seed-pod). ORD. _Irideæ_. Very pretty little bulbous perennials.
Perianth hypocrateriform; tube triquetrous, constricted at the throat.
The species are hardy when planted in warm sunny situations in the
open border. Their dwarf stature, brilliance, profusion of flowers,
and habit of blossoming continuously over a long period, render them
very popular subjects amongst growers of hardy perennials. Although
generally credited with being hardy, when cultivated out of doors they
should be lifted and stored in frost-proof quarters before winter
commences, until the following March. They are excellent as window
garden plants, and also for pot culture. If grown in pots, they should
be shaken out, and repotted in February or March. They multiply very
rapidly, and may be divided in patches, not by single bulbs, once
yearly. Light sandy loam, mixed with a little leaf mould, is the best
compost. Anomathecas are sometimes increased by seed, which may be sown
so soon as ripe, very thinly, in seed pans. Thin out the seedlings if
growing very close together; the next season they may be put out four
or five in a pot. When they become crowded, shift into a much larger
pot, but do not disturb the ball. The young seedlings will probably
produce flowers the second season.
=A. cruenta= (bloody).* _fl._ rich carmine-crimson; perianth
segments elliptical, three lower ones broader than the others,
with a dark blotch at the base; tube long, whitish; scapes secund,
bearing about five or six flowers. Summer and autumn. _l._
two-ranked, about 1/2in. broad, sword-shape, somewhat tapering.
Bulb ovate, rather large. _h._ 6in. to 12in. Cape of Good Hope,
1830.
=A. juncea= (rushy). _fl._ very bright pink, with a dark spot at
the base, produced in profusion. The leaves are narrower than those
of the foregoing. Cape of Good Hope, 1791. A rare species.
=ANONA= (_Anona_ is the name applied to these plants in St. Domingo).
Custard Apple. ORD. _Anonaceæ_. Stove evergreen shrubs, with fragrant
leaves. Petals six, in two rows. Carpels indefinite, joined into one
fleshy, many-celled, edible, roundish fruit, with a muricated, scaly,
or reticulated skin. Anonas thrive best in rich loamy soil, mixed with
a little peat. Ripened cuttings, with leaves intact, will root if
inserted in sand and placed under a hand glass, in a moist heat. When
seeds are procurable, they should be sown in pots, and plunged into a
hotbed.
=A. Cherimolia= (The Cherimoyer). _fl._ outer petals somewhat
concave, linear-oblong, brown on the outside, each marked with a
dark spot at the base; peduncles opposite the leaves, solitary.
July. _fr._ somewhat globose and scaly, dark purple; esteemed by
the Peruvians as one of their most delicate, and as being not
inferior to any fruit in the world. _l._ ovate-lanceolate, not
dotted; under surface silky tomentose, strong scented. _h._ 20ft.
Peru, 1739.
=A. glabra= (smooth-fruited).* _fl._ outer petals ovate, obtuse,
brown; calyx leathery, large; peduncles opposite the leaves,
two-flowered. July. _fr._ greenish-yellow, conoid, blunt, smooth.
_l._ ovate-lanceolate, smooth. _h._ 10ft. West Indies, 1774.
=A. longifolia= (long-leaved). _fl._ purplish; outer petals
concave, thick, all acute, large, axillary, solitary, stalked. May.
_fr._ ovate-globose, dotted, and reticulated, flesh-coloured. _l._
oblong, acuminated, mucronate, smooth. _h._ 20ft. Guiana, 1820.
=A. muricata= (muricated-fruited).* The Sour Sop. _fl._ outer
petals cordate, concave, thick, acuminated, green on the outside,
yellow inside, and spotted; peduncles solitary, one-flowered,
sweet-scented. _fr._ muricated, with fleshy points, green. _l._
ovate-lanceolate, smooth, shining. _h._ 15ft. West Indies, 1656.
=A. palustris= (marsh). Alligator Apple; Cork-wood. _fl._ yellow;
petals all acute. _fr._ rather areolate, large, heart-shaped,
sweet-scented. _l._ ovate-oblong, leathery, quite smooth. _h._
10ft. to 20ft. South America, 1788.
=A. reticulata= (netted). The Custard Apple, or Bullock's Heart.
