spike about 1ft. long, fifteen to twenty flowered; bracts minute,
deltoid; scape 2ft. long, exclusive of the spike, bearing about
twelve lanceolate bract leaves. _l._ fifteen to eighteen in a
sessile rosette, spreading, ligulate-lanceolate, finally 12in. to
15in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad below the middle, narrowed slightly
downwards, and gradually to the point, deeply channelled down the
face, and copiously spotted with brown on a green ground; edge
hard and tough, very obscurely serrulate. Texas, 1865. This very
desirable variegated species is extremely rare in cultivation.
=A. Verschaffeltii= (Verschaffelt's). Referred to _A. Scolymus_.
=A. Victoriæ Regina= (Queen Victoria).* _l._ forty to fifty in a
sessile rosette, stiff, rigid, lanceolate, 6in. long, 1-1/2in. to
nearly 2in. broad above the dilated base, narrowed gradually to a
rather obtuse point, dead green, margined with a continuous white
border, like that of _A. filifera_, not splitting up into threads,
but leaving distinct white vertical bands where it is pressed
against the neighbouring leaves; terminal spine 1/2in. long,
black, pungent, with usually one or two small spines on each side
of it. Mexico, 1875. This is also much too rare a plant. SYN. _A.
Consideranti_.
=A. virginica= (Virginian).* _fl._ greenish yellow, 1in. to
1-1/4in. long; spike very loose, 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. long; lower
flowers with very short pedicels and lanceolate bracts, about
1/4in. long; scape 2ft. to 3ft. high, exclusive of the spike, with
only a few distant small bract leaves. _l._ ten to fifteen in a
sessile rosette, spreading, lanceolate, 6in. to 12in. long, 1in. to
1-1/2in. broad below the middle, narrowed gradually to the point
and a little downwards; face channelled, undulated, pale green, or
mottled with brown spots, the narrow hard and tough margin very
obscurely serrulate. North America, 1765. _A. conduplicata_ is said
to be allied to this species.
=A. vivipara= (viviparous).* _fl._ greenish yellow, 1-1/2in. to
2in. long, often changed into bulbillæ, which bear lanceolate
leaves 6in. long before they fall and take root; inflorescence
reaching a height of 20ft. or more, the deltoid panicle about a
quarter of the length of the scape; corymbs on stout peduncles,
pedicels short. _l._ twenty to fifty in a dense, shortly caulescent
rosette, ensiform, 2ft. to 3ft. long, 1-1/2in. to 2in. broad at the
middle, whence it gradually narrows to the point, dull green when
mature, thin but firm in texture, flat or channelled down the face;
terminal spine firm, brown, 1/2in. long; side teeth brown, hooked,
1/12in. or less long. A very widely spread species throughout
tropics of the Old World, 1731. SYNS. _A. cantula_, _A. bulbifera_.
=A. Warelliana= (Warell's).* _l._ about thirty in a rosette,
oblong-spathulate, 9in. to. 10in. long, 3in. broad above the
middle, narrowed to 2in. above the dilated base; face nearly
flat, green, scarcely at all glaucous, tipped with a strong brown
channelled spine 1in. long; border margined with close, very short
teeth, dark purple when mature. Mexico. A rare but very handsome
species.
=A. Wislizeni= (Wislizenius's). _fl._ 2-1/2in. long; panicle
thyrsoid, its branches 3in. to 6in. long; pedicels very short;
scape 12ft. high. _l._ about thirty in a dense, rigid, sessile
rosette, which is under 2ft. broad, oblong-spathulate, 3in. to
3-1/2in. broad above the middle, very glaucous, concave in the
upper part; terminal spine hard, pungent, dark brown, 1in. long,
and decurrent down the border a little; side prickles 1/8in. long,
dark purple, moderately close, those below the middle of the leaf
smaller and curved downward. Mexico, 1847.
=A. xalapensis.= Synonymous with _A. polyacantha_.
