leaflets nearly linear, but slightly narrowed at both ends, having
a prominent ivory-white central rib. South Sea Islands, 1876. An
erect growing species, with an elegantly graceful habit. It is
allied to _A. reticulata_, but is more handsome. This charming
variety is undoubtedly the finest for table decoration, and is
frequently grafted upon stocks of the typical form. It enjoys
plenty of heat. SYN. _A. gracillima_.
=ARALIACEÆ.= An order of trees, shrubs, or (rarely) herbaceous plants,
often pubescent, and sometimes spiny. Flowers variously disposed,
hermaphrodite or unisexual, regular; petals usually five, and valvate.
Leaves alternate, or (rarely) opposite. This order is closely allied to
_Umbelliferæ_; and the best known genera are _Aralia_ and _Hedera_.
=ARAR-TREE.= A common name for =Callitris quadrivalvis= (which _see_).
=ARAUCARIA= (from _Araucanos_, its name in Chili). SYN. _Eutacta_. ORD.
_Coniferæ_. A noble genus of diœcious or sub-diœcious evergreen trees,
with usually imbricated persistent flat sessile scale-like leaves. Male
cones large, cylindrical, terminal; female ones very large, globular,
terminal, with dense ligneous deciduous scales, each bearing a solitary
seed. The majority of the species are not, unfortunately, sufficiently
hardy to withstand our winters out of doors. Few trees can compete
with them in symmetry and elegant proportion for conservatory
decoration, where they may be grown in large tubs, or planted out.
Small plants grown in pots are most serviceable for table and other
decorative purposes. They thrive in a good fibrous loam, mixed with
leaf soil and sand. Propagation by means of seed is the surest and
most satisfactory method; the seed should be sown in pans or boxes, or
if in large quantities, in a bed, with but gentle heat; they usually
take some time to germinate. Cuttings are procured by taking off the
leading shoots, and fixing them firmly in a pot of sand; they first
require a cool place, but may afterwards be subjected to slight warmth.
When rooted, they should be potted off into the soil above mentioned.
The young growths which afterwards shoot from the plant, whence the
cutting, may be taken off and treated in much the same manner. These
are the only methods of propagation worth pursuing.
=A. Balansæ= (Balansa's). _male cones_ cylindrical-conical, 2in.
_female cones_ elliptic globose, 4in.; scales obovate, cuneate.
_l._ arcuately-uncinate, ovate triangular, imbricated round the
distichous, simple branchlets. _h._ 130ft. to 160ft. New Caledonia,
1875. A fine greenhouse plumosely branched tree.
=A. Bidwillii= (Bidwill's).* Bunya-Bunya Pine; Moreton Bay Pine.
_cones_ sub-globose, longest diameter 10in. to 12in., shortest 9in.
to 10in. _l._ ovate-lanceolate, in two nearly horizontal rows,
acuminated, slightly convex above, concave beneath, leathery, deep
shining green. _h._ 150ft. Moreton Bay. Habit very regular and
symmetrical. Greenhouse species.
=A. brasiliensis= (Brazilian). _l._ oblong-lanceolate, much
attenuated at the point, loosely imbricated, deep green; lower part
of the trunk usually free from branches, terminating in a rounded
head. _h._ 70ft. to 100ft. Brazil, 1819. _A. b. gracilis_, and _A.
b. Ridolfiana_ are two forms of this species.
=A. columnaris= (columnar). A synonym of _A. Cookii_.
=A. Cookii= (Cook's).* _l._ awl-shaped, short, densely imbricated
around the frondose branches. Described by Mr. Abbay as having
"a somewhat curious habit, even when growing alone, of shedding
their branches for five-sixths or more of their height, and then
replacing them by a smaller and more bushy growth, so that the tree
at a distance presents a very columnar appearance, the resemblance
being increased by the summit being crowned with a mass of foliage
somewhat like a capital." _h._ 200ft. New Caledonia, 1851. SYN. _A.
columnaris_.
[Illustration: FIG. 144. ARAUCARIA EXCELSA.]
