall or arch covering, thriving to perfection in rich soil that is well-drained. It is readily propagated from cuttings.

PERNETTYA.

PERNETTYA MUCRONATA (_syn Arbutus mucronata_).--Prickly Heath. Magellan, 1828. This is a dwarf-growing, wiry shrub, with narrow, stiff leaves, and bears an abundance of white, bell-shaped flowers. It is a capital wind screen, and may be used to advantage on the exposed side of rockwork or flower beds, or as an ornamental shrub by the pond or lake side. The small dark-green leaves, the tiny white flowers, and great abundance of deep purple berries in winter, are all points that are in favour of the shrub for extended cultivation. The pretty, pinky shoots, too, help to make the plant attractive even in mid-winter. Propagation by layers or seed is readily brought about. To grow this shrub to perfection, peaty soil or decayed vegetable matter will be found most suitable. There is a narrow-leaved form named P. mucronata angustifolia, and another on which the name of P. mucronata speciosa has been bestowed.

There are many beautiful-berried forms of the Pernettya, but as their flowers are small can hardly be included in our list.

PHILADELPHUS.

PHILADELPHUS CORONARIUS.--Mock Orange, or Syringa. South Europe, 1596. A well-known and valuable garden shrub, of from 6 feet to 10 feet high, with ovate and serrulated leaves, and pretty racemes of white or yellowish-white, fragrant flowers. P. coronarius aureo-variegatus is one of the numerous forms of this shrub, having brightly-tinted, golden foliage, but the flowers are in no way superior to those of the parent. It is, if only for the foliage, an extremely pretty and distinct variety. P. coronarius argenteo-variegatus has silvery-tinted leaves; P. coronarius flore-pleno, full double flowers; and P. coronarius Keteleeri flore-pleno is the best double-flowered form in cultivation.

P. GORDONIANUS, an American species (1839), is a well-known and beautiful shrub, in which the flowers are usually double the size of those of the common species, and which are not produced till July, while those of P. coronarius appear in early May.

P. GRANDIFLORUS (_syns P. floribundus, P. latifolius_ and _P. speciosus_).--Southern United States, 1811. This has rotundate, irregularly-toothed leaves, and large white, sweetly-scented flowers produced in clusters. This forms a stout bush 10 feet high, and as much through. There are two varieties, P. grandiflorus laxus, and P. grandiflorus speciosissimus, both distinct and pretty kinds.

P. HIRSUTUS.--North America, 1820. Another handsome, small-flowered species, of dwarf growth, and having hairy leaves.

P. INODOROUS, also from North America (1738), differs little in size and shape of flowers from P. grandiflorus, but the flowers are without scent. The leaves, too, are quite glabrous and obscurely toothed.

P. LEMOINEI BOULE D'ARGENT is a cross, raised in 1888, from P. Lemoinei and the double-flowered form of P. coronarius. The flowers are double white and with the pleasant, but not heavy, scent of P. microphyllus. P. Lemoinei Gerbe de Neige bears pleasantly-scented flowers that are as large as those of the well-known P. speciosissimus. There is an erect form of P. Lemoinei named erectus that is also worthy of note.

P. LEWISI, from North America, is hardly sufficiently distinct from some of the others to warrant special notice.

P. MICROPHYLLUS, from New Mexico (1883), is of low growth, and remarkable for its slender branches, small, Myrtle-like leaves, and abundance of small, white flowers. It is a decidedly pretty shrub, but is not so hardy as the others.

P. SATZUMI (_syn P. chinensis_).--Japan, 1851. A slender-growing species, with long and narrow leaves, and large, white flowers.

P. TRIFLORUS and P. MEXICANUS are other species that might be worthy of including in a representative collection of these plants.

This is a valuable genus of shrubs, all being remarkable for the abundance of white, and usually sweet-scented, flowers which they produce. They require no special treatment, few soils, if at all free and rich, coming amiss to them; while even as shrubs for shady situations they are not to be despised. Propagation is effected by means of cuttings, which root freely if placed in sandy soil.

PHILLYREA.

P. ANGUSTIFOLIA (narrow-leaved Phillyrea), P. ilicifolia (Holly-leaved Phillyrea), P. salicifolia (Willow-leaved Phillyrea), P. buxifolia (Box-leaved Phillyrea), and P. ligustrifolia (Privet-leaved Phillyrea), are all more or less valuable species, and their names indicate their peculiarities of leafage. P. angustifolia rosmarinifolia (_syn P. neapolitana_) is a somewhat rare shrub, but one that is well worthy of culture, if only for its neat habit and tiny little Rosemary-like leaves. It is from Italy, and known under the synonym of _P. rosmarinifolia_.

P. LATIFOLIA (_syn P. obliqua_).--Broad-leaved Phillyrea. South Europe, 1597. This is a compact-growing and exceedingly ornamental shrub, with bright and shining, ovate-serrulated leaves. For its handsome, evergreen foliage and compact habit of growth it is, perhaps, most to be valued, for the small flowers are at their best both dull and inconspicuous. Not very hardy unless in the sea-coast garden.

P. MEDIA (_syns P. ligustrifolia_ and _P. oleaefolia_).--South Europe, 1597. This is another interesting species, but not at all common in cultivation.

