Part 12

=ÆSCHYNANTHUS= (from _aischuno_, to be ashamed, and _anthos_, a flower). ORD. _Gesneraceæ_. A genus of very beautiful twining, radicant or parasitical stove shrubs, with opposite, simple, entire leaves, and axillary, terminal, few flowered, umbellate peduncles. They possess all the qualifications worthy of extensive cultivation--handsome flowers, fine deep green leaves, an agreeable fragrance, and are easily grown on blocks, which must be covered with green moss, fastened on with small copper wire. Preparatory to fastening them on, the roots should be covered with moss, and the plants secured to the block also by wire. After this, but little attention is requisite, except duly syringing and occasionally dipping in tepid water. As pot plants they are very beautiful, and in this method perfection is only obtained by growing them on fast and strong by generous treatment, which consists in frequently repotting in light rich compost till they are large enough to be trained up a trellis, formed of slender rods of willow or hazel. Propagated by seeds and cuttings. The former are very unsatisfactory; the latter root readily during spring in a well-drained pot, filled with a light compost, and having a surface of pure white sand, about 1in. deep. The best are obtained from half-ripened wood, cut into 2in. or 3in. lengths, and all leaves, with the exception of one or two at the top, removed. The cuttings should then be covered over with a bell glass, and placed in moderate bottom heat. So soon as rooted, transfer them singly to small pots, and again place under hand glasses, until they are thoroughly established, then gradually harden off. When about twelve months old, place the plants in their permanent quarters. Baskets are commonly and very effectively employed. Line these with moss, and fill with a light rich compost; place the plant as near the centre as possible, and, to promote a uniform growth, fasten down the branches with small neat pegs, at equal distances. During the summer, give copious supplies of water, to produce a liberal growth, which is of the utmost importance the first season, when they should not be permitted to flower. The following winter they should be kept cool and rather dry, thus giving them a rest. The year following, if properly managed, they will bloom profusely.

=Æ. atrosanguinea= (dark-red).* _fl._ dark red; corolla 1-1/2in. long, cylindrical, saccate at base, pilose; peduncle one-flowered. July. _l._ pilose, oblong, sub-cordate, serrated, unequal. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Guatemala, 1848.

=Æ. Aucklandi.= (Lord Auckland's). Synonymous with _Æ. speciosus_.

=Æ. Boschianus= (Bosch's).* _fl._ scarlet, axillary, clustered; corolla tubular, with wide throat; calyx tubular, smooth, purplish-brown. July. _l._ ovate, obtuse, entire. _h._ 1ft. Java, 1844. See Fig. 36.

=Æ. cordifolius= (heart-leaved).* _fl._ deep red, striped with black, inside of the tube orange, axillary, clustered. Summer. _l._ cordate, quite smooth, dark green on the upper side, paler below. _h._ 1ft. Borneo, 1858.

=Æ. fulgens= (shining).* _fl._ bright crimson, very long; throat and the under side of the tube orange; lobes striped with black, disposed in terminal umbels. October. _l._ large, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, thick and fleshy, bright dark green. _h._ 1ft. East Indies, 1855.

=Æ. grandiflorus= (large-flowered).* _fl._ deep crimson and orange, large; corolla clavate; segments obtuse, with a dark mark at top, equal; umbels many-flowered. August. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, serrated, obscurely-nerved, fleshy, dark green, _h._ 5ft. East Indies, 1838.

=Æ. javanicus= (Java). _fl._ bright red, stained with yellow in the throat; corolla downy, tubular; corymbs terminal, bracteate. June. _l._ small, ovate, slightly toothed, with sunk veins. Java, 1848. Plant scandent.

=Æ. Lobbianus= (Lobb's).* _fl._ rich scarlet; calyx large, campanulate; corolla downy; corymbs terminal, bracteate. June. _l._ elliptic, entire or slightly serrated, glaucous. Java, 1845. Plant subscandent.