=A. xylacantha= (woody-spined).* _fl._ green, 1-1/2in. long; spike
dense, rather shorter than the scape, its bracts linear-subulate;
scape 5ft. to 6ft. long, its bracts subulate, all ascending,
the lower ones 6in. to 8in. long. _l._ not more than twenty in
a stemless rosette, ensiform, diverging irregularly and often
curving, 1-1/2ft. to 3ft. long, 2in. to 3in. (rarely 4in.) broad at
the middle, narrowed gradually upwards, a slightly glaucous dead
green, marked with a few darker green lines on the back, furnished
with a broad continuous horny border and a few very large irregular
hooked teeth, often united or collected in pairs, 1/2in. to 3/4in.
long, and 3/8in. to 1/2in. broad; terminal spine brown, pungent,
1in. long. Mexico. A long-known, widely-spread, and distinct
species. SYNS. _A. amurensis_ and _A. Vanderdonckii_.
=A. x. hybrida= is a striking dwarf variety with vittate leaves,
and smaller, more crowded deltoid-cuspidate prickles than in
the type. It is also commonly known as _A. x. vittata_ and _A.
perbella_.
[Illustration: FIG. 48. AGAVE YUCCÆFOLIA.]
=A. yuccæfolia= (Yucca-leaved).* _fl._ greenish yellow, 1-1/4in.
to 1-1/2in. long, in a dense spike 6in. to 15in. long, about
14in. in diameter, sessile, solitary, or in pairs; scape 12ft.
to 20ft. high. _l._ twenty to forty in a dense, shortly-stemmed
rosette, linear, much recurved, 1-1/2ft. to 2-1/2ft. long, 3/4in.
to 1in. broad at the middle; face deeply channelled, dull, rather
glaucous green, with a pale band down the centre, the tip not at
all pungent, the back broadly rounded, edge entire, or obscurely
serrulate. Mexico, 1816. A most distinct species. See Fig. 48.
=AGERATUM= (from _a_, not, and _geras_, old; in reference to the
flowers being always clear). SYN. _Cœlestina_. ORD. _Compositæ_. This
genus includes several American species, for the most part half-hardy
annuals and biennials; or, if the seed is not allowed to ripen, they
become perennials. Involucre cup-shaped, of many imbricated linear
bracts; receptacle naked. Leaves opposite. A light rich soil is most
suitable. Very easily increased by cuttings or seeds; if required true,
the former is the only sure method of propagation. To grow large plants
for greenhouse decoration, sow the seeds in January, in heat, in sandy
soil, barely covering them. As soon as the young plants are large
enough, prick them off into thumb pots, and keep in heat till they grow
freely, then place them into a cooler house. Transfer into larger pots
as soon as the others are full of roots, until they are finally shifted
into 10in. or 12in. pots. When these are full of roots, the plants
should be watered with liquid manure twice a week, and they soon flower
well, making fine specimens. During hot weather especially, they should
be well syringed with clear water daily, to keep down red spider.
The plants required for bedding (for which purpose the dwarf garden
varieties are mostly used) should be raised about the same time, kept
in small pots, gradually hardened off, and planted out in the middle
or end of June. Cuttings of all the varieties strike readily in heat,
treated like most soft-wooded plants, and, when rooted, may be managed
as recommended for the seedlings.
=A. Lasseauxii= (Lasseaux's). _fl.-heads_ rose-coloured, small,
disposed in corymbose heads. Summer. _l._ lanceolate-elliptic.
_h._ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. Monte Video, 1870. A much-branched plant,
requiring greenhouse protection in winter, and suitable for
planting out in summer.
=A. latifolium= (broad-leaved). A synonym of _Piqueria latifolia_.
=A. mexicanum= (Mexican).* The commonest and most useful species,
with a profusion of lilac-blue flowers. _h._ 2ft. Mexico, 1822.
When used for bedding purposes it may be pegged down like the
Verbena, or be allowed to grow its full height. Several very dwarf
varieties of it have originated under cultivation, which supersede
the species for bedding, the best of which are:--CUPID,* rich blue,
very dwarf and floriferous; IMPERIAL DWARF, about 9in. high, with
porcelain blue flowers; LADY JANE, of the same colour, very free;
QUEEN,* silvery grey, about 9in. high; SNOWFLAKE,* white, very free
and showy; SWANLEY BLUE,* very deep blue, 6in. to 8in. high. There
is also a white-flowered variety of _Mexicanum_, which is very
showy; and a variegated form, sometimes grown for the sake of its
pretty foliage.
=AGGLOMERATE, AGGLOMERATED.= Collected into a heap or head.
=AGGLUTINATED.= Glued together.