_fl._ outer petals oblong-lanceolate, acute, somewhat concave at
the base, brownish on the outside, whitish-yellow on the inside,
marked with dark purple spots. _fr._ ovate-globose, reticulate,
as large as a tennis ball, with yellowish soft flesh; it is much
esteemed by some people. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, acute, smooth,
somewhat dotted. _h._ 15ft. to 25ft. Brazil, 1690.
=A. squamosa= (scaly). Sweet Sop. _fl._, outer petals
linear-oblong, somewhat concave at the base, nearly closing,
greenish-yellow. _fr._ egg-shaped, scaly. _l._ oblong, bluntish,
smooth, full of pellucid dots, rather glaucous beneath. _h._ 20ft.
South America, 1739.
=ANONACEÆ.= An order of trees or shrubs, mostly tropical, with axillary
peduncles, lateral or opposite the leaves, and with alternate, simple,
entire or hardly toothed leaves, without stipules. _Anona_ is the
typical genus.
=ANONYMO.= A synonym of =Saururus= (which _see_).
=ANONYMOS BRACTEATA.= _See_ =Zornia tetraphylla=.
=ANOPLANTHUS= (in part). A synonym of =Phelipæa= (which _see_).
=ANOPLOPHYTUM.= _See_ =Schlumbergeria= and =Tillandsia=.
=ANOPTERUS= (from _ano_, upwards, and _pteron_, a wing; in reference
to the seeds, which are winged at the apex). ORD. _Saxifrageæ_. A very
handsome greenhouse evergreen shrub, having a free branching habit,
large dark shining green leaves, and long panicles of salver-shaped
flowers. It would probably prove quite hardy in the south and west
of England, and parts of Scotland, provided it had a slight winter
protection. It grows well in sandy loam and peat. When grown in pots,
it requires plenty of room and water. Half-ripened cuttings root freely
under a bell glass in a cool house or frame in summer.
=A. glandulosa= (glandular).* _fl._ white, rose tinted, large;
racemes erect, simple, terminal. April, May. _l._ alternate, rarely
nearly opposite, ovate-oblong, attenuated at both ends, nearly
sessile, leathery, toothed. _h._ 3ft. Van Diemen's Land, 1823.
=ANSELLIA= (named after Mr. Ansell, the botanical collector who
accompanied the ill-fated Niger Expedition). ORD. _Orchidaceæ_. Strong
growing, free flowering stove epiphytal orchids. Best grown in large
pots, as they produce a quantity of roots. They require a compost of
turfy peat, with moderate drainage. An ample supply of water during the
growing season is needed; but care must be taken not to let any remain
in the heart of the plants, as they are very likely to rot. During the
season of rest, little or no water, but a damp atmosphere, are the
chief requirements. Propagated by divisions of the bulbs just after
flowering.
=A. africana= (African).* _fl._, sepals and petals nearly 2in.
long, greenish yellow, spotted with brownish red; lip small,
yellow; spikes large, drooping, branched, each sometimes bearing
nearly a hundred blooms. Stems 3ft. to 4ft. high, with light
evergreen foliage. Fernando Po, 1844. Lasts two months in
perfection.
=A. a. gigantea= (gigantic).* _fl._ on upright spikes from the top
of the pseudo-bulbs, but smaller, of a light yellow tint, with
very few narrow, transverse, brown bars, and a deep yellow lip,
without warts of any kind on its middle lobe, and with more or less
crenulated keels. Natal, 1847. The perfume is very peculiar. Very
rare.
=A. a. lutea= (yellow). Not so strong a grower; producing clusters
of light yellow flowers from the top of the pseudo-bulbs. Natal.
=A. a. nilotica= (Nile district).* As a garden plant this is
much superior to the type. The habit is dwarfer, the colours of
the flowers brighter and more distinctly defined. The sepals and
petals, too, are more spreading. Eastern Africa.
=ANSERINA.= _See_ =Potentilla anserina=.
=ANTENNÆ.= Two movable, articulated organs attached to the heads of
insects and crustacea, commonly called "horns" or "feelers." They are
variable in form and length. Antennæ seem to serve for touch, and,
perhaps, for smell and hearing.
[Illustration: FIG. 105. ANTENNARIA MARGARITACEA, showing Habit and
Inflorescence.]