=A. Cunninghami= (Cunningham's).* _l._ on the sterile branches
needle-shaped, obscurely quadrangular, rigid, acute; on the fertile
branches shorter, stouter, closely appressed, bright green; upper
branches ascending, lower ones horizontal. _h._ 100ft. Moreton Bay.
This fine species we have found to be quite hardy on the south-west
coast of England.
=A. C. glauca= (milky-green). A very handsome variety, with silvery
glaucous leaves.
=A. excelsa= (lofty).* The Norfolk Island Pine. _l._ awl-shaped,
curved, sharply acuminated, bright green, densely packed on the
frondose, deltoid, horizontal, or pendulous branches. When well
grown, this is a beautifully symmetrical greenhouse or conservatory
species, attaining to a height of 150ft., and a circumference of
20ft. or more. Norfolk Island. This is especially desirable in a
small state. There are several varieties known, the best being: _A.
e. glauca_, having lighter green, and very glaucous foliage; and
_A. e. robusta_, which is larger in all its parts. See Fig. 144.
=A. Goldieana= (Goldie's).* Allied to _A. Rulei_. _l._ produced in
whorls, pendulous, dark green, varying in size. New Caledonia. Most
distinct and elegant for conservatory decoration.
=A. imbricata= (imbricated).* The Monkey Puzzle. _fl._, male and
female catkins on separate trees; the males are six or seven in
a cluster, pedunculate, yellow, and oval with numerous scales,
imbricated, long, and recurved at the points; the female catkins
are oval, with numerous wedge-shaped scales, with narrow oblong
brittle points; they are produced at the ends of the branches.
_cones_, when fully ripe globular, from 3in. to 4in. in diameter,
dark brown. The branches are horizontal, inflexed, and ascending at
the extremities, and are produced in whorls. _l._ ovate-lanceolate,
sessile, thickened at the base, stiff, leathery, straight,
somewhat keeled-shaped below, and strongly mucronate at the apex;
verticillate, with seven or eight in a whorl, imbricate, and
closely encircling the branches, concave, glabrous, shining, marked
with longitudinal lines, dotted on both sides. _h._ 50ft. to 100ft.
Chili, 1796. A well known hardy tree, of striking aspect, and
indispensable to Arboreta and shrubberies. See Fig. 145.
=A. Rulei= (Rule's).* _male cones_ oblong obtuse; _female cones_
oval. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, with a prominent dorsal nerve, more
closely appressed, and less sharply pointed than in the foregoing
species; imbricated in four rows. Branches horizontal; branchlets
often quite pendulous. _h._ 50ft. Papuan Archipelago.
=A. R. elegans= (elegant).* _l._ smaller; whorls of branches closer
together; branchlets more slender. An elegant form; and, from its
comparative dwarf and graceful habit, should be very generally
grown.
=ARBOR.= A tree. A perennial plant, having a distinct bole or trunk,
from which the main branches grow.
=ARBORESCENT.= Having a tendency to become a tree.
=ARBORETUM.= A collection of hardy trees formed for pleasure or
instruction, and which, when well managed, is a source of much
interesting study. They afford shelter, improve the local climate,
renovate bad soils, &c., and also, by concealing or hiding disagreeable
objects, heighten the effect of agreeable ones, create beauty, and add
value. A properly arranged Arboretum should be constructed with a view
to picturesque beauty, and not systematically, as is usually the case
in Botanic Gardens, although scientific purposes are best served by a
systematic arrangement.
=ARBOR-VITÆ.= _See_ =Thuja=.
=ARBOUR.= A seat surrounded by lattice work, covered by Vines,
Wistarias, or other climbing plants.
=ARBUTUS= (from _arboise_, Celtic for austere bush; in allusion to
the austere quality of the fruit). Strawberry Tree. ORD. _Ericaceæ_.
Trees and shrubs, with evergreen alternate laurel-like leaves. Corolla
globose, or ovately campanulate; petals five, reflexed. Very ornamental
subjects for lawns and shrubberies, thriving well in a light sandy or
peaty soil. They may be propagated by seeds, which should be sown in
sand during March; by budding, and by inarching; the first mentioned
method is the one most generally employed, with good results. The
various sorts may be grafted, budded, or inarched upon _A. Unedo_. The
greenhouse species are rare in cultivation, but their management does
not materially differ from other plants requiring a similar temperature.