=Æ. longiflorus= (long-flowered).* _fl._ scarlet, erect, fascicled; corolla with a long clavate curved tube, and oblique constructed bilobed mouth; upper lobe bifid. Summer. _l._ broad-lanceolate, acuminate, entire. Java, 1845. Plant pendulous.

=Æ. miniatus= (vermilion).* _fl._ rich vermilion; corolla tomentose; upper lip bilobed, lower one tripartite; peduncles axillary, three-flowered. June. _l._ oval acute, entire. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Java, 1845. SYN. _Æ. radicans_.

=Æ. pulcher= (fair).* _fl._ bright scarlet; corolla three times larger than the calyx; corymbs terminal, bracteate. June. _l._ ovate, obscurely toothed. Java, 1845. Scandent.

=Æ. radicans= (stem-fibred). Synonymous with _Æ. miniatus_.

=Æ. speciosus= (showy).* _fl._ rich orange-coloured; corolla with long clavate curved tube, and obliquely four-lobed limb; upper lobe bifid, terminal, numerous, downy. Summer. _l._ upper ones always verticillate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, slightly serrate. _h._ 2ft. Java, 1845. SYN. _Æ. Aucklandi_.

=Æ. splendidus= (splendid).* _fl._ bright scarlet, spotted with black on the margins; corolla clavate, 3in. long, in terminal fascicles. Summer, lasting in perfection for a considerable time. _l._ elliptic lanceolate, acuminated, entire, rather undulated. _h._ 1ft. Hybrid.

=Æ. tricolor= (three-coloured).* _fl._ deep blood red, usually twin; throat and base of the lobes bright orange, the three upper lobes being striped with black. July. _l._ cordate, dark green above, paler on the under side; edges, under surface, and stem, slightly hairy. _h._ 1ft. Borneo, 1857.

=Æ. zebrinus= (zebra-marked). _fl._ green, brown. Autumn. Java, 1846.

=ÆSCHYNOMENE= (from _aischuno_, to be ashamed; in reference to the leaves of some of the species falling on the slightest touch, like those of the Sensitive plant). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. Stove herbs and shrubs, with impari-pinnate leaves, having many pairs of leaflets, and axillary racemes of usually yellow flowers. They thrive well in a good rich loam. Propagated by cuttings, placed in sand under a bell glass, in a brisk heat. Seeds of the herbaceous species require a good heat to start them into growth. The annuals are not worth growing. There are about forty other species known besides those mentioned, some of which may prove worthy of cultivation when introduced.

=Æ. aristata= (awned). A synonym of _Pictatia aristata_.

=Æ. aspera= (rough-stemmed). _fl._ yellow; racemes compound; peduncles, bracteas, calyces, and corollas, hispid. June. _l._ with thirty to forty pairs of linear leaflets, which (as well as the legumes) are smooth. Stem herbaceous, erect. _h._ 6ft. to 8ft. East Indies, 1759. Perennial.

=Æ. sensitiva= (sensitive).* _fl._ white; legumes and racemes glabrous; peduncles branched, few-flowered. June. _l._ with sixteen to twenty pairs of linear leaflets. Stem smooth. _h._ 3ft. to 6ft. Jamaica, 1733. This shrub requires a sandy soil.

=ÆSCULUS= (a name given by Pliny to a kind of oak having an edible fruit; derived from _esca_, nourishment). The Horse Chestnut. ORD. _Sapindaceæ_. A genus of hardy showy trees, well adapted for lawns or parks, having a beautiful appearance when in flower. They will do well in any soil, but the more loamy the better. Increased by layers, put down in the spring, or by grafting or budding on the common horse chestnut. Seeds, where procurable, should be sown singly in rows in spring, where they may remain until they are of sufficient size to be permanently planted out. This genus is distinguished from _Pavia_, in having its capsules echinated, _i.e._, covered with prickles, like a hedgehog; but this character is not always consistent.