=AGGREGATE, AGGREGATED.= Gathered together; usually applied to the
inflorescence.
=AGLAIA.= (mythological: from Aglaia, the name of one of the Graces,
and given to this genus on account of its beauty and the sweet scent of
the flowers). ORD. _Meliaceæ_. Stove evergreen trees or shrubs having
very small flowers, disposed in branched axillary panicles. Leaves
alternate, trifoliate, or impari-pinnate. There are several species,
but the undermentioned is the only one worth growing yet introduced.
It thrives well in a mixture of turfy loam and peat. Young cuttings
ripened at the base, and taken off at a joint, will root in sand under
a hand glass, in heat.
=A. odorata= (sweet-scented). _fl._ yellow, small, in axillary
racemes, very sweet-scented, said to be used by the Chinese to
scent their teas. February to May. _l._ pinnate, with five or seven
glossy leaflets. _h._ 8ft. to 10ft. China, 1810.
=AGLAOMORPHA.= _See_ =Polypodium=.
=AGLAONEMA= (from _aglaos_, bright, and _nema_, a thread; supposed to
refer to the shining stamens). ORD. _Aroideæ_. Stove perennials, allied
to _Arum_, and requiring similar treatment to the stove species of that
genus.
=A. commutatum= (changed).* _fl._ white. _l._ greyish-blotched.
_h._ 1ft. Philippines, 1863. SYN. _A. marantæfolium maculatum_.
=A. Mannii= (Mann's).* _fl._, spathe 2in. long, whitish, with
a spadix one-third shorter, bearing white anthers and scarlet
ovaries. _l._ elliptic-oblong, dark green. Stems thickish, erect.
_h._ 1-1/2ft. Victoria Mountains, 1868.
=A. marantæfolium maculatum= (Maranta-leaved, spotted). A synonym
of _A. commutatum_.
=A. pictum= (painted).* _fl._, spathe pale creamy yellow, folded
round so as to appear globular-oblong, opening at top; spadix
projecting, white. August. _l._ elliptic-acuminate, light green,
blotched irregularly with broadish angulate patches of grey. Stems
slender, erect. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. Borneo.
=AGNOSTUS.= _See_ =Stenocarpus=.
=AGRAPHIS.= Included under =Scilla= (which _see_).
=AGRIMONIA= (from _argos_, white; the cataract of the eye being white.
Once reputed to contain medicinal qualities). Agrimony. ORD. _Rosaceæ_.
A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials, with interruptedly pinnate
leaves, each accompanied by a pair of stipules united to the petioles.
Flowers small, numerous, spiked; calyx turbinate, involucrated by
bristles; petals five. They are all of the easiest culture, growing
in ordinary soil. Readily increased by root-division. The most showy
species in cultivation are described below.
=A. Eupatoria= (Eupatoria). _fl._ yellow, on an elongated spike.
_l._ with elliptic-oblong, coarsely serrated leaflets, odd one
stalked. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. Britain.
=A. nepalensis= (Nepaul). _fl._ yellow, on erect, slender racemes.
_l._ with ovate, serrated leaflets, odd one stalked, villous. _h._
1ft. to 2ft. Nepaul, 1820.
=A. odorata= (sweet-scented).* _fl._ yellow; spikes several. _l._
with oblong lanceolate, deeply crenate-toothed leaflets, hairy.
_h._ 2ft. to 3ft. Italy, 1640.
=AGRIMONY.= _See_ =Agrimonia=.
=AGRIOTES.= _See_ =Wireworm=.
=AGROSTEMMA= (from _agros_, a field, and _stemma_, a crown; alluding
to the beauty of the flowers, which were formerly made into crowns
or garlands). Rose Campion. ORD. _Caryophyllaceæ_. Hardy evergreen
perennials and annuals, with broadish leaves, and one-flowered
peduncles. Of easy culture, and well adapted for borders. They will
all grow freely in common garden soil. Increased by division of the
roots, and seed. _A. cœli-rosa_, and _A. flos-Jovis_ are, perhaps,
species of _Lychnis_, but the generic name which we have adopted is the
most common one. All the species of this genus are exceedingly pretty
free-flowering plants, and both annuals and perennials are well worth
growing.
