290
those o f the species, and a more dwarf-growing plant. A verv distinct
variety, which seldom, if ever, flowers. In .some nurseries, it is
called Hartogi« capensis, though this la tte r is a totally different plant
The common laurel, though it will grow as high as the Po rtu g al laurel, is
in its habit, decidedly a shrub, though it is occasionally seen trained to I
single stem as a low tree, and in F ran c e it is grafted standard 1 1 1 1 1 S i!
common cherry for this purpose, though such plants, from the stock being
, 1 - f ft"® ’ ^ “ f t " ‘"'O- Tfie growth o f th e common laurel if
lapid for an evergreen, being a t the ra te o f from 1 ft. to 3 ft. a year- but as
the shoots extend in length, they do n o t increase proportionately in thick-
S l f t t o so th a t plants with branches 30 or 40 feet in
ous growth o f this plant in ordinary
seasons, it suffers a great deal more from
very severe frosts than th e Poi tugal
laurel, and is sometimes killed down to
th e ground, which the la tte r rarely is
in England. In Britain, th e common
laurel is considered one o f th e most ornamental
o f our evergreen sh ru b s ; and it
is also used for covering walls, and for
hedges, to afibrd sh e lte r; for which last
purpose it is extensively used in the
market-gardens about Isleworth. I t is j
also extensively used as undergrowth
in sandy soil. Laurel leaves have a |
bitter taste, and the peculiar flavour o f «
[irussic acid, which is common to bitter
almonds, and to th e kernels generally
o f the rimygdaleae. The flowers have
a similar flavour; and th e powdered
leaves excite sneezing. The leaves, in
consequence o f their flavour, are used 4 ^ . » .w . . Q IC l l . l t 'l l 8 5 . C. L au--r-o--c--é--r-a--s-u--s--.
X F r i r “ “ -
It requires a sheltered situation, and a deep fre l
soil I t thrives be tte r as an undergrowth than,
perhaps, any o th e r ligneous plant, with the exception
o f the box and tlie hollv.
‘ Î 30. C. c a r o l im a ' na Mic/u-. The Carolina
Bird-Chci-rv Tree.
Identification. Michx. FI. Bor. Amer i n ucs t • .
d u flam ., 5. p. 5. ; Do n ’s M ill, 2. p. S ie ' ^ •
Synonymes. P r ù n u s caroliniàna J it Hort o i/tt.
J 3. tV. 7. ,; aa unud uouu rrdj iîg^.. 44886b..
Spec. Char Sjc. Evergreen. Leaves, with the
"" 1 "'®'‘ ' ‘™reolate-oblong,
? ¡f t Ù1 ®''®"’ ““ riaceous, mostly
1 5 ‘’®"®®'-'' disposed in axillary
mcemes, th a t are shorter than th e leaves
F ru it nearly globose, mucronate. (Dec. Prod i
An evergreen shrub o r low tree ; in England
f t f !‘ f t) ’™ , ft™®riea, from Carolina
to F io n d a , and th e Bahama Islands. Height
48Ö. C. c aro lin ià n a.
20 ft. to 30 ft. Introduced in 1759. Flowers white ; May. Drupe dark
purple ; ripe ?.
This tree Michaux considers as one of th e most beautiful vegetable productions
of the southern parts o f the U nited States ; and it is generally selected
by the inhabitants to plant near their houses, n o t only on this account,
but because it grows with rapidity, and affords an impenetrable shade. Pursh
describes it as a handsome evergreen shrub, resembling 6'. lusitánica ; b u t he
says nothin« of the flowers, which, from th e figure in Michaux, from which
ours was cmiied, appear to be almost without petals. Seeds are frequently
imponed from America, ancl abundance o f young plants reared ; but, as they
are rather tender, ancl, north of Londcin, would require the protection of a
wall they are very selciom seen in British gardens. The largest plant which
we know o f is in Hampshire, a t Swallowfield, where, in 1833, it formeci a
bush 10 ft. high, with a head about 12 ft. in diameter, flowering and fruiting
occasionally. Culture as in C. virginiàna, b u t north of London it requires the
protection of a wall.
Sect. I I . S p i r æ e ' æ .
G e n u s V I.
P U 'R S H f r i Dec. T h e P u r s h i a . Lin. Syst. Icosândria Monogynia.
Identificatim. De c. in T ra n s , of Linn. Soc., i2 . p . 157. ; T ro d ., 2. p. 541. ; L in d l. in B o t. Reg.
' t 1146. : Do n ’s Mill., 2. p . 517.
Tigàrea Sept., 1. ji. 333., n o t o f Aublet._
ÿ e r ^ S n . Frederick P u r s k fir^t ch a rac ten sed ^ th e miiy known species
f tf tim f r ik n o / i s r a n d 'n am e d 'i r r% d V e o “V i r i T h e gene ric name, however, having been
preoccupied by Aublet, D e Candolle has named th e p re s en t genus afte r P u rsh himseli.
Gen. Char. Calyx 5 - c l e f t; lo b e s o v a te , o b tu s e . Petals 5, o b o v a te . Stamens
ab o u t 25, rising w ith th e p e ta ls from th e ca ly x . Carpels 1— 2 , (ivate oblo n g ,
pubescent, ta p e rin g in to th e s ty le a t th e ap e x , a t le n g th o p en in g by a fon-
g■i■t ud'■i nal' chink. g--c-;-c-d-- --I-,- i n s e rte d in th e b a s e o f th e c a rp■ e l. {Doris i.M ill.)
Leaves simple, g ro u p e d to g e th e r, c u n e a te , 2— 3 -to o th e c l a t th e apex,
s tip u late o r e x s tip u la te , decicliiOLis. Flowers yellOw. — Shrub, of
hich
th e re is only o n e sp e c ie s k n ow n .
J » 1. P . t r i d e n t a ' t a Dec. The S-toothed-featied Purshia.
Identification. Dec. in L in , T ra n s ., 12. p. 1.57. ; P ro d ., 2. p. 54!.
Synm yme . Tigàrea trid e n tà ta P h . Fl. Am e r. Sept., 1. p . 333. t, 15., n o t of Aublet.
engravings. P h. PI. Amer. S ep t., 1 .15. ; B o t. Reg., t. 1446. ; and o m fig s . 487, 488.
Spec. Char., 4'c. Leaves obcuneate, 3-
clentate, crowded on th e points of the
shoots, hairy above, and tomentose
. beneath. Flowers terminal on short
peduncles. {Ph. Fl. Amer.) A spreading
shrub. No rth America, on pastures
by th e river Columbia. Height 2 ft. to
3 ft. Intro d u ced in I8Z6. Flowers
yellow ; July. Carpels ?.
Almost th e only shrub to be seen 458. p . tria em h ta
thi'ough an immense tra c t o f barren sandy
487. P . trid e n tà ta .
soil, from the head source o f th e Missouri, to th e Falls o f th e Columbia,
nlants in the London gardens were all killed in the winter o f 18.37-8.
The
À