The New York Botanical Garden

Vol. XXIII January, 1922 No. 265 JOURNAL OF The New York Botanical Garden EDITOR R. S. WILLIAMS iministrative Assistant CONTENTS M . PAGE Paulownia in Winter 1 Chrysanthemums for Everybody 3 Conference Notes for January 5 Notes, News and Comment 5 Accessions 8 PRICE $1.00 A YEAR; IO CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED FOR THE GARDEN AT 8 WEST KING STREET, LANCASTER, PA INTELLIGENCER PRINTING Cow AN t OFFICBRS, 1922 PRESIDENT—W. GILMAN THOMPSON f HENRY w. DEFOREST VICE-PRESIDENTS j FREDERIC S. LEE TREASURER—JOHN L. MERRILL ASSISTANT TREASURER—HENRY DE LA MONTAGNE SECRETARY—N. L. BRITTON 1. ELECTED MANAGERS Term expires January, 1923 EDWARD D. ADAMS JOHN L. MERRILL ROBERT W. de FOREST J. P. MORGAN DANIEL GUGGENHEIM F. K. STURGIS Term expires January, 1924 N. L. BRITTON LEWIS RUTHERFURD MORRIS HENRY W. de FOREST FREDERIC R. NEWBOLD W. J. MATHESON W. GILMAN THOMPSON Term expires January, 1925 HENRY de FOREST BALDWIN ADOLPH LEWISOHN PAUL D. CRAVATH BARRINGTON MOORE JOSEPH P. HENNESSEY WILLIAM BOYCE THOMPSON 2. EX-OFFICIO MANAGERS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK HON. JOHN F. HYLAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PARKS HON. FRANCIS DAWSON GALLATIN 3. SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORS PROF. R. A. HARPER, Chairman EUGENE P. BICKNELL PROF. FREDERIC S. LEE DR. NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER HON. ANNING S. PRALL PROF. WILLIAM J. GIES PROF. HERBERT M. RICHARDS PROF. JAMES F. KEMP PROF. HENRY H. RUSBY GARDEN STAFF DR. N. L. BRITTON, Director-in-Chief (Development, Administration) DR. H. A. GLEASON, Assistant Director (Administration) DR. JOHN K. SMALL, Head Curator of the Museums (Flowering Plants) DR. W. A. MURRILL, Supervisor of Public Instruction DR. P. A. RYDBERG, Curator (Flowering Plants) DR. MARSHALL A. HOWE, Curator (Flowerless Plants) DR. FRED J. SEAVER, Curator (Flowerless Plants) ROBERT S. WILLIAMS, Administrative Assistant PERCY WILSON, Associate Curator JAMES A. CRAWFORD. Associate Curator DR. A. B. STOUT, Director of the Laboratories DR. JOHN HENDLEY BARNHART, Bibliographer KENNETH R. BOYNTON, Head Gardener SARAH H. HARLOW, Librarian DR. H. H. RUSBY, Honorary Curator of the Economic Collections ELIZABETH G. BRITTON, Honorary Curator of Mosses DR. ARTHUR HOLLICK, Paleobotanist COL. F. A. SCHILLING, Museum Custodian JOHN R. BRINLEY, Landscape Engineer WALTER S. GROESBECK, Clerk and Accountant ARTHUR J. CORBETT, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds JfOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN PLATE 267 Paulownia tomentosa. Reproduced from photograph of tree in Xew York Bot- ainical Garden, taken in Feb. 1922. JOURNAL OF The New York Botanical Garden VOL. XXIII January, 1922 No. 265 PAULOWNIA IN WINTER WITH PLATES 267 AND 268 Paulownia tomentosa or P. imperialis, under each of which names it is known, is a conspicuous tree at all seasons, especially in spring, by reason of the panicles of purple, fragrant, trumpet- shaped flowers that are in full bloom before the appearance of the leaves, and in summer, when the broad, velvety leaves have reached their full size1. Later, in autumn, the clusters of ovate seed pods stand out prominently in connection with the naked branches, so that throughout the entire period of seasonal growth some one striking feature is always apparent. During winter, also, when flowers, leaves, and most of the seed-pods have disappeared, it is still conspicuous among all other de ciduous trees in this region because of its erect, branching, terminal panicles of velvety-brown flowers buds, often a foot or more in length, that can hardly fail to attract the attention of even a causal observer. These winter-bud panicles, which are actually formed late in the preceding summer, are particularly interesting because they are not contracted into single, closely compacted, winter buds, such as we are familiar with in connection with nearly all of the trees and shrubs in this latitude, as in the lilac for example (Plate 268, fig. 2), which expand in the following spring and 1 The leaves, more particularly those borne upon saplings and young vig orous shoots, are larger than those of any other species of tree in this latitude and are strikingly suggestive of tropical foliage. A beautiful example of a tree showing this character, growing a short distance southeast of the museum building, was described and figured in the Journal tor January 1907. gradually develop into flowering panicles. The winter-bud stage of Paulownia is represented by a fully developed panicle (Plate 268, Fig. 1), of which each individual embryo flower consists of an adequately protected bud, so that the entire panicle is prepared to burst at once into full blossom when the proper time arrives. The interesting significance of this character is that, superficially at least, it appears to represent a