=A. cœli-rosa= (rose of Heaven).* _fl._ delicate rose, white, or
bright purple, solitary, terminal. Summer. Levant, &c., 1713. An
annual species about 1ft. high, not tomentose; should be grown in
patches. Sow the seed in April.
[Illustration: FIG. 49. AGROSTEMMA CŒLI-ROSA FIMBRIATA.]
=A. c.-r. fimbriata= (fimbriate). A form having fimbriated petals.
Known also as _nana_. _h._ 9in. See Fig. 49.
=A. c.-r. purpurea= (purple).* A very pretty form, having dark
purple flowers, and compact habit. See Fig. 50.
=A. coronaria= (crowned).* _fl._ white, with the middle red; petals
emarginate, crowned, serrated; peduncles elongated, one-flowered.
July. _l._ lanceolate, very broad, leathery; plant woolly
throughout. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. South Europe, 1596. This species is
admirably adapted for naturalising on dry hill sides, and in the
wild garden. There are several varieties seen in gardens with
a great diversity of colour, including dark crimson, white, and
sometimes double flowers. See Fig. 51.
[Illustration: FIG. 50. AGROSTEMMA CŒLI-ROSA PURPUREA.]
[Illustration: FIG. 51. AGROSTEMMA CORONARIA, showing Habit and Flower.]
=A. flos-Jovis.=* Flower of Jove. _fl._ purple or scarlet, in
umbellate heads; peduncles short, rather branched. July. _l._
lanceolate, stem-clasping, silky, tomentose. _h._ 1-1/2ft.
Switzerland, 1726. Plant white from tomentum. See Fig. 52.
[Illustration: FIG. 52. AGROSTEMMA FLOS-JOVIS, showing Habit and
Flower.]
=AGROSTIS= (from _agros_, a field; the Greek name for a kind of grass).
Bent Grass. ORD. _Gramineæ_. Annual or perennial grasses. Panicle
loose; spikelets compressed. Several of the species are very effective,
and well worth growing; and the spikes are pretty objects, when dried,
for window vases, &c. They are of easy culture, in ordinary garden
soil. Sow seeds during spring in the open border, in tufts, among
ferns, &c., or in pots for decorative purposes.
=A. elegans= (elegant). _h._ 1ft. Russia, 1834.
[Illustration: FIG. 53. AGROSTIS NEBULOSA.]
=A. nebulosa= (cloud).* Cloud Grass. _fl._ panicles resemble, when
developed, a cloud resting over the ground. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Very
light and elegant. Annual. See Fig. 53.
=A. pulchella= (pretty).* Dwarfer, and with a more rigid habit than
_A. nebulosa_. It is, nevertheless, a most graceful plant, and
valuable for bouquet making, and for winter decorative purposes.
_h._ 6in. to 12in. Russia. Annual.
=A. spica-venti= (windward-spiked). _fl._ panicle large, silky
looking, loosely spreading. England. Annual.
=AGROTIS.= _See_ =Pot-herb Moths= and =Turnip Moth=.
=AILANTUS= (from _ailanto_, referring to its lofty growth). Tree of
Heaven. ORD. _Xanthoxylaceæ_. Tall deciduous trees. The stove species
will grow freely in a mixture of loam and peat; and the best way to
increase these is by pieces of the roots, planted in a pot with their
points above the ground, and placed in a hotbed, where they will soon
make fine plants.
=A. excelsa= (tall). _fl._ whitish green, disposed similar to the
following. _l._ abruptly pinnate, 3ft. long, with ten to fourteen
pairs of leaflets coarsely toothed at the base, without glands.
_h._ 66ft. India, 1800. A stove tree.
=A. glandulosa= (glandulous).* _fl._ whitish green, disposed
in large branched, terminal, fascicled panicles, exhaling a
disagreeable smell. August. _l._ impari-pinnate; leaflets coarsely
toothed at the base with glands. (The leaves on vigorous young
trees are sometimes 6ft. in length.) _h._ 60ft. China, 1751. This
tree grows with great rapidity for the first ten or twelve years,
in favourable situations, afterwards its growth is much slower. It
is quite hardy, and thrives in almost any soil, though one that is
light and somewhat humid, and a sheltered situation, suits it best.
It is a very desirable tree for plantations, or to stand singly on
lawns, and is easily increased by slips of the roots.