=ANTENNARIA= (from _antennæ_; in reference to the similarity which
exists between the seed down of the plant and the antennæ, or feelers,
of an insect). ORD. _Compositæ_. Hardy herbaceous perennials,
distinguished by the dry, coloured, chaffy scales encircling each
head of flowers, of which the stamens and pistils are on different
plants. These are charming little alpine plants, admirably adapted for
rockwork, pots, edgings, or borders, in any light soil. Propagated by
divisions of the roots in spring, and seeds; the latter should be sown
in spring in a cold frame. Grown chiefly for their leaves.
=A. dioica= (diœcious).* _fl.-heads_ pink, in crowded corymbs, 3in.
to 4in. high. June. _l._ radical ones spathulate, woolly chiefly
beneath; upper ones lanceolate. Stems simple; shoots procumbent.
Britain. The two or three varieties of this pretty species exceed
the type in beauty. SYN. _Gnaphalium dioicum_.
=A. d. hyperborea= (northern). _l._ woolly on both surfaces.
=A. d. minima= (smallest).* A very small growing variety.
=A. margaritacea= (pearly).* _fl.-heads_ white, corymbose. August.
_l._ linear-lanceolate, acute, alternate, cottony, especially
beneath. Stems branched above. _h._ 2ft. Naturalised in England
and on the Continent. Said to have been introduced from America
about the sixteenth century. The prettier but much rarer _A.
triplinervis_, from Nepaul, comes close to this species. See Fig.
105.
=A. tomentosa= (downy).* _fl.-heads_ corymbose. Summer. One of the
dwarfest and best of silvery-leaved plants, either as an edging for
small beds or for covering the higher portions of rockwork; it is
much used in carpet bedding. It scarcely grows more than 1in. high,
and forms a dense carpet in a short space of time. It should be
grown separate from other plants. It is frequently known under the
name of _A. candida_.
=ANTERIOR.= Placed in front, or outwards.
=ANTHEMIS= (from _anthemon_, a flower; referring to their general
floriferous character). Camomile. ORD. _Compositæ_. Receptacle convex,
chaffy. Involucre hemispherical or nearly flat; scales imbricated,
membranaceous at the margin. Pappus none; ray florets ligulate; disk
tubular. This is a large genus, principally of medicinal value, and
contains very few species worth the cultivator's trouble. Of easy
culture in any ordinary soil. Propagated by divisions.
=A. Aizoon= (Aizoon).* _fl.-heads_ resembling a white Daisy;
florets of the ray fourteen to eighteen, trifid, twice as long as
the breadth of the disk. Summer. _l._ lanceolate, or broadly so,
acutely and deeply serrated, narrowed towards the base, covered
with white down; lower ones crowded; stem-leaves rather acute,
gradually lessening in size. _h._ 2in. to 4in. Northern Greece.
Free grower, dwarf, and compact.
=A. Biebersteinii= (Bieberstein's).* _fl.-heads_ yellow. Summer.
_l._ pinnately divided into linear three-lobed segments, which are
covered with white silky pubescence. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. Caucasus.
=A. Chamomilla fl. pl.= _See_ =Matricaria=.
=A. nobilis= (noble). Common Chamomile. _fl.-heads_ solitary; disk
yellow; ray white; scales of the receptacle membranaceous, scarcely
longer than the disk. _l._ bipinnate, segments linear-subulate, a
little downy. Stem procumbent, and much branched. England. A very
strong smelling plant, of great medicinal value. For culture, _see_
=Chamomile=.
=A. tinctoria= (dyer's). _fl._ bright yellow, in large heads.
July and August. _l._ bipinnatifid, serrate, downy beneath. Stem
angular. _h._ 1-1/2ft. England. A very pretty plant.
=ANTHER.= The male part of a flower containing the pollen.
=ANTHERICUM= (from _anthos_, a flower and _kerkos_, a hedge; in
reference to the tall flower stems). SYN. _Phalangium_. ORD.
_Liliaceæ_. A large genus, belonging to the capsular group of the
order, and inhabiting, for the most part, the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers white, racemose or panicled, scapose; perianth segments either
spreading from near the base or campanulately united; stamens short,
with naked or bearded filaments. Leaves radical, filiform or linear.