=A. Andrachne= (Andrachne).* _fl._ greenish-white; panicles
terminal, erect, clothed with viscid down. March and April. _l._
oblong, bluntish, entire in some, a little serrated in others,
glabrous. _h._ 10ft. to 14ft. Greece, 1724. A fine ornamental tree.
=A. A. serratifolia= (saw-edge-leaved). _fl._ yellowish, disposed
in rather large terminal clusters. _l._ serrated, and narrower than
those of the species. SYN. _A. serratifolia_.
[Illustration: FIG. 145. ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA.]
=A. andrachnoides= (Andrachne-like). A synonym of _A. hybrida_.
=A. canariensis= (Canary). _fl._ greenish-white; panicles erect,
hispid. May. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, serrated, glaucous beneath.
_h._ 8ft. to 10ft. Canary Islands, 1796. Greenhouse.
=A. densiflora= (thickly-flowered).* _fl._ white; corolla oval;
pedicels furnished with three bracteas at the base; panicle
terminal, composed of closely packed racemes. _l._ 4in. to 5in.
long, on long petioles, oblong, acute, sharply toothed, coriaceous,
glabrous above and shining, but downy beneath, the middle nerve
with rusty villi; branches angular, hairy. _h._ 20ft. Mexico, 1826.
Greenhouse.
=A. hybrida= (hybrid).* _fl._ white; panicle terminal, pendulous,
downy. September to December. _l._ oblong, acute, serrated,
glabrous; branches pilose. _h._ 10ft. to 0ft. A half-hardy garden
hybrid; it originated about 1800. SYN. _A. andrachnoides_.
=A. Menziesi= (Menzies').* _fl._ white; racemes axillary and
terminal, panicled, dense-flowered. September. _l._ broad-oval,
quite entire, glabrous, on long petioles. _h._ 6ft. to 10ft.
North-west America, 1827. A noble hardy tree. _A. laurifolia_ comes
close to this species. SYN. _A. procera_.
=A. mollis= (soft). _fl._ rosy, drooping; panicle terminal,
crowded, racemose. June. _l._ oblong-acute, sharply toothed,
coriaceous, clothed with soft pubescence above, and white tomentum
beneath. _h._ 6ft. Mexico. Greenhouse shrub.
=A. mucronata= (mucronate). A synonym of _Pernettya mucronata_.
=A. pilosa= (pilose). A synonym of _Pernettya pilosa_.
=A. procera= (tall).* A synonym of _A. Menziesi_.
=A. serratifolia= (saw-edge-leaved). A synonym of _A. Andrachne
serratifolia_.
=A. Unedo= (Unedo).* The Strawberry Tree. _fl._ white, deep red in
some of the varieties, nodding, in terminal racemose, bracteate
panicles. September. _fr._ large, scarlet, nearly globose,
granular, edible. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, serrulated;
branchlets clothed with glandular hairs. _h._ 8ft. to 10ft. West
of Ireland, and South Europe. There are several varieties of this
plant in cultivation. It is one of the greatest ornaments in the
months of October and November--the season when it is in flower,
and when, also, the fruit of the former year is ripe.
=A. Xalapensis= (Xalapan). _fl._ reddish white; corolla ovate;
panicle terminal, composed of many racemes. April. _l._ petiolate,
oblong, acute, quite entire, about 2in. long, glabrous above, but
clothed with brownish tomentum beneath; epidermis separating,
brownish purple. Young branches glabrous, but beset with ramentæ.
_h._ 6ft. to 9ft. Mexico. Greenhouse species.
=ARCHEGONIUM.= The female organ in ferns, &c., analogous with the ovary
in flowering plants.
=ARCTOSTAPHYLOS= (from _arktos_, a bear, and _staphyle_, a grape;
bears eat the fruit of some species). ORD. _Ericaceæ_. Handsome hardy
or half-hardy shrubs or sub-shrubs, agreeing in generic characters
with _Arbutus_, except that the fruit is five-celled and the cells
one-seeded, and not granular on the outside. For culture, &c., _see_
=Arbutus=.