=AINSLÆA= (in honour of Dr. Whitelaw Ainslie, author of a work on
Indian drugs). ORD. _Compositæ_. Herbaceous perennials, of recent
introduction. Although, no doubt, both species will prove tolerably
hardy, they should have slight protection during winter. They thrive in
light rich soil. Propagated by divisions of the root.
=A. aptera= (wingless). _fl.-head_ purple, disposed in an elongated
spike-like panicle. _l._ deeply cordate, sinuately toothed;
petioles wingless, whence the name. Sikkim Himalayas, 1882.
=A. Walkeræ= (Mrs. Walker's).* _fl.-heads_ slender, distant,
shortly stalked, borne in erect or somewhat nodding racemes; the
white corolla-lobes and the red purple anthers make a pretty
contrast. _h._ about 1ft. Hong Kong, 1875. A very rare and graceful
species.
=AIR.= Pure atmospheric air is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and a very
small quantity of carbonic acid gas, all of which are essential to the
growth of plants. Air-giving is a term used by gardeners to lessen the
temperature of a greenhouse, or to equalise it with that outside. _See_
=Ventilation=.
=AIRA= (from _aira_, applied by the Greeks to _Lolium temulentum_).
Hair Grass. ORD. _Gramineæ_. Chiefly hardy grasses, of agricultural
value. Panicle loose; spikelet compressed, with two perfect flowers,
and sometimes a neuter. Of easy culture, in ordinary garden soil. Sow
seeds in spring.
=A. flexuosa= (waved).* The Waved Hair Grass. _fl._ shining
brown; panicle erect, spreading, with waved angular branches and
flower-stalks. _l._ short. Stem upwards of 1ft. high, erect,
smooth. England. A very pretty and graceful perennial.
[Illustration: FIG. 54. AIRA PULCHELLA.]
=A. pulchella= (pretty).* _fl._ panicles loose, very delicate
and graceful. _l._ very short. _h._ 6in. to 8in. South Europe.
An elegant plant, with tufted filiform stems. One of the best of
dwarf-growing ornamental grasses. See Fig. 54.
=AIR-PLANT.= _See_ =Aerides=, also =Epiphytes=.
=AITONIA= (in honour of W. Aiton, once Head Gardener at Kew). ORD.
_Meliaceæ_. A small and rather interesting greenhouse evergreen shrub
from the Cape of Good Hope, and thriving well in an equal mixture of
sandy loam and peat. Young cuttings will root in sand, under a bell
glass, with bottom heat. The cuttings must not be put in very close
together, and the glass should be wiped frequently, as they are apt to
damp off.
=A. capensis= (Cape). _fl._ pink; petals four, shorter than the
projecting stamens. July. _h._ 2ft. 1777.
=AIZOON= (from _aei_, always, and _zoos_, alive; tenacious of life).
ORD. _Portulacaceæ_. Greenhouse annuals, biennials, or evergreen
shrubs. Flowers apetalous; calyx five-cleft, coloured on the inner
surface. The undermentioned species is the only one worth growing. It
requires no shade, a dry atmosphere, and light sandy soil. Propagated
by seeds and cuttings.
=A. sarmentosum= (sarmentose). _fl._ greenish, sessile. Summer.
_l._ opposite, linear-filiform, rather connate, glabrous; branches
rather villous, three-flowered at the apex, the two lateral flowers
are bracteated, and spring from the sides of the middle one.
Sub-shrub, erect, diffuse, glabrous, branched. South Africa, 1862.
=AJAVA SEED.= _See_ =Ptychotis=.
=AJAX MAXIMUS.= _See_ =Narcissus=.
=AJOWAN.= _See_ =Ptychotis=.
=AJUGA= (from _a_, not, and _zugon_, a yoke; in reference to the calyx
being equal, not bilabiate). Bugle. ORD. _Labiatæ_. Hardy annual
or perennial herbaceous plants, usually procumbent or ascending,
sometimes stoloniferous. Whorls two or many flowered, dense, sometimes
all axillary, when the floral leaves conform to those of the stem;
sometimes the superior whorls are approximate into spikes, then the
floral leaves are small, and of a different form from the stem ones.
All the species are of easy cultivation in ordinary garden soil.