P. VILMORINIANA (_syns P. laurifolia_ and _P. decora_).--Asia Minor, 1885, This is a grand addition to these valuable shrubs, of which it is decidedly the best from an ornamental point of view. It is of compact growth, with large, Laurel-like leaves, which are of a pleasing shade of green, and fully 4 inches long. They are of stout, leathery texture, and plentifully produced. That this shrub is perfectly hardy is now a well-established fact.

The Phillyreas succeed well in light, warm, but not too dry soil, and they do all the better if a warm and sheltered position is assigned to them. Being unusually bright of foliage, they are of great service in planting for shrubbery embellishment, and which they light up in a very conspicuous manner during the dull winter months. They get shabby and meagre foliaged if exposed to cold winds.

PHLOMIS.

PHLOMIS FRUTICOSA.--Jerusalem Sage. Mediterranean region, 1596. This is a neat-growing shrubby plant, with ovate acute leaves, that are covered with a yellowish down. From the axils of the upper leaves the whorls of yellow flowers are freely produced during the summer months. It is valued for its neat growth, and as growing on dry soils where few other plants could eke out an existence.

PHOTINIA.

PHOTINIA JAPONICA (_syn Eriobotrya japonica_).--Loquat, Japan Medlar, or Japan Quince. Japan, 1787. This is chiefly remarkable for its handsome foliage, the leaves being oblong of shape and downy on the under sides. The white flowers are of no great beauty, but being produced at the beginning of winter, and when flowers are scarce, are all the more welcome. It requires protection in all but the warmer parts of these islands.

P. ARBUTIFOLIA (_syns Crataegus arbutifolia_ and _Mespilus arbutifolia_).--Arbutus-leaved Photinia, or Californian May-bush. California, 1796. This is a very distinct shrub, with leaves resembling those of the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus), the flowers in an elongated panicle, and bright red bark on the young wood.

P. BENTHAMIANA is only worthy of culture for its neat habit and freedom of growth when suitably placed.

P. SERRULATA (_syn Crataegus glabra_).--Chinese Hawthorn. Japan and China, 1804. This has Laurel-like leaves, 4 inches or 5 inches long, and, especially when young, of a beautiful rosy-chocolate colour, and clustered at the branch-tips. Flowers small, white, and produced in flat corymbs. An invaluable seaside shrub.

They all grow well either in light, rich loam, or in sandy, peaty earth, and are usually propagated by grafting.

PHYLODOCE.

PHYLODOCE TAXIFOLIA (_syns P. caerulea_ and _Menziesia caerulea_).--An almost extinct native species, having crowded linear leaves, and lilac-blue flowers. It is only of value for rock gardening.

PIERIS.

PIERIS FLORIBUNDA (_syns Andromeda floribunda_ and _Leucothoe floribunda_).--United States, 1812. Few perfectly hardy shrubs are more beautiful than this, with its pure white Lily-of-the-Valley like flowers, borne in dense racemes and small, neat, dark green leaves. To cultivate this handsome shrub in a satisfactory way, fairly rich loam or peat, and a situation sheltered from cold and cutting winds, are necessities.

P. JAPONICA (_syn Andromeda japonica_).--Japan, 1882. A hardy, well-known shrub, that was first brought specially under notice in "The Garden," and of which a coloured plate and description were given. It is thickly furnished with neat and small deep-green, leathery leaves, and pretty, waxy white flowers, pendulous at the branch tips. Planted in free, sandy peat, it thrives vigorously, and soon forms a neat specimen of nearly a yard in height. It is a very desirable hardy species, and one that can be confidently recommended for ornamental planting. There is a variegated variety, P. japonica elegantissima, with leaves clearly edged with creamy-white, and flushed with pink. Amongst variegated, small-growing shrubs it is a gem.

P. MARIANA (_syn Andromeda Mariana ovalis_).--North America, 1736. A neat shrub of about 3 feet in height, with oval leaves, and pretty white flowers in pendent clusters.

P. OVALIFOLIA (_syn Andromeda ovalifolia_).--Nepaul, 1825. A fine, tall-growing species, with oval-pointed, leathery leaves placed on long footstalks. Flowers in lengthened, drooping, one-sided racemes, and white or pale flesh-coloured. Being perfectly hardy, and attaining to as much as 20 feet in height, it is a desirable species for the lawn or shrubbery.

PIPTANTHUS.

PIPTANTHUS NEPALENSIS (_syn Baptisia nepalensis_).--Evergreen Laburnum. Temperate Himalaya, 1821. A handsome, half-hardy shrub, of often fully 10 feet high, with trifoliolate, evergreen leaves, and terminal racemes of large yellow flowers. In the south and west of England and Ireland it does well, and only receives injury during very severe winters. Planted either as a single specimen, or in clumps of three or five, the evergreen Laburnum has a pleasing effect, whether with its bright, glossy-green leaves, or abundance of showy flowers. It is of somewhat erect growth, with stout branches and plenty of shoots. Propagated from seed, which it ripens abundantly in this country.

PITTOSPORUM.

PITTOSPORUM TOBIRA.--Japan, 1804. This forms a neat, evergreen shrub, with deep green, leathery leaves, and clusters of white, fragrant flowers, each about an inch in diameter. It is hardy in the more favoured parts of the south and west of England, where it makes a reliable seaside shrub.

P. UNDULATUM, from Australia (1789), is also hardy against a wall, but cannot be depended upon generally. It is a neat shrub, with wavy leaves, that are rendered conspicuous by the dark midribs. They grow well in any good garden soil.

PLAGIANTHUS.

