red variety, with leaves resembling those of the Hornbeam.
From North America.

S. SORBIFOLIA.--Sorbus-leaved Spiraea. Siberia, 1759. A handsome, stout
species, 4 feet high, with large, pinnate, bright green leaves, and
small, white, sweetly-scented flowers produced in thyrsoid panicles.

S. THUNBERGII.--Thunberg's Spiraea. Japan. The white flowers of this
species smell somewhat like those of the Hawthorn, and are freely
produced on the leafless, twiggy stems, in March or early in April,
according to the state of the weather. They are borne in axillary
clusters from buds developed in the previous autumn, and are very
welcome in spring, long before the others come into bloom. The bush
varies from one to three feet high, and is clothed with
linear-lanceolate, sharply serrated leaves.

S. TOMENTOSA.--Tomentose Spiraea. North America, 1736. This species
grows 2 feet or 3 feet high, has rusty tomentose shoots and leaves, and
large, dense, compound spikes of showy red flowers. Flowering in summer.

S. TRILOBATA (_syn S. triloba_).--Three-lobed Spiraea. Altaian Alps,
1801. This is a distinct species with horizontally arranged branches,
small, roundish, three-lobed leaves, and white flowers arranged in
umbel-like corymbs. It flowers in May, and is quite hardy.

S. UMBROSA (Shady Spiraea) and S. EXPANSA (Expanded-flowered Spiraea),
the former from Northern India and the latter from Nepaul, are well
suited for planting in somewhat shady situations, and are very
ornamental species. The first mentioned grows about a foot high, with
rather large leaves, and cymes of white flowers on long slender
footstalks; while S. expansa has pink flowers, and lanceolate and
coarsely serrated leaves.

There are other valuable-flowering kinds, such as S. capitata, with
ovate leaves and white flowers; S. pikowiensis, a rare species with
white flowers; S. cuneifolia, with wedge-shaped leaves and panicles of
pretty white flowers; and S. vacciniaefolia, a dwarf-growing species,
with small ovate, serrulated leaves, and showy, pure white flowers. S.
betulifolia and S. chamaedrifolia flexuosa are worthy forms of free
growth and bearing white flowers.

STAPHYLEA.

STAPHYLEA COLCHICA.--Colchican Bladder Nut. Caucasus. This is a very
distinct shrub, about 6 feet high, with large clusters of showy white
flowers. Being quite hardy, and very ornamental, this species is worthy
the attention of planters.

S. PINNATA.--Job's Tears, or St. Anthony's Nu