Part 20

=A. montanum= (mountain). _fl._ yellow, sweet-scented; raceme simple. May to July. _l._ somewhat hoary; lower ones obovate; upper ones oblong. Stems rather herbaceous, diffuse, pubescent. _h._ 2in. or 3in. Europe, 1713. A distinct and charming species for the rockery, forming compact tufts of slightly glaucous green. _A. cuneifolium_ (wedge-leaved), _A. diffusum_ (diffuse), and _A. Wulfenianum_ (Wulfenius') come close to this species, the latter being the most desirable.

=A. olympicum= (Olympian). _fl._ deep yellow, small, in roundish corymbose heads. Summer. _l._ spathulate, sessile, very small, greyish. _h._ 2in. to 3in. Northern Greece.

=A. orientale= (Oriental).* _fl._ yellow, corymbose. May. _l._ lanceolate, repandly-toothed, waved, downy. Stems suffruticose at the base. _h._ 1ft. Crete, 1820. There is a variety with variegated leaves.

=A. saxatile= (rock).* _fl._ yellow, in close corymbose heads. April. _l._ lanceolate, entire, clothed with hoary tomentum. Stems shrubby at the base. _h._ 1ft. Eastern Europe, 1710. A very common and showy spring plant. See Fig. 70.

=A. s. variegatum= (variegated).* A constant and prettily variegated form, which is even more handsome than the type. On the rockery it does well, as it requires a sunny, well drained, position. See Fig. 71.

=A. serpyllifolium= (Thyme-leaved).* _fl._ pale yellow, in simple racemes. April to June. _l._ very small, 1/4in. to 1/2in. long, ovate, scabrous, hoary. _h._ 3in. to 4in. Branches spreading, sub-woody at the base. South Europe, 1822.

=A. tortuosum= (twisted). _fl._ yellow; raceme corymbose. June. _l._ hoary, somewhat lanceolate. Stem shrubby at the base, twisted, diffuse. _h._ 6in. Hungary, 1804.

=A. Wiersbeckii= (Wiersbeck's).* _fl._ deep yellow, in close corymbose heads, about 1-1/2in. across. Summer. _l._ 2in. long, oval-oblong-pointed, sessile, attenuated at the base, roughish and hairy. Stems erect, scabrous, simple, rigid. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Asia Minor.

=AMARANTHACEÆ.= An extensive order of herbs or (rarely) shrubs, with opposite or alternate leaves, and inconspicuous apetalous flowers, which are spicately or capitately disposed. The majority of this order are weeds; well-known exceptions being many species of _Amaranthus_.

=AMARANTH, GLOBE.= _See_ =Gomphrena=.

=AMARANTHUS= (from _a_, not, and _maraino_, to wither; in reference to the length of time some of the flowers retain their colour). ORD. _Amaranthaceæ_. Hardy or half-hardy annuals, with alternate entire leaves and small green or red flowers in large bracteate clustered spikes. Flowers polygamous, furnished with three bracts at the base of a three or five-lobed glabrous perianth. Stamens four or five. Of very easy culture; they thrive best in rich loamy soil, and are largely employed for sub-tropical and other bedding, for vases and conservatory decorations, being very ornamental. The seed should be sown in April in a hotbed, and the plants thinned out in the same situation when about 1/2in. high. About the end of May, they can be transplanted out of doors in their permanent situations. They are also very handsome when grown in pots. The young plants should be potted off early, and freely encouraged, allowing plenty of pot-room and moisture, and be kept near the glass, to bring out their brightest colouring. To develop their full beauty, plenty of room is required. There are about twelve species (indigenous to warm and tropical countries).

=A. bicolor= (two-coloured). _l._ green, variously streaked with light yellow. _h._ 2ft. India, 1802. This species is rather delicate, and must have a warm sunny situation.

=A. b. ruber= (red).* _l._ brilliant glistening scarlet, merging into a dark violet red, mixed with green. Hardier than the type.