PLAGIANTHUS LYALLI, a native of New Zealand (1871), and a member of the Mallow family, is a free-flowering and beautiful shrub, but one that cannot be recommended for general planting in this country. At Kew it does well and flowers freely on an east wall. The flowers are snow-white, with golden-yellow anthers, and produced on the ends of the last season's branchlets during June and July. The flower-stalks, being fully 2 inches long, give to the flowers a very graceful appearance. In this country the leaves are frequently retained till spring.

P. LAMPENI.--Van Dieman's Land, 1833. This is about equally hardy with the former, and produces a great abundance of sweetly-scented flowers.

P. PULCHELLUS (_syn Sida pulchella_).--Australia and Tasmania. Another half-hardy species, which bears, even in a young state, an abundance of rather small, whitish flowers.

POLYGALA.

POLYGALA CHAMAEBUXUS.--Bastard Box. A neat little shrubby plant, with small ovate, coriaceous leaves, and fragrant yellow and cream flowers. P. chamaebuxus purpureus differs in bearing rich reddish-purple flowers, and is one of the most showy and beautiful of rock plants. They are natives of Europe (1658), and grow best in vegetable mould.

POTENTILLA.

POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA.--Northern Hemisphere (Britain). An indigenous shrub that grows about a yard high, with pinnate leaves and golden flowers. It is a most persistent blooming plant, as often for four months, beginning in June, the flowers are produced freely in succession. It delights to grow in a strong soil, and, being of low, sturdy growth, does well for the outer line of the shrubbery.

PRUNUS.

PRUNUS AMYGDALUS (_syn Amygdalus communis_).--Common Almond. Barbary, 1548. Whether by a suburban roadside, or even in the heart of the crowded city, the Almond seems quite at home, and is at once one of the loveliest and most welcome of early spring-flowering trees. The flowers are rather small for the family, pale pink, and produced in great quantity before the leaves. There are several distinct forms of the Almond, differing mainly in the colour of the flowers, one being pink, another red, while a third has double flowers. P. Amygdalus macrocarpa (Large-fruited Almond) is by far the handsomest variety in cultivation, the flowers being large, often 3 inches in diameter, and white tinged with pink, particularly at the base of the petals. The flowers, too, are produced earlier than those of any other Almond, while the tree is of stout growth and readily suited with both soil and site.

P. AMYGDALUS DULCIS (_syn A. dulcis_), Sweet Almond, of which there are three distinct varieties, P.A. dulcis purpurea, P.A. dulcis macrocarpa, and P.A. dulcis pendula, should be included in every collection of these handsome flowering plants.

P. AVIUM JULIANA (_syn Cerasus Juliana_).--St. Julian's Cherry. South Europe. This bears large flowers of a most beautiful and delicate blush tint. P. Avium multiplex is a double form of the Wild Cherry, or Gean, with smaller leaves than the type.

P. BOISSIERII (_syn Amygdalus Boissierii_).--Asia Minor, 1879. This is a bushy shrub, with almost erect, long, and slender branches, and furnished with leaves an inch long, elliptic, and thick of texture. Flowers pale flesh-coloured, and produced abundantly. It is a very ornamental and distinct plant, and is sure, when better known, to attract a considerable amount of attention.

P. CERASIFERA (_syn P. Myrobalana_).--Cherry, or Myrobalan Plum. Native Country unknown. A medium-sized tree, with an abundance of small white flowers, which are particularly attractive if they escape the early spring frosts. It is of stout, branching habit, with a well-rounded head, and has of late years attracted a good deal of notice as a hedge plant. P. cerasifera Pissardii, the purple-leaved Cherry plum, is a remarkable and handsome variety, in which the leaves are deep purple, thus rendering the plant one of the most distinct and ornamental-foliaged of the family. It produces its white, blush-tinted flowers in May. It was received by M.A. Chatenay, of Sceau, from M. Pissard, director of the garden of His Majesty the Shah of Persia. When it flowered it was figured in the _Revue Horticole_, 1881, p. 190.

P. CERASUS (_syn Cerasus vulgaris_).--Common Cherry. A favourite medium-sized tree, and one that lends itself readily to cultivation. As an ornamental park tree this Cherry, though common, must not be despised, for during summer, when laden with its pure white flowers, or again in autumn when myriads of the black, shining fruits hang in clusters from its branches, it will be readily admitted that few trees have a more beautiful or conspicuous appearance, P. Cerasus flore-pleno (double-flowered Cherry) is a distinct and desirable variety. P. Cerasus multiplex is a very showy double form, more ornamental than P. Avium muliplex, and also known under the names of _Cerasus ranunculiflora_ and _C. Caproniana multiplex_. P. Cerasus semperflorens (_syn Cerasus semperflorens_), the All Saints, Ever Flowering, or Weeping, Cherry, is another valuable variety, of low growth, and with gracefully drooping branches, particularly when the tree is old. It is a very desirable lawn tree, and flowers at intervals during the summer.

P. CHAMAECERASUS (_syn Cerasus Chamaecerasus_).--Ground Cherry. Europe, 1597. This is a dwarf, slender-branched, and gracefully pendent shrub, of free growth, undoubted hardihood, and well worthy of extended cultivation. The variety C. Chamaecerasus variegata has the leaves suffused with greenish lemon. There is also a creeping form named P. Chamaecerasus pendula.