The hardy varieties are now extensively grown, and are among the most
ornamental of border plants. They thrive best in rich light soil, and
are excellent subjects for pot culture; for which purpose use a compost
of fibrous loam, leaf mould, or well-decayed manure, and coarse sand.
The pots should be about 12in. across, well drained, and the plants
potted just previous to, or so soon as, growth commences. During
activity, plenty of water is needed, until the plants have finished
flowering, when the quantity may be lessened; but never allow them
to get dry. Propagated by division of the roots or seeds, sowing the
latter, as early as possible after they are ripe, in a cold frame.
=A. graminifolium= (grass-leaved). A garden name of _A. ramosum_.
=A. Hookeri= (Hooker's). _See_ =Chrysobactron Hookeri=.
=A. Liliago= (Liliago).* St. Bernard's Lily. _fl._ pure white, 1in.
to 1-1/2in. across; perianth segments spreading; style curved. May
to August. _l._ tufted, narrow, channelled, 12in. to 18in. high.
South Europe, 1596. A very free flowering species, of which there
is a _major_ variety in gardens. SYNS. _Phalangium_ and _Watsonia
Liliago_.
=A. Liliastrum= (Liliaster).* St. Bruno's Lily. _fl._ much larger
than the last, 2in. long, and as much across, fragrant, of a
transparent whiteness, with a delicate green spot on the point
of each segment, campanulate, arranged in loose spikes. Early
summer. _l._ long, narrow, six or eight to each plant, about 1ft.
to 2ft. long, _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. South Europe, 1629. SYNS. _Czackia
Liliastrum_ and _Paradisia Liliastrum_ (this is the correct name).
See Fig. 106.
[Illustration: FIG. 106. ANTHERICUM LILIASTRUM, showing Habit and
Flower.]
=A. L. major= (greater). _fl._ about 1in. larger than the type.
_h._ about 6ft. A very desirable border plant.
=A. ramosum= (branched).* _fl._ white, rather smaller than those
of _A. Liliago_; perianth segments narrow and spreading; style
straight; flower stems much branched. June. _l._ long, narrow,
channelled, grass-like. _h._ 2ft. South Europe, 1570. A rapid
grower. SYN. _A. graminifolium_ (of gardens).
=A. serotinum= (late-flowering). _See_ =Lloydia=.
=A. variegatum= (variegated). _l._ keeled, grass-like, striped and
margined with white. South Africa, 1875. Half hardy. The proper
name of this plant is _Chlorophytum elatum variegatum_. SYNS. _A.
Williamsii_ and _Phalangium argenteo-lineare_.
=A. Williamsii= (Williams'). Synonymous with _A. variegatum_.
=ANTHERIDIA.= The reproductive organs in cryptogamic plants, analogous
to anthers in flowering plants.
=ANTHERIFEROUS.= Bearing anthers.
=ANTHESIS.= The opening period of flowers.
=ANTHOCARPOUS.= Bearing a fruit resulting from many flowers.
=ANTHOCERCIS= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _kerkis_, a ray; in
reference to the radiated corolla). ORD. _Solanaceæ_. Handsome
greenhouse evergreen shrubs, with alternate leaves, attenuated into
the petioles or base, thick, sometimes glandularly dotted. Flowers
axillary, generally solitary; corolla campanulate. Cuttings strike
freely in sand under a bell glass, with a mild bottom heat. So soon as
they have well rooted, pot off into very small pots in two-thirds good
loam and one of peat. After having made a little headway, the leading
shoots should be pinched off, to induce a lateral growth; they may
be transferred to pots a size larger when the roots have filled the
first pot. Continue growing throughout the summer in frames or in the
greenhouse, near the glass, allowing plenty of air. Vigorous growth
should be checked; thus encouraging bushy plants.
=A. albicans= (whitish-leaved).* _fl._ white, streaked with
bluish-purple inside the tube, fragrant; petals longer than the
tube. April. _l._ oblong, obtuse, densely tomentose on both
surfaces, as well as the branches. _h._ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. New South
Wales, 1824.
=A. floribunda= (many-flowered). _fl._ white. _h._ 3ft. New South
Wales.