=A. caudatus= (caudate).* Love Lies Bleeding. _fl._ dark purplish, collected in numerous whorls, which are disposed in handsome drooping spikes. August. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. India, 1596. A very common and vigorous growing hardy annual. There is a yellowish-flowered variety, which, though less ornamental, is an effective contrast. See Fig. 72.

=A. cruentus= (dark bloody). Synonymous with _A. hypochondriacus_.

=A. Henderi= (Hender's). _l._ lanceolate, undulated, intense rosy carmine, varying with orange buff, golden yellow, and olive green. _h._ 3ft. A garden hybrid, closely allied to _A. salicifolius_. Pyramidal habit.

=A. hypochondriacus= (hypochondriac).* Prince's Feather. _fl._ deep crimson, on densely packed, erect spikes. July. _l._ purplish beneath. _h._ 4ft. to 5ft. Asiatic, 1684. SYN. _A. cruentus_. See Fig. 73.

=A. h. atropurpureus= (dark purple).* An improved variety of above.

=A. melancholicus ruber= (melancholy-red).* _h._ about 1ft. Japan. A compact growing variety, with large shaded crimson leaves. Largely used for bedding purposes.

=A. salicifolius= (willow-leaved).* _l._ 7in. to 15in. long, willow-shaped, linear, and wavy, which, by their drooping outline, present a very elegant and effective appearance. When fully grown, the leaves are brilliantly banded and tipped with orange, carmine, and bronze. _h._ 3ft. Philippine Isles, 1871.

=A. s. Princess of Wales.=* _l._ carmine, orange green, and bright yellow, beautifully blended. _h._ 3ft. A garden hybrid.

=A. sanguineus= (bloody). _fl._ purple, disposed partly in small heads in the axils of the upper leaves, and partly in slender, flexible spikes, which form a more or less branching panicle. July. _l._ blood red. _h._ 3ft. Bahama, 1775.

=A. speciosus= (showy).* _fl._ dark crimson purple, disposed in large erect spikes, forming a fine plumy panicle. July. _l._ suffused with a reddish tinge, which disappears at the time of flowering. _h._ 3ft. to 5ft. Nepaul, 1819.

=A. s. aureus= (golden). _fl._ of a fine brownish-golden hue. Very effective when grown in masses.

=A. tricolor= (three-coloured).* _l._ of a fine, transparent, purplish-red or dark carmine from the base to the middle; a large spot of bright yellow occupies the greater part of the upper end of the leaf; point generally green; leafstalks yellow. _h._ 1-1/2ft. East Indies, 1548. See Fig. 74. There are several garden varieties of this species, requiring a somewhat warmer situation.

=AMARYLLIDEÆ.= A large and important order of usually bulbous plants, sometimes with a stem. Flowers solitary, umbellate, or paniculate; perianth superior, six-lobed, often with a corona at the top of the tube. Leaves ensiform or linear. This order contains many very beautiful genera, including _Agave_, _Amaryllis_, _Crinum_, _Hæmanthus_, _Hippeastrum_, _Narcissus_, _Pancratium_, and several others.