=Æ. carnea= (flesh-coloured). Synonymous with _Æ. rubicunda_.

=Æ. glabra= (smooth-leaved).* _fl._ greenish yellow; corolla of four spreading petals, with their claws about the length of the calyx; stamens longer than the corolla. June. _l._ with five leaflets, very smooth; foliage larger than the common species. _h._ 20ft. North America, 1821. SYNS. _A. ohioensis_, _A. pallida_.

=Æ. Hippocastanum= (Common Horse-Chestnut). _fl._ white, tinged with red, on very handsome terminal racemes, which are produced in great profusion; petals five. April and May. _l._ with seven obovately-cuneated, acute, toothed leaflets. Asia, 1629. This, the common horse chestnut, is well known by the beautiful parabolic form in which it grows, and during the period of its flowering no tree possesses greater beauty. It has two or three unimportant varieties, differing in the variation of their leaves, and one also with double flowers. These are increased by grafting only.

=Æ. ohioensis= (Ohio). A synonym of _A. glabra_.

=Æ. pallida= (pale-flowered). A synonym of _A. glabra_.

=Æ. rubicunda= (red-flowered).* _fl._ scarlet, in very fine terminal racemes; petals four, having the claws shorter than the calyx; stamens eight. June. _l._ with five to seven obovately-cuneated, acute, unequally serrated leaflets. _h._ 20ft. North America, 1820. This is a very distinct and beautiful tree when in flower, and does not attain so large a size as _Æ. Hippocastanum_. SYN. _Æ. carnea_.

=ÆSTIVATION.= The manner of the folding of the calyx and corolla in the flower bud.

=ÆTHIONEMA= (from _aitho_, to scorch, and _nema_, a filament; apparently in allusion to some tawny or burnt appearance in the stamens). ORD. _Cruciferæ_. A genus of elegant little plants, distinguished from allied genera in having the four larger stamens winged, and with a tooth. Herbs or sub-shrubs, perennial or annual, branched from the base, diffuse or erect. Flowers in crowded terminal racemes. Leaves fleshy, sessile. They are well worth cultivating in sunny situations, where they form a freer flowering habit than when growing in a wild state. Some of the more hardy species may be planted on rock work, which, by their dwarf growth, they are well adapted for. The annual and biennial species may either be sown on rockwork or in the front of the flower-border. A light dry soil suits them best. The shrubby kinds of this genus should be kept in pots, which should be well drained with potsherds, and treated like other alpine plants. Propagated by seeds, sown in May; or by cuttings, planted in summer.

=Æ. Buxbaumii= (Bauxbaum's). _fl._ pale red; racemes crowded, aggregate. June. _l._ oblong-spathulate, glaucous. _h._ 6in. Thrace, 1823. A pretty annual, with erect branched stems. SYN. _Thlaspi arabicum_.

=Æ. coridifolium= (Coris-leaved).* _fl._ rosy lilac, small, in terminal dense rounded racemes. June. _l._ linear, glaucous, crowded. Asia Minor, 1871. A pretty perennial, shrubby below, with erect stems 6in. to 8in. high. See Fig. 37.

=Æ. gracile= (slender). _fl._ purplish; racemes crowded, terminal; when in fruit, loose. June. _l._ lanceolate, pointed. _h._ 8in. Branches and branchlets slender, elongated. Sandy hills in Carniola, 1820. Shrubby perennial.

=Æ. grandiflorum= (large-flowered).* _fl._ of a warm shaded rose; racemes crowded, terminal, numerous. May to August. _l._ ovate-oblong, glaucous. Mount Lebanon, 1879. This perennial species forms a spreading bush about 1-1/2ft. high, and is perhaps the handsomest of the genus. It succeeds well in the ordinary border, but is far better suited for the rockery. See Fig. 38.

=Æ. membranaceum= (membranous-podded). _fl._ purplish, in terminal racemes. June. _l._ linear, distant, somewhat fleshy, strictly appressed. _h._ 3in. to 6in. Persia, 1828. A small shrub, with filiform branches.

