130
G e n u s V I .
C E A N O 'TH U S Z . T h e C r a n o t h u s , o r R e d 7 / o o r . L in . Syst.
Pentándria Monogynia.
Idcntiflcntirm. E ro n g n . Mém. R liam., p . 62. ; Hook. F l. Bor. A m e r.. 1. p . 124.; Dec. P ro d ., 2. p. 31. :
D o n ’s Mill., 2. n. 37. . i .
Synonyyrws. R h am n u s species T,.. Jn s s ., L a m . ; Cèan o th e , F r . ; Sakebbaum, Gcr.
B erix .a lw n . F rom keanothus, a nam e employed by T h e o p h ra s tu s to desig n ate a spiny p lan t, derived
from heo. to cleave : th e m o d ern genus has, however, n o th in g to do with th e p la n t of T h eo p h ra s tu s .
T h e En g lish name, Red Root, is given to th e p la n t in Americ a, from th e re d colour o f th e ro o ts,
which a re o f a la rg e size in pro p o rtio n to th e branches.
Gen. Char. Calyx with a subhemisplierical tube, and 5 connivent segment.s.
Petals 5, unguiculate, cucullate, deflexed. Stamens with ovate 2-celled anth
e rs. Disk spongy, annular. Ovary spherical, girded by th e disk, 3-celled.
Styles 3, diverging, terminated by small papilliform stigmas. F ru it tricoccous,
girded by th e circumcised tube o f th e calyx. {Don’s M ill.)
Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, persistent or deciduous ; ovate or elliptical,
serrated or entire. Flowers terminal or axillary, in elongated racemes.
— Shrubs, natives o f Noith America, very ornamental in British gardens,
and easily propagated by cuttings o f the young wood, planted in sand, and
covered with a hand-glass. Most o f the species produce seeds freely in
British gardens, and they all grow in any common garden soil.
1. C. a m e r i c a ' n u s Z . T h e American Ceanòthus, or R ed Raoi ; or N ew
Jersey Tea.
Identification. L in . S p ec., 281. ; De ci P ro d ., 2. p. 31. ; D o n ’s Mil!., 2. p . 37. ; T o r . an d G ray ,
1. p. 264.
E n g ra v in g s . B o t. Mag., t . 1497. : an d o u r fig . 271.
S])ec. Char., 4'c. Leaves ovate, acuminate, serra ted , pubescent beneatli.
Thyrse elongated, axillary, with a pubescent rachis. (D o n 's MiU.) A deciduous
snffrutescent low shrub. Canada to Florida, in woods and copses.
H e ig h t 1 f t. to 3 f t.; in British gardens, 2 ft. to 4 f l. In tro d u ced in 1713.
Flowers white ; J u n e to August. F ru it black ; ripe in September.
Varieties. Torrey and Gray describe three varieties,
, C. a. 2 P itch e ri, C. a. 3 herbàceus
(C. perénnis Pursh, C.
ovàtus De.sf.), and C. a. 4
intermèdius (C. intermèdius
Pursh, fig . 27 1 .) ; b u t we
scarcely th in k they are worth
keeping ap art in collections.
27 1 . C. a . in te rm è d iu s .
Stems shrubby, o r suffruticose.
L e a v e s 2 in. to 3 in. long.
T h e leaves and stems o f th e
plant a re pubescent ; and th e
flowers, being produced in great
numbers to g e th e r, are very ornamental.
They are succeeded by bluntly triangular capsules
; and, about London, in fine seasons, th e seeds
27 2 . Ce an ò th u s am e r ic à n u s .
ripen. Any soil th a t is tolerably dry. Seeds o r cuttings.
T h e leaves o f this plant, dried, were used by th e Americans as a su b stitu te
for Chinese tea, during th e war o f independence.
a « 2. C. a z u 'r e u s Desf. T h e azuve-flowered Ceanòthus, or R ed Root.
Id e n tifica tim - De sf. C a t., 181.5, p . 232. ; Dec. P ro d ., 2. p . 31. ; D o n ’s M ill., 2. p. 37.
S yn o n ym e s. C. cserilleus L a g . Gen. et Spec. 1816, p . 11. ; C. b ico lo r Willd. in ScliuU. S yst. 7. p . 66.