P. DAVIDIANA.--Abbé David's Almond. China. This is the tree to which, under the name of Amygdalus Davidiana alba, a First-class Certificate was awarded in 1892 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The typical species is a native of China, from whence it was introduced several years ago, but it is still far from common. It is the earliest of the Almonds to unfold its white flowers, for in mild winters some of them expand before the end of January; but March, about the first week, it is at its best. It is of more slender growth than the common Almond, and the flowers, which are individually smaller, are borne in great profusion along the shoots of the preceding year, so that a specimen, when in full flower, is quite one mass of bloom. There is a rosy-tinted form known as Amygdalus Davidiana rubra.

P. DIVARICATA, from the Caucasus (1822), is useful on account of the pure white flowers being produced early in the year, and before the leaves. It has a graceful, easy habit of growth, and inclined to spread, and makes a neat lawn or park specimen.

P. DOMESTICA, Common Garden Plum, and P. domestica insititia, Bullace Plum, are both very ornamental-flowering species, and some of the varieties are even more desirable than the parent plants.

P. ILLICIFOLIA (_syn Cerasus ilicifolius_).--Holly-leaved Cherry. California. A distinct evergreen species, with thick leathery leaves, and erect racemes of small white flowers. A native of dry hilly ground along the coast from San Francisco to San Diego. Hardy in most situations, but requiring light warm soil and a dry situation.

P. LAUNESIANA (_syn Cerasus Launesiana_).--Japan, 1870. This is a valuable addition to the already long list of ornamental-flowering Cherries. It flowers in the early spring, when the tree is literally enshrouded in rose-coloured flowers, and which produce a very striking effect. The tree is quite hardy, flowers well even in a young state, and will grow in any soil that suits our common wild species.

P. LAUROCERASUS (_syn Cerasus Laurocerasus_).--Common, or Cherry Laurel. Levant, 1629. Although a well-known garden and park shrub, of which a description is unnecessary, the common or Cherry Laurel, when in full flower, must be ranked amongst our more ornamental shrubs. There are several varieties all worthy of culture for the sake of their evergreen leaves and showy flower spikes. P. Laurocerasus rotundifolia has leaves that are broader in proportion to their length than those of the common species; P. Laurocerasus caucasica is of sturdy growth, with deep green leaves, and a compact habit of growth; P. Laurocerasus colchica is the freest-flowering Laurel in cultivation, with horizontally arranged branches and pale green leaves; P. Laurocerasus latifolia, a rather tender shrub, with bold handsome foliage; and P. Laurocerasus parvifolia, of low growth, but never very satisfactory in appearance. Three other less common forms might also be mentioned. P. Laurocerasus angustifolia, with narrow leaves; P. Laurocerasus camelliaefolia, with thick leathery foliage; and P. Laurocerasus intermedia, halfway between P. Laurocerasus angustifolia and the common Laurel.

P. LUSITANICA (_syn Cerasus lusitanica_).--Portugal Laurel. Portugal, 1648. A well-known shrub or small growing tree, and one of the most valuable of all our hardy evergreens. It is of neat and compact growth, with a good supply of bright green shining foliage, and bears long spikes of pleasing creamy white perfumed flowers. P. lusitanica myrtifolia (Myrtle-leaved Portugal Laurel) differs from the species in the smaller, longer, and narrower leaves, which are more thickly arranged, and in its more decided upright habit. P. lusitanica variegata is hardly sufficiently constant or distinct to warrant recommendation. P. lusitanica azorica, from the Azores, is of more robust growth than the common plant, with larger and richer green leaves, and the bark of the younger branches is of a very decided reddish tinge.

P. MAHALEB (_syn Cerasus Mahaleb_).--The Mahaleb, or Perfumed Cherry. South Europe, 1714. This and its variegated variety P. Mahaleb variegata are very free-flowering shrubs, and of neat growth. The variegated variety is well worthy of attention, having a clear silvery variegation, chiefly confined to the leaf margin, but in a less degree to the whole of the foliage, and imparting to it a bright, glaucous tint that is highly ornamental. There is a partially weeping form named P. Mahaleb pendula.

P. MARITIMA.--Beach or Sand Plum. North America, 1800. A prostrate, spreading shrub, that is of value for planting in poor sandy soil, and along the sea coast. The flowers are small, but plentifully produced.

P. NANA (_syns Amygdalus nana_ and _A. Besseriana_).--Dwarf Almond. From Tartary, 1683. This is of dwarf, twiggy growth, rarely more than 3 feet high, and bearing an abundance of rose-coloured flowers in early February. From its neat, small growth, and rich profusion of flowers, this dwarf Almond may be reckoned as a most useful and desirable shrub. Suckers are freely produced in any light free soil.

P. PADUS (_syn Cerasus Padus_).--Bird Cherry or Hagberry. An indigenous species, with oblong, doubly-serrated leaves, and terminal or axillary racemes of pure-white flowers. It is a handsome and distinct small-growing tree, and bears exposure at high altitudes in a commendable manner.

P. PANICULATA FLORE-PLENO (_syns Cerasus serrulata flore-pleno_ and _C. Sieboldii_).--China, 1822. This is one of the most desirable of the small-growing and double-flowered Cherries. It is of neat growth, with short, stout branches that are sparsely furnished with twigs, and smooth, obovate, pointed leaves, bristly serrated on the margins. Flowers double and white at first, but afterwards tinged with pink, freely produced and of good, lasting substance. P. paniculata Watereri is a handsome variety that most probably may be linked to the species.