tropical habit of growth that has adapted itself to winter conditions, and may be inferred to represent a modified ancestral character that is a relic of some time in the past when the genus probably flourished under tropical or semi-tropical conditions. In cidentally also, this inference is strengthened by reason of the fact that the tree is able to live in localities where the winter temperature frequently kills the flower buds. In other words the weakest feature of the tree, under cold climatic conditions, is the apparently tropical habit of its inflorescence. The fact that the flowers do not bloom until relatively late in the season, in the latter part of April and early in May, when warm or mild weather is practically assured, would also seem to favor the idea of a warm-climate ancestry. Another interesting and significant fact is that Paulownia, formerly regarded as belonging to the Scrophulariaceae or Figwort family, is now accredited to the Bignoniaceae or Trum pet-creeper family with its 500 or more species that are almost all restricted in their distribution to tropical regions. The only species of the family that occur in our region, other than Paulownia, are the Trumpet Vine (Bignonia radicans), and the Smoking Bean or Catalpa tree; but it is doubtful if either of these is indigenous as far north as the latitude of New York. Very little is known about the origin or geologic history of Paulownia. Only one fossil species, P Europaea, based en tirely upon imperfect remains of leaves, is recorded in paleo- botanical literature. This species was found in France, in deposits of late Tertiary (Pliocene) age; but as to its previous ancestry, or the former extent of the geographic distribution of the genus, there are, as yet, no available paleontologic records. In Europe it was evidently exterminated by the ice and cold of the Glacial epoch, but it maintained its existence in Eastern Asia, where it is an element in the native flora of that region. JOURNAL OF THE XEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN Fig. I. Expanded winter-bed panicle of Paulownia. Fig. 2 Contracted winter-bud panicles of lilac. Both are slightly and proportionaly reduced in size. The specimens from which the figures were made were gathered Jan. 24, 1922. Elsewhere throughout the world it is represented only by trees that have been introduced and by some that have escaped from cultivation. ARTHUR HOLLICK CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EVERYBODY At this season of the year when leaves are falling everywhere, when the tender flowers have succumbed to the early frost, when all vegetation heralds the approach of winter and the general aspect of things is suggestive of the dying year, comes the Chrysanthemum. It bursts forth in all its lavish beauty, coming as a glorious climax to wind up the floral year.1 It is an old and well known flower, but the Chrysanthemum of the past made its chief appeal to those who had greenhouses to give it the necessary shelter to bring the flowers to perfection. In recent years great changes have been wrought and new types and varieties have been developed so that to-day we have real hardy Chrysanthemums which anybody who wishes to, in town or country, can grow in the garden. This is not a mere figure of speech, for as I rode up on an elevated train I saw glorious white, yellow, pink and crimson Chrysanthemums which had been planted in boxes in a small backyard in the heart of the city, truly a charming little floral oasis in a desert of dirt and disorder. You can have a perfect riot of Chrysanthemums if you wish it, for a period of from six to eight weeks. Given the heart's desire, the rest is comparatively easy. The cost, too, is iitt'e. for young plants can be purchased at planting time in May, for about twenty cents each. CULTURE—Let us start in imagination with such plants as you can procure from any reputable dealer. The month of May is a good time to plant them out. They will grow in any ordinary garden soil, but if the soil is poor, enrich it by adding some bone meal or pulverized sheep manure, which can be obtained from seedsmen in handy, small packages. About 1 Abstract of lecture by Mr. Arthur Herrington, November 6, 1921, at the N. Y. Botanical Garden. two weeks after planting, when the young plants have become established and started to grow, pinch or cut off the growing tip. This pinching tends to make the plants bushy, well branched and comparatively self-supporting. A second pinch ing may be given if the plants seem to be growing too tall, but do not pinch later than the last week in June. FEEDING—If the plants indicate the need of a little stimulant by reason of poverty of soil they can be given liquid food. A tablespoonful of nitrate of soda dissolved in two gallons of water will work wonders, but do not apply it more than twice during the season.

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