E n g ra v in g s . B o t. R eg ., t. 291. ; Lodd. B o t. Cab., t. 110. ; a n d o u r fig . 273.
Spec. Char., &c. Leaves ovate-oblong, obtuse, a cutely serrated, smooth above,
lioary and downy beneath. Th y rse elongated, axillary, with a downy rachis.
Pedicels smooth. (Don's M ill.) A sub-evergreen shrub. Mexico. Height
6 f t. to 1 0 ft. In tro d u ced in 1818. Flowers bright b lu e ; May^to September.
27 3 . C. a zù reu * .
F rn it black, enclosing 3 seeds ; ripe in October.
Variety.
2É * C. o. 2 intermèdius, C. intermedins Hort., has th e
habit o f C. a zùreus, with pale flowers, like those
of C. americànus, varying with different shades of
blue. I t was raised by Mr. Masters o f C anterbury,
from seeds o f C. azùreus fecundated by C.
americànus.
A very handsome shrub, profusely covered with brilliant
celestial blue flowers in large panicles. In Mexico its bark
is considered as a febrifuge. I t is th e most robust-growing
species o f the genus, attaining, in 3 o r 4 years from seed,
th e height o f 5 or 6 feet, or more, against a wall. I t was
a t first treated as a green-house plant, b u t lately it has been
found to be nearly as hardy as th e N o rth American species.
In the winter ot 1837-8 these p lan ts were greatly injured,
hut none o f them killed. N o rth o f Lo n d o n the plant is
less vigorous.
St » 3. C. ( a . ) t h y r s i f l o 'r u s Esch, The Thyrse-flow'ered Ceanòthus.
Identification. E sch . in Mem. Acad. S t. P e te rsb u rg (1826) ; H o o k . F l. Bor. Am., I. p. 12-5. ; D o n ’s
Mill., 2. p. 37. ; T o r. an d Gray, 1. p . 266.
Syn o n yme. C. ovàtus cyàneus Booth, B a um a n n , isc.
E n g ra v in g . O a x jig . . in p.
Spec. Char., 4'c. Leaves oval, 3-nerved, serrulated, smooth. Stem manyangled
; panicle thyrsoid in th e axillary branches. (D o ris M ill.) A snb-
evergreen shrub, or small tree. Monterey, U p p e r Californ'a, and n o rth west
coast o f N o rth America. Height in America 5 ft. to 20 ft. In tro duced
in ? 1830. Flowers bright blue ; May to November. F ru it b la c k ;
ripe about a month after flowering.
In its native country, in favourable situations, th is species becomes a small
tre e , with a stem sometimes as thick as a man’s arm, and strongly angular
branches. In British gardens it forms a free-flowering highly ornamental
shrub, with much o f th e habit o f C. azùreus ; from which it chiefly differs
in having the flowers in a close, instead o f in an elongated, thyrse. N o twithstanding
this difference, we consider it as only a variety o f th a t species.
ai 3t 4. C. v e l u t i 'n u s Dong. T h e velvety-leaved Ceanòthus.
Identification. Hook. F lo r . B o r. Amer., 1. p . 125. ; an d T or. a n d Gray, 1, p . 265.
E n g ra v in g s . Hook. F lo r. Bor. Amer., 1. t. 45. ; a n d o u r fig . 274.
Spec. Char., 4c. Branches somewhat pendulous.
Leaves orbicular, elliptical o r elliptical ovate, obtuse,
subcordate, glandularly crenate, serrulate, coriaceous,
glabrous, and shining (as if varnished) above,
velvety, canescent, and strongly 3-ribhed beneath.
Panicles axillary, elongated, on ra th e r long peduncles.
(Tor', and Gray.) A shrub, probably
sub-evergreen. North-west coast o f North America,
on subalpine hills. Height 3 ft. to 8 ft. Not in tro duced.
Flowers white. F ru it dry, 2—3-seeded.
This is apparently a very desirable species ; and, as
it is so abundant as to cover th e whole declivities of
hills, forming thickets very difficult to pen etra te, we
have no doubt th a t it will soon be introduced.
Branches nearly glabrous. The leaves abound with an aromatic resin.
n 3
27 4 . C. v e lu tln u s .