P. PENNSYLVANIA.--American Wild Red Cherry. North America, 1773. This is an old-fashioned garden tree, and one of the choicest, producing in May a great abundance of its tiny white flowers.

P. PERSICA FLORE-PLENO (_syns Amygdalus Persica flore-pleno_ and _Persica vulgaris_), double-flowering Peach, is likewise well worthy of culture, there being white, rose, and crimson-flowering forms.

P. PUDDUM (_syns P. Pseudo-cerasus_ and _Cerasus Pseudo-cerasus_).--Bastard Cherry. China, 1891. There are very few more ornamental trees in cultivation in this country than the double-flowering Cherry. It makes a charming small-growing tree, is of free growth and perfectly hardy, and one of, if not the most, floriferous of the tribe. The flowers are individually large, pinky or purplish-white, and produced with the leaves in April.

P. SINENSIS.--China, 1869. A Chinese Plum of somewhat slender growth, and with the branches wreathed in small, white flowers. It is often seen as a pot plant, but it is one of the hardiest of its family. P. sinensis flore-pleno is a double white form, and the most ornamental for pot work. There is also a variety with rose-coloured flowers.

P. SPINOSA.--Sloe, or Blackthorn. An indigenous, spiny shrub, with tiny white flowers; and P. spinosa flore-pleno has small, rosette-like flowers that are both showy and effective.

P. TOMENTOSA.--Japan, 1872. This is one of the most desirable of hardy shrubs, with large, white, flesh-tinted flowers produced in the first weeks of March, and in such quantities as almost to hide the branches from view. It forms a well-rounded, dense bush of 5 feet or 6 feet high.

P. TRILOBA (_syns P. virgata, Amygdalopsis Lindleyi_ and _Prunopsis Lindleyi_).--China, 1857. This is a very handsome early-flowering shrub, that is at once recognised by the generally three-lobed leaves. It is one of the first to flower, the blossoms being produced in March and April, and sometimes even earlier when the plant is grown against a sunny, sheltered wall. The semi-double flowers are large and of good substance, and of a rosy-white tint, but deep rose in the bud state. There is a nursery form of this plant with white flowers, named P. triloba alba. It is quite hardy, bears pruning well, and grows quickly, soon covering a large space of a wall or warm, sunny bank. As an ornamental flowering lawn shrub it has few equals, the blossoms remaining good for fully a fortnight.

P. VIRGINIANA (_syn Cerasus virginiana_) and P. SEROTINA (North American Bird Cherries) are worthy species, with long clusters of flowers resembling those of our native Bird Cherry. They are large-growing species, and, particularly the latter, are finding favour with cultivators in this country on account of their bold and ornamental appearance.

PTELEA.

PTELEA TRIFOLIATA.--Hop Tree, or Swamp Dogwood. North America, 1704. A small-growing tree, with trifoliolate, yellowish-green leaves placed on long footstalks, and inconspicuous greenish flowers. The leaves, when bruised, emit an odour resembling Hops. P. trifoliata variegata is one of the handsomest of golden-leaved trees, and is well worthy of extensive planting. It is preferable in leaf colouring to the golden Elder. Perfectly hardy.

PUNICA.

PUNICA GRANATUM.--Pomegranate. For planting against a southern-facing wall this pretty shrub is well suited, but it is not sufficiently hardy for the colder parts of the country. Frequently in the more favoured parts of the country it reaches a height of 14 feet, with a branch-spread of nearly as much, and is then, when in full flower, an object of general admiration and of the greatest beauty. The flowers are of a rich, bright scarlet colour, and well set off by the glossy, dark green leaves. P. Granatum rubra flore-pleno is a decidedly ornamental shrub, in which the flowers are of a bright scarlet, and perfectly double. They grow satisfactorily in light, but rich soil.

PYRUS.

PYRUS ARIA.--White Beam Tree. Europe (Britain). A shrub or small-growing tree, with lobed leaves, covered thickly on the under sides with a close, flocculent down. The flowers are small and white, and produced in loose corymbs. It is a handsome small tree, especially when the leaves are ruffled by the wind and the under sides revealed to view. The red or scarlet fruit is showy and beautiful.

P. AUCUPARIA.--Mountain Ash, or Rowan Tree. Too well-known to need description, but one of our handsomest small-growing trees, and whether for the sake of its dense corymbs of small white flowers or large bunches of scarlet fruit it is always welcomed and admired. P. Aucuparia pendula has the branches inclined to be pendulous; and P. Aucuparia fructo-luteo differs from the normal plant in having yellowish instead of scarlet fruit.

P. AMERICANA (_syn Sorbus americana_).--American Mountain Ash. This species, a native of the mountains of Pennsylvania and Virginia (1782), is much like our Rowan Tree in general appearance, but the bunches of berries are larger, and of a brighter red colour.

P. ANGUSTIFOLIA.--North America, 1750. A double-flowered crab is offered under this name, of vigorous growth, bearing delicate pink, rose-like flowers that are deliciously fragrant, and borne contemporaneously with the leaves. The merits claimed for the shrub are perfect hardihood, great beauty of blossom and leaf, delicious fragrance, and adaptability to various soils. The single-flowered form extends over large areas in the Atlantic States of North America. They are very desirable, small-growing trees, and are described by Professor Sargent as being not surpassed in beauty by any of the small trees of North America.

