CALYCANTHUS FLORIDUS.—­Carolina Allspice.  Carolina, 1726.  If only for the purplish-red, pleasantly-scented flowers, this North American shrub is worthy of extensive culture.  The hardiness, accommodating nature, and delicious perfume of its brightly-coloured flowers render this shrub one of the choicest subjects for the shrubbery or edges of the woodland path.  It is of easy though compact growth, reaching in favourable situations a height of 12 feet, and with ovate leaves that are slightly pubescent.  Growing best in good fairly moist loam, where partial shade is afforded, the sides of woodland drives and paths will suit this Allspice well; but it wants plenty of room for branch-development.  There are several nursery forms of this shrub, such as C. floridus glaucus, C. floridus asplenifolia, and C. floridus nanus, all probably distinct enough, but of no superior ornamental value to the parent plant.

C. OCCIDENTALIS.—­Californian or Western Allspice.  California, 1831.  This is larger in all its parts than the former, and for decorative purposes is even preferable to that species.  The flowers are dark crimson, and nearly twice as large as those of C. floridus, but rather more sparsely produced.  This is a very distinct and desirable species, and one that can be recommended for lawn and park planting, but, like the former, it delights to grow in a rather moist and shady situation.

CARAGANA.

CARAGANA ARBORESCENS.—­Siberian Pea Tree.  Siberia, 1752.  On account of its great hardihood, this is a very desirable garden shrub or small-growing tree.  The bright-yellow, pea-shaped flowers are very attractive, while the deep-green, pinnate foliage imparts to the tree a somewhat unusual but taking appearance.  Soil would not seem to be of much moment in the cultivation of this, as, indeed, the other species of Caragana, for it thrives well either on dry, sunny banks, where the soil is light and thin, or in good stiff, yellow loam.

C. FRUTESCENS.—­Siberia, 1852.  Flowers in May, and is of partially upright habit; while C. Chamlagii, from China, has greenish-yellow flowers, faintly tinted with pinky-purple.

C. MICROPHYLLA (syn C. Altagana), also from Siberia, is smaller of growth than the foregoing, but the flowers are individually larger.  It is readily distinguished by the more numerous and hairy leaflets and thorny nature.

C. SPINOSA.—­Siberia, 1775.  This, as the name indicates, is of spiny growth, and is a beautiful and distinct member of the family.  They are all hardy, and readily propagated from seed.

CARDIANDRA.

CARDIANDRA ALTERNIFOLIA.—­Japan, 1866.  With its neat habit, and pretty purple-and-white, plentifully-produced flowers, this is worthy of the small amount of care and coddling required to insure its growth in this country.  Hailing from Japan, it cannot be reckoned as very hardy, but treated as a wall plant this pretty evergreen does well and flowers freely.  It can, however, be said that it is equally hardy with some of the finer kinds of Hydrangea, to which genus it is nearly allied.