=A. ilicifolia= (Holly-leaved). _fl._ yellowish green. June. _h._
6ft. Swan River, 1843.
=A. littorea= (shore). _fl._ white. June. _h._ 3ft. New Holland,
1803.
=A. viscosa= (clammy).* _fl._ large, white. May. _l._ obovate,
glandularly dotted with scabrous margins; young leaves and branches
clothed with fine down. _h._ 4ft. to 6ft. New Holland, 1822.
=ANTHOLOMA= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _loma_, a fringe; in allusion
to the fringed or crenulated limb of the corolla). ORD. _Tiliaceæ_. A
very fine greenhouse evergreen tree; it thrives best in a light loamy
soil, mixed with a little peat. Cuttings of ripened wood will strike
root in sand, under a hand glass.
=A. montana= (mountain).* _fl._ white; corolla ovately cylindrical,
with a crenate, rather toothed margin; racemes axillary, somewhat
umbellate, reflexed. May. _l._ elliptical-oblong, leathery,
stalked, scattered at the top of the branchlets. _h._ 20ft. New
Caledonia, 1810.
=ANTHOLYZA= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _lyssa_, rage; in reference
to the opening of the flowers, which resemble the mouth of an enraged
animal). SYN. _Petamenes_. Including _Anisanthus_. ORD. _Irideæ_. A
very pretty genus of bulbous plants from the Cape of Good Hope, having
narrow, erect, Iris-like leaves, and flower-spikes that over-top the
foliage, bearing numerous bright-coloured flowers. Perianth tubular,
six-cleft, unequal, the upper segments longest; stamens three. The
species may be grown in a greenhouse, or planted out in a frame. They
also thrive excellently out of doors, and should be planted 8in. or
9in. deep for fear of frost, or have a winter protection of several
inches of cocoa-nut fibre refuse or litter. The safer plan is to
raise the roots, winter them in some dry part of the greenhouse; but,
previous to storing, divide the clumps, clean them, and re-plant or pot
in February, or early in March. A mixture of equal parts peat, sandy
loam, and leaf soil is most suitable for their culture. Just previous
to flowering, if in pots, frequent doses of weak manure water will be
found beneficial. They may be propagated by offsets, which are produced
in abundance, at almost any time. Seeds are sometimes procured, which
should be sown so soon as ripe, in light soil, in a cool house, where
they will germinate the following spring, and will be fit to plant out
in the summer of the same year. With the exception of _A. Cunonia_,
they all much resemble each other. Only four or five species of this
genus are worth cultivating.
=A. æthiopica= (Æthiopian).* _fl._ scarlet and green. June. _h._
3ft. 1759. SYNS. _A. floribunda_, _A. præalta_.
=A. æ. ringens= (gaping). _fl._ red and yellow, rather smaller than
those of the type. SYN. _A. vittigera_.
=A. bicolor= (two-coloured). Synonymous with _A. Cunonia_.
=A. caffra= (Caffrarian).* _fl._ rich scarlet; spike distichous,
many-flowered. June. _l._ long, linear, or linear-ensiform. _h._
2ft. 1828. A very showy and pretty species, but rarely seen in our
gardens. SYN. _Anisanthus splendens_.
=A. Cunonia= (Cunon's).* _fl._ scarlet and black, a combination of
colours uncommon among bulbous plants; spikes secund. June. _h._
2ft. 1756. SYN. _Anisanthus Cunonia_.
=A. floribunda= (much-flowered). A synonym of _A. æthiopica_.
=A. præalta= (very tall). Synonymous with _A. æthiopica_.
=A. vittigera= (glandular). Synonymous with _A. æ. ringens_.
=ANTHOMYIA.= _See_ =Beet Fly=, =Cabbage Fly=, and =Onion Fly=.
=ANTHONOMUS.= _See_ =Grubs=.
=ANTHOSPERMUM= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _sperma_, a seed). Amber
Tree. ORD. _Rubiaceæ_. An ornamental greenhouse evergreen shrub from
the Cape of Good Hope. It thrives in peat, loam, and sand, with a
summer temperature of 50deg. to 65deg., and winter, 40deg. to 45deg.
Increased by cuttings, in sand, under a bell glass. There are above
twenty other species belonging to this genus.