=Æ. monospermum= (one-seeded). _fl._ purple, largish, in terminal racemes. July. _l._ oval or obovate, blunt, coriaceous; pods one-celled, one-seeded. _h._ 3in. to 6in. Spain, 1778. A pretty little biennial, with hardish branches.

=Æ. pulchellum= (pretty).* This is said to be a new species, but it much resembles _Æ. coridifolium_. It is scarcely in full cultivation yet, but it proves one of the hardiest as well as one of the most handsome kinds.

=Æ. saxatilis= (rock).* _fl._ purplish; racemes loose, terminal. May and June. _l._ lanceolate, acutish. _h._ 8in. Spain, 1820. A pretty annual.

=AFRICAN ALMOND.= _See_ =Brabejum=.

=AFRICAN BLADDER NUT.= _See_ =Royena lucida=.

=AFRICAN FLEABANE.= _See_ =Tarchonanthus=.

=AFRICAN HAREBELL.= _See_ =Roella ciliata=.

=AFRICAN LILY.= _See_ =Agapanthus=.

=AFRICAN LOTUS.= _See_ =Zizyphus=.

=AFRICAN MARIGOLD.= _See_ =Tagetes erecta=.

=AFRICAN OAK OR TEAK.= _See_ =Vitex Doniana=.

=AFRICAN SATIN-BUSH.= _See_ =Podalyria sericea=.

=AFZELIA= (named after Adam Afzelius, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Upsal, and for many years resident at Sierra Leone). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. A pretty stove evergreen tree. For culture, _see_ =Ægiphila=.

=A. africana= (African).* _fl._ crimson, disposed in racemes; petals four (furnished with claws), upper one largest. June. Legume ligneus, many-celled; seeds black, with scarlet aril. _l._ abruptly pinnate. _h._ 30ft. Sierra Leone, 1821.

=AGALMYLA= (from _agalma_, an ornament; and _hule_, a wood; the species are great ornaments to the woods in which they grow wild). ORD. _Gesneraceæ_. A small but very handsome genus of climbing or radicant herbs, with simple alternate leaves and axillary fascicles of flowers, something like the blooms of a Gesnera. Corolla limb oblique, five-lobed, scarcely two-lipped. _A. staminea_, the most generally cultivated species, is best grown in a basket, planted in a compost of rough peat, a little leaf soil, fresh sphagnum moss, and nodules of charcoal. Give an abundance of moisture when growing, which should be lessened after flowering, and allow the plant to rest during winter. It may be planted out on rockwork in the stove. Half-ripened cuttings will root freely in heat under a glass. The temperature in summer should not be less than 75deg. by day, and 65deg. by night.

=A. longistyla= (long-styled). _fl._ crimson. Java, 1873.

=A. staminea= (long-stamened).* _fl._ scarlet, disposed in axillary fascicles; corolla tubular, incurved, with a dilated throat. Summer. _l._ alternate, oblong, acuminated, denticulated, nearly equal at the base, downy beneath, and on the edges. Stem and petioles hairy. _h._ 2ft. Java, 1846. Stove species.

=AGANISIA= (from _aganos_, desirable; in reference to the beauty of these neat little plants). ORD. _Orchidaceæ_. A small genus of epiphytal orchids, requiring to be grown upon a block of wood suspended from the rafters of the stove. A damp atmosphere, syringing the roots and leaves freely when in a growing state, and shade during very bright sunshine, are primary points to be observed in their cultivation. Increased by dividing the pseudo-bulbs just previous to starting into new growth.

=A. cœrulea= (dark blue).* _fl._ peduncles axillary, few flowered. "The colour is the well known one of _Vanda cœrulea_. There are, however, darker blue blotches quasi-tesselated over the flower. The lip is veiled, and has two very small basilar teeth, and then a veiled middle lacinia, that is sacciform, bordered with most remarkable long bristles, and with a deep violet blotch on its middle part beneath. The white column has two cartilaginous quadrate arms close to the stigmatic hollow." _l._ cuneate, oblong, acuminate. Pseudo-bulbs distichous, depresso-ovoid. Brazil, 1876.