P. BACCATA.--Siberian Crab. Siberia and Dahuria, 1784. This is one of the most variable species in cultivation, and from which innumerable forms have been developed, that differ either in habit, foliage, flowers, or fruit. The deciduous calyx would seem to be the only reliable distinguishing character. It is a widely-distributed species, being found in North China and Japan, Siberia and the Himalayas, and has from time immemorial been cultivated by the Chinese and Japanese, so that it is not at all surprising that numbers of forms have been developed.

P. CORONARIA.--Sweet Scented Crab. North America, 1724. This is a handsome species, with ovate, irregularly-toothed leaves, and pink and white fragrant flowers. The flowers are individually large and corymbose, and are succeeded by small green fruit.

P. DOMESTICA (_syn Sorbus domestica_).--True Service. Britain. This resembles the Mountain Ash somewhat, but the flowers are panicled, and the berries fewer, larger, and pear-shaped. The flowers are conspicuous enough to render the tree of value in ornamental planting.

P. FLORIBUNDA (_syns P. Malus floribunda_ and _Malus microcarpa floribunda_).--China and Japan, 1818. The Japanese Crabs are wonderfully floriferous, the branches being in most instances wreathed with flowers that are individually not very large, and rarely exceeding an inch in diameter when fully expanded. Generally in the bud state the flowers are of a deep crimson, but this disappears as they become perfectly developed, and when a less striking tint of pinky-white is assumed. From the St. Petersburgh gardens many very ornamental Crabs have been sent out, these differing considerably in colour of bark, habit, and tint of flowers. They have all been referred to the above species. P. floribunda is a worthy form, and one of the most brilliant of spring-flowering trees. The long, slender shoots are thickly covered for almost their entire length with flowers that are rich crimson in the bud state, but paler when fully opened. There are numerous, very distinct varieties, such as P. floribunda atrosanguinea, with deep red flowers; P. floribunda Elise Rathe, of pendulous habit; P. floribunda John Downie, very beautiful in fruit; P. floribunda pendula, a semi-weeping variety; P. floribunda praecox, early-flowering; P. floribunda mitis, of small size; P. floribunda Halleana or Parkmanii, probably the most beautiful of all the forms; and P. floribunda Fairy Apple and P. floribunda Transcendant Crab, of interest on account of their showy fruit. P. floribunda Toringo (Toringo Crab) is a Japanese tree of small growth, with sharply cut, usually three-lobed, pubescent leaves, and small flowers. Fruit small, with deciduous calyx lobes.

P. GERMANICA (_syn Mespilus germanica_).--Common Medlar. Europe (Britain), Asia Minor, Persia. Early records show that the Medlar was cultivated for its fruit as early as 1596. Some varieties are still grown for that purpose, and in that state the tree is not devoid of ornament. The large, white flowers are produced singly, but have a fine effect in their setting of long, lanceolate, finely-serrate leaves during May.

P. JAPONICA (_syn Cydonia japonica_).--Japanese Quince. Japan, 1815. This is one of the commonest of our garden shrubs, and one that is peculiarly well suited for our climate, whether planted as a standard or as a wall plant. The flowers are brilliant crimson, and plentifully produced towards the end of winter and before the leaves. Besides the species there are several very fine varieties, including P. japonica albo cincta, P. japonica atropurpurea, P. japonica coccinea, P. japonica flore-pleno, P. japonica nivalis, a charming species, with snowy-white flowers; P. japonica rosea, of a delicate rose-pink; and P. japonica princeps. P. japonica cardinalis is one of the best of the numerous forms of this beautiful shrub. The flowers are of large size, of full rounded form, and of a deep cardinal-rose colour. They are produced in great quantity along the branches. A well-grown specimen is in April a brilliant picture of vivid colour, and the shrub is sooner or later destined to a chief place amongst our ornamental flowering shrubs. P. japonica Maulei (_syn Cydonia Maulei_), from Japan (1874), is a rare shrub as yet, small of growth, and with every twig festooned with the brightest of orange-scarlet flowers. It is quite hardy, and succeeds well under treatment that will suit the common species.

P. PRUNIFOLIA.--Siberia, 1758. Whether in flower or fruit this beautiful species is sure to attract attention. It is a tree of 25 feet in height, with nearly rotundate, glabrous leaves on long footstalks, and pretty pinky-white flowers. The fruit is very ornamental, being, when fully ripe, of a deep and glowing scarlet, but there are forms with yellow, and green, as also striped fruit.

P. RIVULARIS.--River-side Wild Service Tree. North-west America, 1836. A native of North America, with terminal clusters of white flowers, succeeded by sub-globose red or yellow fruit, is an attractive and handsome species. The fruit is eaten by the Indians of the North-west, and the wood, which is very hard and susceptible of a fine polish, is largely used in the making of wedges. It is a rare species in this country.

P. SINICA (_syn P. sinensis of Lindley_).--Chinese Pear Tree. China and Cochin China, 1820. Another very ornamental Crab, bearing a great abundance of rosy-pink or nearly white flowers. It is a shrub-like tree, reaching a height of 20 feet, and with an upright habit of growth. Bark of a rich, reddish-brown colour. It is one of the most profuse and persistent bloomers of the whole family.

P. SINENSIS (_syn Cydonia chinensis_).--Chinese Quince. China, 1818. This is rarely seen in cultivation, it having, comparatively speaking, few special merits of recommendation.