Perennials increased by divisions, or by seeds sown in the open border,
during spring or autumn. The seeds of annual kinds may be sown in the
open border in spring, where they are intended to remain.
=A. alpina= (alpine). Synonymous with _A. genevensis_.
=A. australis= (southern). _fl._ blue; whorls six or more flowered;
lower whorls remote, upper ones sub-spicate, floral leaves similar
to the stem ones, exceeding the flowers. May to July. _l._
narrow-oblong, narrowed at the base, quite entire or sinuated,
thickish, rather villous. Stem ascending, or erect. _h._ 6in. New
Holland, 1822. Perennial.
=A. Chamæpitys= (ground-pine). _fl._ yellow, dotted with red,
pubescent outside; whorls two-flowered; floral leaves similar to
the others, exceeding the flowers. April. _l._ deeply trifid, with
linear, quite entire, or trifid lobes. Stem procumbent at the base,
much branched, beset with long hairs, like the leaves. _h._ about
6in. England (rare). Annual.
=A. genevensis= (Geneva).* _fl._ varying from blue to rose colour
and white; upper whorls spicate, lower ones distant, six or more
flowered. May. _l._ stem ones oblong-elliptic or obovate, narrowed
at the base; lower ones petiolate; floral ones ovate or cuneated;
superior ones scarcely equalling the flowers or shorter, all
usually coarsely toothed, membranaceous, green on both surfaces,
and beset with scattered hairs. Stem erect, pilose. _h._ 6in. to
1ft. Europe. A very variable species, admirably adapted as an
alpine plant, and succeeds best in bog soil, where its roots will
have plenty of room; it increases rapidly. Perennial. SYNS. _A.
alpina_, _A. rugosa_.
=A. orientalis= (oriental).* _fl._ blue; whorls six or more
flowered, distant, or the upper ones are approximate. May. _l._
lower ones large, petiolate; ovate, coarsely and sinuately toothed,
narrowed at the base; floral ones sessile, broad ovate, deeply
lobed or toothed, exceeding the flowers. Stem ascending, pilosely
woolly. _h._ 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. Eastern Europe, 1732. This species
should be grown in a dry, sunny spot.
=A. pyramidalis= (pyramidal).* _fl._ blue or purple; whorls
many-flowered, upper ones or all spicate. May and June. _l._
stem ones approximate, scarcely petiolate, obovate; floral ones
broad-ovate, clasping the flowers, tetragonally pyramidate; the
upper ones often coloured, all quite entire or obscurely sinuated.
Stem erect. _h._ 6in. Scotland. Perennial. Of this there are
several handsome garden varieties.
[Illustration: FIG. 55. FLOWER OF AJUGA REPTANS.]
=A. reptans= (creeping).* _fl._ varying from blue to rose-colour;
lower whorls remote; upper ones spicate, six to twenty flowered.
May. _l._ ovate or obovate, quite entire or sinuated, and are, as
well as the stem, nearly glabrous; radical one petiolate, stem ones
nearly sessile. Stem creeping. The variegated and darkest leaved
forms of this are superior to the type for horticultural purposes.
Britain. Perennial. See Fig. 55.
=A. rugosa= (wrinkled). Synonymous with _A. genevensis_.
=AKEBIA= (its Japanese name). SYN. _Rajania_. ORD. _Lardizabalaceæ_. A
pretty twining shrub, succeeding well in the south-western counties of
England, or in Scotland, trained to a trellis, or rambling over other
shrubs in the open; but, when so grown, it requires the protection of
a mat in winter. It makes an excellent twiner for the cool greenhouse.
Sandy loam, leaf soil, and peat are most suitable for its culture.
Increased by root divisions and cuttings.
=A. quinata= (five-leafletted).* _fl._ purplish brown, small,
in axillary racemes, very fragrant. March. _l._ on very slender
petioles, and palmately divided into usually five distinct
petiolulate oval or oblong emarginate leaflets, the bottom pair
smallest. _h._ 10ft. Chusan, 1845.
=AKEE-TREE.= _See_ =Blighia sapida=.
=ALA.= A lateral petal of a papilionaceous flower.
=ALANGIACEÆ.= A very small order of trees or shrubs, usually with
inconspicuous flowers, in axillary fascicles. Fruit succulent, eatable.
The two genera best known in this country are _Alangium_ and _Nyssa_.