=A. alpina= (alpine).* Black Bearberry. _fl._ white or
flesh-coloured, in terminal, reflexed racemes; pedicels rather
hairy. April. _l._ obovate, acute, wrinkled, serrated, deciduous.
Stems procumbent, trailing. Scotland (but rare), &c. SYN. _Arbutus
alpina_.
=A. nitida= (shining).* _fl._ white; racemes terminal. May. _l._
oblong-lanceolate, acute, smooth on both sides and shining above.
_h._ 4ft. Mexico, 1839. An erect half-hardy evergreen.
=A. pungens= (stinging).* _fl._ white; pedicels close; racemes
short, at first terminal, but at length lateral. February. _l._
ovate-oblong, acute, mucronate, rather pungent, quite entire,
coriaceous, clothed with fine down on both surfaces; branchlets
angular, downy. _h._ 1ft. Mexico, 1839. A dwarf, much branched,
half-hardy evergreen shrub.
=A. tomentosa= (tomentose).* _fl._ pure white, campanulately
urceolate, bracteate; peduncles axillary, shorter than the
leaves, somewhat capitately racemose. December. _l._ oval, acute,
sub-cordate at the base, clothed with white tomentum beneath, on
short petioles; branches hispid. _h._ 4ft. North-west America,
1826. Shrubby species; hardy.
=A. Uva-ursi.=* Bearberry. _fl._ flesh-coloured, with a red mouth,
growing in small clusters at the extremities of the branches.
April. _l._ obovate, quite entire, coriaceous, shining. Highlands
of Scotland and Wales. A hardy evergreen procumbent trailer. SYN.
_Arbutus Uva-ursi_.
=ARCTOTHECA= (from _arktos_, a bear, and _theke_, a capsule; so
named from the roughness of the fruit). ORD. _Compositæ_. Greenhouse
herbaceous perennial, allied to _Arctotis_. Heads radiate; involucral
scales imbricate in many rows, the outer linear, herbaceous, inner
larger, scariose, very obtuse; receptacle honeycombed, bearing many
little fringes; achenes ovate, somewhat four-sided, without wings
or pappus. It thrives in a compost of peat, leaf soil, and loam.
Propagated by divisions of the plant, or cuttings, in spring.
Several species formerly classed in this genus are now included under
_Arctotis_.
=A. repens= (creeping). _fl.-heads_ yellow. July. _l._ petioled,
lyrate-pinnatifid, green and mostly smooth above, white-woolly
beneath. Cape of Good Hope, 1793. A stemless, creeping or decumbent
herb.
=ARCTOTIS= (from _arktos_, a bear, and _ous_, an ear; in reference
to the shaggy fruit). ORD. _Compositæ_. Mostly half-hardy herbaceous
perennials. Involucral bracts numerous, imbricated, scariose on the
margin; receptacle pitted, studded with bristles between the florets;
achenes grooved, crowned with a pappus of membranous scales. The
species of this genus are of easy culture in a compost of loam and leaf
soil. Propagated by cuttings at any time of the year; these should
be pricked in pots of very sandy soil, and placed in gentle warmth;
they must be kept uncovered and moderately dry, or they will rot. The
Arctotis are very handsome plants in sunny, dry positions outside
during the summer months, but they must be protected during winter.
A. acaulis (stemless).* _fl.-heads_ yellow and red. Summer. _l._
hoary on each side, ternate, lyrate. Stem very short, decumbent.
_h._ 4in. Cape of Good Hope, 1759. Very rarely met with.
=A. arborescens= (tree-like).* _fl.-heads_, ray-florets white
above, pink beneath; disk-florets yellow; disposed in large
circular Daisy-like heads. Summer. _l._ linear-oblong, pinnate;
upper ones amplexicaul; lower ones stalked. _h._ 2ft. Cape of Good
Hope, 1815.
=A. argentea= (silvery). _fl.-heads_ orange. August. _l._
lanceolate-linear, entire, downy. _h._ 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1774.
=A. aureola= (golden). Synonymous with _A. grandiflora_.
=A. breviscapa= (short-stalked). Synonymous with _A. speciosa_.