P. SMITHII (_syns Mespilis Smithii_ and _M. grandiflora_).--Smith's Medlar. Caucasus, 1800. The habit of this tree closely resembles that of a Hawthorn, and although the flowers are only half the size of those of the Common Medlar, they are produced in greater profusion, so that the round-headed tree becomes a sheet of white blossom during May and June. The reddish-brown fruits are small for a Medlar, and ripen in October.

P. TORMINALIS.--Wild Service Tree. A native species of small growth, with ovate-cordate leaves, and small white flowers. P. torminalis pinnatifida, with acutely-lobed leaves, and oval-oblong fruit may just be mentioned.

P. VESTITA.--Nepaul White Beam. Nepaul, 1820. In this species the leaves are very large, ovate-acute or elliptic, and when young thickly coated with a white woolly-like substance, but which with warm weather gradually gives way until they are of a smooth and shining green. The flowers are borne in woolly racemose corymbs, and are white succeeded by greenish-brown berries as large as marbles.

Other species of less interest are P. varidosa, P. salicifolia, P. salvaefolia, P. Bollwylleriana, and P. Amygdaliformis. They are all of free growth, and the readiest culture, and being perfectly hardy are well worthy of a much larger share of attention than they have heretofore received.

RHAMNUS.

RHAMNUS ALATERNUS.--Mediterranean region, 1629. This is an evergreen shrub, with lanceolate shining leaves of a dark glossy-green colour, and pretty flowers produced from March till June. There are several well-marked varieties, one with golden and another with silvery leaves, and named respectively, R. Alaternus foliis aureis, and R. Alaternus foliis argenteus.

R. ALPINUS.--Europe, 1752. This is a neat-growing species, with greenish flowers and black fruit.

R. CATHARTICUS, Common Buckthorn, is a native, thorny species, with ovate and stalked leaves, and small, thickly clustered greenish flowers, succeeded by black berries about the size of peas.

R. FRANGULA.--The Berry-bearing Alder. Europe and Britain. A more erect shrub than the former, and destitute of spines. The leaves too are larger, and the fruit of a dark purple colour when ripe. More common in Britain than the former.

RHAPHIOLEPIS.

RHAPHIOLEPIS JAPONICA INTEGERRIMA (_syn R. ovata_).--A Japanese shrub (1865), with deep green, ovate, leathery leaves that are not over abundant, and produced generally at the branch-tips. The pure white, fragrant flowers are plentifully produced when the plant is grown in a cosy corner, or on a sunny wall. Though seldom killed outright, the Raphiolepis becomes badly crippled in severe winters. It is, however, a bold and handsome shrub, and one that may be seen doing well in many gardens around London.

RHAPHITHAMNUS.

RHAPHITHAMNUS CYANOCARPUS (_syn Citharexylum cyanocarpum_). Chili. This bears a great resemblance to some of the thorny Berberis, and is at once a distinct and beautiful shrub. The flowers are large and conspicuous, and of a taking bluish-lilac colour. Having stood unharmed in Ireland through the unusually severe winters of 1879-80, when many more common shrubs were killed outright, it may be relied upon as at least fairly hardy. The soil in which this rare and pretty shrub does best is a brown, fibrous peat, intermingled with sharp sand.

RHODODENDRON.

RHODODENDRON ARBORESCENS (_syn Azalea arborescens_), from the Carolina Mountains (1818), is a very showy, late-blooming species. The white, fragrant flowers, and noble port, together with its undoubted hardihood, should make this shrub a general favourite with cultivators.

R. CALENDULACEUM (_syn Azalea calendulacea_), from North America (1806), is another of the deciduous species, having oblong, hairy leaves, and large orange-coloured flowers. It is of robust growth, and in favoured situations reaches a height of 6 feet. When in full flower the slopes of the Southern Alleghany Mountains are rendered highly attractive by reason of the great flame-coloured masses of this splendid plant, and are one of the great sights of the American Continent during the month of June.

R. CALIFORNICUM.--California. A good hardy species with broadly campanulate rosy-purple flowers, spotted with yellow.

R. CAMPANULATUM (_syn R. aeruginosum_).--Sikkim, 1825. A small-growing species, rarely over 6 feet high, with elliptic leaves that are fawn-coloured on the under sides. The campanulate flowers are large and showy, rose or white and purple spotted, at the base of the three upper lobes. In this country it is fairly hardy, but suffers in very severe weather, unless planted in a sheltered site.

R. CAMPYLOCARPUM.--Sikkim, 1851. This has stood the winter uninjured in so many districts that it may at least be recommended for planting in favoured situations and by the seaside. It is a Sikkim species that was introduced about forty years ago, and is still rather rare. The leaves are about 4 inches long, 2 inches wide, and distinctly undulated on the margins. Flowers bell-shaped, about 2 inches in diameter, and arranged in rather straggling terminal heads. They are sulphur-yellow, without markings, a tint distinct from any other known Indian species.

R. CATAWBIENSE.--Mountains from Virginia to Georgia, 1809. A bushy, free growing species, with broadly oval leaves, and large campanulate flowers, produced in compact, rounded clusters. They vary a good deal in colour, but lilac-purple is the typical shade. This is a very valuable species, and one that has given rise to a large number of beautiful varieties.

R. CHRYSANTHUM is a Siberian species (1796) of very dwarf, compact growth, with linear-lanceolate leaves that are ferruginous on the under side, and beautiful golden-yellow flowers an inch in diameter. It is a desirable but scarce species.

R. COLLETTIANUM is an Afghanistan species, and one that may be reckoned upon as being perfectly hardy. It is of very dwarf habit, and bears an abundance of small white and faintly fragrant flowers. For planting on rockwork it is a valuable species.