=A. fimbriata= (fringed).* _fl._ white; lip blue. Demerara, 1874. This species has also a sacciform, fimbriate lip, but, when compared with the foregoing, its flowers, leaves, and bulbs are much smaller, and the lip is not slit up to the apex, but the sac is round.

=A. graminea= (grass-leaved). A weedy looking species, of no garden value. Guiana, 1836.

=A. ionoptera= (violet-winged). The flowers, not very much larger than those of the lily of the valley, are white, with violet petals, and violet tips and streaks on the sepals. Peru, 1871.

=A. pulchella= (pretty).* _fl._ white, with a blotch of yellow in the centre of the lip; the spike is produced from the bottom of the bulb. _h._ 8in. Demerara, 1838. It blossoms at different times of the year, and lasts two or three weeks in perfection. This species is very rare and pretty, and is best grown in a pot, with peat, and good drainage; requires a liberal supply of water at the roots, and the hottest house.

=AGANOSMA= (from _aganos_, mild, and _osme_, a smell; scent of flowers). ORD. _Apocynaceæ_. A genus of showy stove or warm greenhouse shrubs, with opposite leaves and terminal corymbs of large funnel-shaped flowers, the coronet of which is cup-shaped or cylindrical, "having its parts so united that they appear only as lobes around the mouth of the cup." All the species mentioned are well worth cultivating. They thrive best in a mixture of loam, sand, and peat, in equal proportions. Propagated by cuttings in sand, under glass, and with bottom heat.

=A. acuminata= (pointed-leaved).* _fl._ large, white, fragrant; petals linear, falcate, curled; panicles axillary, longer than the leaves, scattered. _l._ from oblong to broad-lanceolate, acuminated, glabrous. Sylhet. Shrubby climber.

=A. caryophyllata= (clove scented).* _fl._ pale yellow, tinged with red, deliciously clove scented; corymbs terminal. October. _l._ oval, acutish at both ends, tomentose beneath as well as the branches. India, 1812. Shrubby twiner.

=A. cymosa= (cymose-flowered).* _fl._ small, whitish, fragrant; calyx and corolla hoary outside; cymes terminal, shorter than the leaves. _l._ elliptic, acuminated. Sylhet. Shrub.

=A. elegans= (elegant).* _fl._ small, purple; corolla downy outside, as well as the calyces, bracteas, and pedicels; sepals longer than the tube of the corolla; corymbs terminal, crowded. _l._ elliptic, short-acuminated, glabrous. India. Shrubby twiner.

=A. marginata= (bordered).* _fl._ numerous, large, white, fragrant; petals linear, falcate; panicles terminal, loose, corymbose, glabrous. _l._ lanceolate, smooth. Sylhet. Shrubby climber.

=A. Roxburghii= (Roxburgh's).* _fl._ pure white, large, fragrant; calyx and corolla hoary outside; petals triangular; corymbs terminal. October. _l._ ovate-cordate, acuminated; petioles and veins red, glabrous, pale beneath, and shining above. India, 1812. Shrubby twiner.

=A. Wallichii= (Wallich's).* _fl._ white, fragrant; calyx and corolla downy outside; corymbs terminal. _l._ elliptic-acuminated, shining above and pale beneath, glabrous. India. This species differs from the last in the veins of the leaves being parallel, not longitudinal, from the base to the apex. Shrubby twiner.