=A. grandiflora= (large-flowered).* _fl.-heads_ orange; outer
scales of involucre reflexed, cuneate, oblong, with a broad short
point, somewhat cobwebbed. July. _l._ pinnatifid, serrulate,
three-nerved. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1710. SYNS. _A.
aureola_ and _A. undulata_.
=A. reptans= (creeping). _fl.-heads_ white, orange. July. _l._
hairy beneath; lower lyrate toothed; upper lanceolate toothed. Stem
ascending. _h._ 8in. Cape of Good Hope, 1795.
=A. rosea= (rosy). _fl.-heads_ pink. Autumn. _l._
spathulate-lanceolate, repand-toothed, hoary. Stem procumbent. Cape
of Good Hope, 1793.
=A. speciosa= (showy).* _fl.-heads_ yellow; outer scales of
involucre linear recurved. July. _l._ lyrate, pinnatifid, hoary
beneath, three-nerved. Plant stemless. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Cape of Good
Hope, 1812. Closely allied to _A. acaulis_. SYN. _A. breviscapa_.
=A. undulata= (wavy). Synonymous with _A. grandiflora_.
=ARCUATE, ARCUATED.= Curved or bent like a bow; forming an arch.
=ARDISIA.= (from _ardis_, a point; in reference to the acute,
spear-pointed anthers). SYN. _Pyrgus_. ORD. _Myrsineæ_. An extensive
genus of greenhouse or stove, mostly ornamental, evergreen trees and
shrubs. Flowers white or rose-coloured, more or less panicled; panicles
sometimes many-flowered at the extremities of the branches, and longer
than the leaves, sometimes few-flowered and in the axils of the leaves.
Leaves alternate, rarely almost opposite, or three in a whorl, dotted.
Propagated by cuttings of the half-ripened wood taken from the side
shoots of the plant any time from March to September; but, as the
points of these side shoots bear the blossoms and fruit, they are
not well adapted for making good plants. To obtain the best plants,
the largest, ripest, and best-coloured berries should be sown early
in spring, as soon as gathered, in a wide-mouthed pot or seed pan,
well drained and filled with loam and peat in equal parts, with the
addition of some sand, and plunged in bottom heat, the soil being kept
moderately moist. The seeds will germinate in a few weeks after sowing,
and when about 2in. high, the strongest seedlings should be selected
and placed in 3in. pots, the same mixture of soil being used, with
the addition of a fourth part well decomposed manure. After potting,
the plants must be moistened overhead twice a day with a fine rose or
syringe, and be kept in a close atmosphere until the roots have taken
to the fresh soil. When the plants begin to grow again, they should be
removed to a light situation in the house; and when the pots are well
filled with roots, a shift into 6in. pots may be effected, water being
given judiciously until well established, and here they may remain to
fruit. Until the berries are coloured, clear manure water, given once
or twice a week, will be found beneficial. The plants arrive at their
best when about 18in. or 2ft. high; after that, they begin to get naked
at the bottom. It will then be wise to cut the worst plants down to
within 2in. of the pots, in early spring, allowing them to become dry
at the roots before this operation is performed. By giving moisture
to the roots when the cut has become dry, the plants will soon break
into growth again, when some of the worst placed shoots should be
rubbed off, leaving only one or two of the strongest and best placed,
calculated to develop into a well formed plant. When the shoots have
grown 2in. or 3in., the plants should be turned out of their pots,
the soil shaken out from the roots, and the long ends of the roots
trimmed in a little with a knife; they must then be placed in a pot
sufficiently large to hold the roots without squeezing. The plants
should now occupy the warmest end of the house in which they are grown,
care being taken in watering until new roots are formed, when they may
have more air and somewhat liberal supplies of water. As soon as they
are sufficiently advanced in growth, they should be transferred to a
larger-sized pot. With proper treatment, they will flower and fruit the
same season as they are cut down, and form handsome plants. Although
most species of this genus are classed as stove plants, they will
succeed very well in a temperature that does not fall below 45deg. in
winter; and, when so grown, they are not so liable to become infested
with large brown scale and other insect pests. This is particularly the
case with _A. crenulata_, and cool treatment is also favourable to the
ripe berries hanging on the plants for a much longer time than when
grown in a stove. Moreover, they do not suffer so much when removed for
decorative purposes.