R. DAHURICUM.--Dahuria, 1780. A small-growing, scraggy-looking species of about a yard high, with oval-oblong leaves that are rusty-tomentose on the under sides. The flowers, which are produced in February, are purple or violet, in twos or threes, and usually appear before the leaves. It is a sparsely-leaved species, and of greatest value on account of the flowers being produced so early in the season. One of the hardiest species in cultivation. R. dahuricum atro-virens is a beautiful and worthy variety because nearly evergreen.

R. FERRUGINEUM.--Alpine Rose. Europe, 1752. This dwarf species, rarely exceeding a yard in height, occurs in abundance on the Swiss Alps, and generally where few other plants are to be found. It is a neat little compact shrub, with oblong-lanceolate leaves that are rusty-scaly on the under sides, and has terminal clusters of rosy-red flowers.

R. FLAVUM (_syn Azalea pontica_).--Pontic Azalea. A native of Asia Minor (1793), is probably the commonest of the recognised species, and may frequently, in this country, be seen forming good round bushes of 6 feet in height, with hairy lanceolate leaves, and large yellow flowers, though in this latter it varies considerably, orange, and orange tinged with red, being colours often present. It is of free growth in any good light peaty or sandy soil.

R. HIRSUTUM.--Alpine Rose. South Europe, 1656. Very near R. ferrugincum, but having ciliated leaves, with glands on both sides. R. hallense and R. hirsutiforme are intermediate forms of a natural cross between R. hirsutum and R. ferrugincum. They are handsome, small-growing, brightly flowered plants, and worthy of culture.

R. INDICUM.--Indian Azalea. A native of China (1808), and perfectly hardy in the more favoured portions of southern England, where it looks healthy and happy out of doors, and blooms freely from year to year. This is the evergreen so-called Azalea that is so commonly cultivated in greenhouses, with long hirsute leaves, and large showy flowers. R. indicum amoenum (_syn Azalea amoena_), as a greenhouse plant is common enough, but except in the South of England and Ireland it is not sufficiently hardy to withstand severe frost. The flowers are, moreover, not very showy, at least when compared with some of the newer forms, being dull magenta, and rather lax of habit.

R. LEDIFOLIUM (_syns Azalea ledifolia_ and _A. liliiflora_).--Ledum-leaved Azalea. China, 1819. A perfectly hardy species. The flowers are large and white, but somewhat flaunting. It is, however, a desirable species for massing in quantity, beside clumps of the pink and yellow flowered kinds. Though introduced nearly three-quarters of a century ago, this is by no means a common plant in our gardens.

R. MAXIMUM.--American Great Laurel. North America, 1756. This is a very hardy American species, growing in favoured localities from 10 feet to 15 feet high. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, slightly ferruginous beneath. Flowers rose and white, in dense clusters. There are several handsome varieties that vary to a wide extent in the size and colour of flowers. R. maximum album bears white flowers.

R. MOLLE (_syn Azalea mollis_), from Japan (1867), is a dwarf, deciduous species of neat growth, with flame-coloured flowers. It is very hardy, and a desirable acquisition to any collection of small-growing shrubs.

R. OCCIDENTALE (_syn Azalea occidentalis_), Western Azalea, is valuable in that the flowers are produced later than those of almost any other species. These are white, blotched with yellow at the base of the upper petals; and being produced when the leaves are almost fully developed, have a very pleasing effect, particularly as they are borne in great quantity, and show well above the foliage. This is a Californian species that has been found further west of the Rocky Mountains than any other member of Ihe family.

R. PARVIFOLIUM.--Baiacul, 1877. This is a pleasing and interesting species, with small deep-green ovate leaves, and clusters of white flowers, margined with rose. It is of dwarf and neat growth, and well suited for planting on the rock garden.

R. PONTICUM.--Pontic Rhododendron, or Rose Bay. Asia Minor, 1763. This is the commonest species in cultivation, and although originally a native of the district by the Black or Pontic Sea, is now naturalised in many parts of Europe. It is the hardiest and least exacting of the large flowered species, and is generally employed as a stock on which to graft the less hardy kinds. Flowers, in the typical species, pale purplish-violet and spotted. There is a great number of varieties, including white, pink, scarlet, and double-flowering.

R. PONTICUM AZALEOIDES (_syn R. ponticum deciduum_), a hybrid between R. ponticum and a hardy Azalea, is a sub-evergreen form, with a compact habit of growth, and bearing loose heads of fragrant lavender-and-white flowers. It is quite hardy at Kew.

R. RACEMOSUM.--Central China, 1880. A neat little species, of dwarf, compact growth, from the Yunnan district of China. The flowers are pale pink edged with a deeper tint, about an inch across, and borne in terminal and axillary clusters. It has stood unharmed for several years in southern England, so may be regarded as at least fairly hardy. Its neat dwarf growth, and flowering as it does when hardly a foot high, renders it a choice subject for the Alpine garden.

R. RHODORA (_syn Rhodora canadensis_).--North America, 1767. In general aspect this shrub resembles an Azalea, but it comes into flower long even before R. molle. Being deciduous, and producing its pretty purplish sweet-scented flowers in early spring, gives to the plant a particular value for gardening purposes, clumps of the shrub being most effective at the very time when flowers are at their scarcest. It thrives well in any peaty soil, and is quite hardy.