=AGAPANTHUS= (from _agape_, love, and _anthos_, a flower). ORD. _Liliaceæ_. African Lily. A genus, with numerous varieties, of very handsome greenhouse or conservatory herbaceous plants. Flowers large, scapose; perianth tubular, tube short; stamens six, having the filaments somewhat declinate. Leaves linear or lorate, arching, radical. They are of easy culture, and thrive best in strong turfy loam, leaf mould, decomposed manure, and river sand. They may be grown in large pots or tubs outside, to be removed in autumn, and placed under the stage in the greenhouse, or where they will be protected from frost, and kept moderately dry. If planted and left outside, the crowns should be well covered with cocoa-nut fibre in winter. During the summer, and especially in dry weather, the plants can hardly be over watered. They thrive admirably on the margins of lakes or running streams, and few plants, alike in flower and foliage, are more effective. Clear manure water may be given previous to or when the plants are in flower, and, after flowering, gradually lessen the quantity of water, until they are stowed away for the winter. They increase very rapidly, by offsets, and, if necessary, the old plants may be divided in early spring, to any extent required. In the more southern parts of this country they are quite hardy.

=A. umbellatus= (umbelled).* _fl._ bright blue; perianth funnel-shaped, regular, deeply six-parted; tube short; scape tall, naked, bearing a many-flowered umbel. Summer and autumn. _l._ numerous, radical, linear, somewhat fleshy. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1692. See Fig. 39.

=A. u. albidus= (whitish).* _fl._ pure white, on large full-sized umbels, smaller than those of the species, but very showy. Cape of Good Hope. This requires carefully drying off during the winter.

=A. u. aureus= (golden). A variety in which the leaves are marked longitudinally with yellow. 1882.

=A. u. flore-pleno= (double-flowered).* Identical in all respects with the species, except that it has double flowers, which are therefore, much more lasting than the single ones. A very handsome variety.

=A. u. Leichtlinii= (Leichtlin's).* _fl._, perianth deep bright hyacinthine blue, 1-1/4in. long; scape about 1-1/2ft. long, with a more compact umbel than any other known form. June. _l._ similar in size to the species. Cape of Good Hope, 1878.

=A. u. maximus= (larger).* _fl._ bright blue, in immense umbels. This is larger in all its parts than the type, and when well grown is truly a noble plant. There is also a white-flowered form of this variety, which is most desirable, being equally as large.

=A. u. minor= (smaller).* This is smaller in all its parts, with narrow leaves, and slender scapes of deep blue flowers. A very elegant variety.

=A. u. Mooreanus= (Moore's).* _fl._ dark blue. _h._ 1-1/2ft. 1879. A new variety, with shorter, narrower, and more upright leaves than the species; it has a dwarf habit. Perfectly hardy.

=A. u. variegatus= (variegated).* Where variegated-leaved plants are desired, few could be more useful than this; its leaves are almost entirely white, with a few green bands, but they are neither so broad nor so long as in the type. It is an excellent subject for the domestic garden.

=AGAPETES= (from _agapetos_, beloved; in reference to the showy character of the plants). ORD. _Vacciniaceæ_. A genus containing about eighteen species of warm greenhouse or stove evergreen shrubs. Flowers corymbose and racemose; corolla tubular. Leaves alternate, coriaceous. They are all worthy of cultivation, but only two or three species are grown in England. Peat, turfy loam, and sand, in equal parts, is the best compost for them; and young hardened cuttings will strike in sandy soil, under a hand glass, in stove temperature.

=A. buxifolia= (box-leaved).* _fl._ bright red, about 1in. long, tubular, wax-like, disposed in corymbs. April. _l._ small, oval oblong, bright green, leathery; branches spreading, twiggy. _h._ 5ft. Bootan.

=A. setigera= (bristly). _fl._ red, about 1in. long, tubular, numerous, in lateral and corymbose racemes, furnished with bristly hairs. _l._ scattered, lanceolate, acuminated, on very short robust petioles. Pundua Mountains, 1837.

=A. variegata= (variegated). _fl._ scarlet, about 1in. long, tubular, lateral, corymbose. _l._ on short petioles, lanceolate, acuminated, denticulated, attenuated at the base, veiny. Khasia, 1837.