=A. acuminata= (taper-pointed). _fl._ nearly white; petals small,
acute, dotted; panicles terminal and axillary, many-flowered. July.
_l._ entire, glabrous, oblong, acuminated, attenuated at the base.
_h._ 6ft. to 8ft. Guiana, 1803.
[Illustration: FIG. 146. FLOWERING BRANCH OF ARDISIA CRENULATA.]
=A. crenulata= (round-notched-leaved).* _fl._ reddish violet;
panicles terminal; pedicels umbellate. June. Berries numerous,
bright coral-like. _l._ lanceolate-ovate, tapering at both ends,
repandly crenulated, pilose. _h._ 3ft. to 6ft. Mexico, 1809.
When grown in a cool atmosphere, as previously alluded to, it is
quite common for one crop of berries to hang on the plants until
another crop is ripe. This is a splendid plant, superior even to
the red-berried Solanums for decorative purposes, for which it is
largely grown. See Fig. 146.
=A. crispa= (curled). _fl._ small, drooping, red; cymes terminal,
usually solitary, often compound; pedicels smooth, finely veined,
umbellate, drooping. July. Berries red, size of peas. _l._
bluntish, oblong-lanceolate, attenuated at both ends, with repandly
crenulated glandular edges, glabrous. _h._ 4ft. India, 1809.
=A. humilis= (humble). _fl._ rose-coloured; peduncles solitary,
bearing each a simple racemose umbel of many pretty, large,
drooping flowers; petals lanceolate, first recurved, afterwards
revolute. June. Berries size of peas, shining, black, juicy. _l._
oblong-lanceolate, acuminated at both ends, glabrous, veined,
shining. _h._ 4ft. India, 1820.
=A. japonica= (Japanese).* _fl._ white; pedicels red,
sub-umbellate, secund, drooping; racemes simple, axillary. June.
_l._ nearly opposite, or three to five in a whorl, on short
petioles, cuneate-oblong, acute, glabrous, serrated; 4in. long.
_h._ 1ft. Japan. Perhaps the hardiest of all the species.
=A. macrocarpa= (large-fruited).* _fl._ flesh-coloured, dotted;
petals ovate, obtuse; racemes terminal, corymbose, almost
sessile, slightly hairy. Berries vermilion coloured, as large as
gooseberries. _l._ oblong, acute, tapering downwards, glandularly
crenated, dotted, close together, leathery, 6in. to 8in. long,
paler beneath, veinless. _h._ 5ft. to 6ft. Nepaul, 1824. A
beautiful shrub.
=A. Oliveri= (Oliver's).* _fl._ rose pink, white eye: corolla
rotate, 1/2in. across; lobes obtuse; heads terminal, consisting of
a number of stalked, many-flowered corymbs; pedicels about twice as
long as the flower. July. _l._ nearly sessile, entire, glabrous,
6in. to 8in. long, by 2in. in the broadest portion; oblanceolate,
acuminate, tapering towards the base. Costa Rica, 1876.
=A. paniculata= (panicled).* _fl._ rose-coloured; panicles
terminal, composed of many alternate compound branches, large and
elegant; petals and sepals ovate. July. Berries red, smooth, size
of a pea, juicy. _l._ glabrous, cuneate-oblong, almost sessile,
reflexed, 6in. to 20in. long, and from 3in. to 5in. broad, crowded
at the ends of the branches. _h._ 8ft. to 10ft. India, 1818.
=A. punctata= (dotted). _fl._ greyish white, sub-campanulate,
secund, beset with dark dots, and the pedicels with dark lines;
peduncles umbellate, terminal, and axillary; umbels involucrated
by deciduous bracts. June. _l._ glabrous, lanceolate, leathery,
repandly crenated, tapering to the base. _h._ 6ft. to 10ft. China,
1822.
=A. serrulata= (finely serrated).* _fl._ deep red; petals ciliated;
calyces and pedicels coloured; panicles terminal; pedicels
umbellate. July. _l._ glabrous, lanceolate, acuminated, wrinkled,
serrulated, beset with rusty dots beneath; branches downy. _h._
2ft. to 3ft. China, 1820.