=A. æthiopicum= (Æthiopian).* _fl._ diœcious, male brownish, and
the female ones green, disposed in verticillate spikes. June.
_l._ linear-lanceolate, three in a whorl, shining above, glabrous
beneath, about 1/4in. long. Stem much branched, downy above. _h._
2ft. to 3ft. 1692.
=ANTHOTAXIS.= The arrangement of flowers on an inflorescence.
=ANTHOXANTHUM= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _xanthus_, yellow). Spring
Grass. Calyx of two valves, glumaceous, one-flowered; corolla double,
each of two valves: the exterior awned; the interior small, awnless;
stamens two, not three, as is usually the case with grasses. ORD.
_Gramineæ_. A pretty native hardy perennial, of easy culture in common
garden soil.
[Illustration: FIG. 107. ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM.]
=A. odoratum= (sweet). _fl._ panicle spiked, oblong, dense,
becoming dullish yellow. _l._ short, pale green. _h._ 1ft. The
pleasant smell of new-made Hay is chiefly owing to this plant,
which in drying emits an odour similar to that of _Asperula
odorata_. See Fig. 107.
=ANTHURIUM= (from _anthos_, a flower, and _oura_, a tail; referring
to the inflorescence). ORD. _Aroideæ_. Flowers densely disposed on a
cylindrical spadix, at the base of which is a large bract-like spathe,
that ultimately bends backwards. Leaves of various shapes. This very
large genus of handsome stove and greenhouse plants is remarkable
both for the peculiar inflorescence and often noble leaves, and is
distinguished in structure from all the European members of the order
in the flowers being hermaphrodite. Fibry peat, loam, sphagnum, broken
crocks, or charcoal, and silver sand, form the most suitable compost.
In preparing the peat, it should be broken up into small lumps, and
then have most of the earthy matter knocked out of it by giving it a
few raps with a stick, or by shaking it about in a sieve. To this,
after so treated, add about one-fourth its bulk of sphagnum, and about
half its bulk of fibrous loam, and just a sprinkling of fresh broken
crocks, or small pieces of charcoal and sharp silver sand. In placing
them in the pots--which must be well drained--carefully spread out the
roots and work the mixture among them, keeping the plant well up, so
that when finished it stands clear above the rim of the pot at least
2in. or 3in., and forms a kind of mound or hillock. They must then be
kept freely syringed or watered, and placed in a moist atmosphere,
where they can enjoy a temperature ranging between 60deg. and 70deg.,
or a few degrees lower for the less tender species. Raising plants
from seed requires patience. About a year elapses from the time the
flowers are fertilised--which should be done artificially--before
the seed ripens, and often another to get up plants. Sow as soon as
ripe in shallow, well-drained pans or pots, filled with the potting
mixture, and cover slightly, and place in a close, moist propagating
case, where a temperature of from 75deg. to 85deg. is maintained, or
they may be covered with bell glasses. The principal thing is to keep
the air about them constantly humid, and the material in which they
are sown in a uniformly moist condition; if this is done, the young
seedlings will make their appearance in due course. When these are of
sufficient size to handle, they should be pricked off in the same sort
of compost, and be kept close and moist till they get a start, after
which gradually inure them to more air. January is the best month of
the year wherein to propagate these plants by divisions. This is done
by carefully turning them out of their pots and shaking out what soil
they have amongst their roots, which must be tenderly dealt with, so as
not to bruise or injure them. This done, they may then be pulled apart,
and as many plants made as there are separate crowns, or the mass may
be simply halved or quartered, according to the stock required. Treat
now as recommended above for potting. They are all moisture-loving
plants, and must have a copious supply of water at all times, although,
of course, much less during the winter than spring and summer months.
There is no season of the year when they can be handled for any purpose
with less risk or check than January. A moderate moist stove heat is
advisable for them generally. The species enumerated are selected from
nearly 150, and will be found to be a very representative collection.
_See also_ =Spathiphyllum=.
=A. acaule= (stemless).* _fl._, spadix blue in a young state, borne
on long footstalks, sweetly scented. Spring. _l._ broad, oblong,
acuminate, 1ft. to 3ft. in length, erect, arranged in a rosulate
manner, dark shining green on the upper surface, somewhat paler
beneath. West Indies, 1853. A noble species.