=AMARYLLIS= (from _Amaryllis_, the name of a country-woman mentioned by Theocritus and Virgil). ORD. _Amaryllideæ_. Half-hardy or hardy, deciduous, bulbous plants. Flowers large, sweet-scented, pedicelled; spathe two-leaved; umbels few-flowered; perianth with a very short tube, funnel-shaped, six-parted, sub-regular or irregular; segments many-nerved, broad, undulate, spreading somewhat at the apices; stamens at the summit of the tube, unequal, declined; anthers fixed by the middle, incumbent, curved into a circular arch after bursting; style declined; stigma thickened, sub-three-lobed; scape tall, solid, compressed. Capsule obovate; seeds globose, fleshy. Leaves appearing at a different season from the scapes, numerous, strap-shaped. The following genera are sometimes arranged hereunder, but in this work are treated separately: _Brunsvigia_, _Crinum_, _Hippeastrum_, _Nerine_, _Sprekelia_, _Sternbergia_, _Vallota_, _Zephyranthes_. Warm, dry, and well-drained positions in front of hothouses, or at the base of south or south-west walls, are the most suitable sites for _A. Belladonna_ and its varieties. The soil should be composed of good, fibrous loam, leaf mould, and sand, in equal parts. Insert the bulbs 6in. to 8in. deep, and surround with sand, after which they may be covered with the compost, which should be pressed firmly about them; they should not be again disturbed for years, when they will ultimately establish themselves, and produce grand masses of blossom. The best time to plant a fresh stock is June or July, when they commence root-action, before the flower-stems are sent up. In their growing season, and in dry weather, an occasional soaking of clear water, or liquid manure, will be greatly beneficial. The extremely ornamental plants now largely grown, and frequently classed as _Amaryllis_ in nurserymen's catalogues, belong to the genus _Hippeastrum_. For pot-culture of the Belladonna Lily, _see_ =Hippeastrum=.

=A. Belladonna.=* Belladonna Lily. This splendid species is very variable, both in the size and colour of the flowers, frequently producing variously-shaded flowers, from almost white to a reddish or purplish hue. Autumn. West Indies, 1712. See Fig. 75. The leaves and flowers are not produced together. In Fig. 76 they are both shown in the same illustration for economy of space.

=A. B. pallida= (pale).* A pale-coloured variety. _h._ 2ft.

=AMASONIA= (named in honour of Thomas Amason, one of the earlier American travellers). SYN. _Taligalea_. ORD. _Verbenaceæ_. A genus comprising six species (which may be reduced to four) of stove sub-shrubs, natives of tropical America. Flowers yellow or sulphur-coloured, racemose or panicled; calyx five-cleft; corolla five-cleft, sub-bilabiate. Leaves alternate, toothed or rarely entire. For culture of the only species introduced, _see_ =Clerodendron=.

=A. punicea= (reddish-brown). _fl._ yellow, with pretty, brownish bracts; peduncles once or twice trifid, cymose or one-flowered. May and June. _l._ slender, 3in. to 2in. long, oblong- or elliptic-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, unequally toothed. Stem erect, simple or slightly branched. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. Brazil, 1884.

=AMATEUR.= This term is usually meant to refer to one who has a taste for a particular pursuit, and who is, in a pecuniary point of view, independent of it. An Amateur gardener is one who rears and grows his plants, and cultivates his garden, for his own amusement--for mere love of horticulture.

=AMBER, SWEET.= _See_ =Hypericum Androsæmum=.

=AMBER-TREE.= _See_ =Anthospermum=.

=AMBROSINIA= (commemorative of Professor Giacinti Ambrosini, of Bologna). ORD. _Aroideæ_ (_Araceæ_). A curious, half-hardy, tuberous perennial, thriving in any light soil, with protection in winter. Increased by seeds, and by divisions. The former should be sown, as soon as ripe, in a cool house; and the latter should be made just previous to new growth in spring.

=A. Bassii= (Bass's).* _fl._, spathes prolonged into a long tail, and a tongue-shaped spadix, with the male flowers on one side, and so placed as to preclude the access of pollen to the stigma on the other side of the spathe, save by insect agency. _l._ oblong, stalked. _h._ 4in. Corsica, Sardinia, 1879.

=AMBURY=, or =ANBURY=. The name given to galls of small Weevils (_Ceuthorhynchus sulcicollis_) which appear on the roots of Cabbages and Turnips, as well as of the Wild Mustard, and of other weeds belonging to the genus _Brassica_. The galls form swellings individually about the size of split peas, but often two or more are joined to form considerable masses. In each is a space inclosing a white grub. Anbury is usually not very hurtful. It is quite distinct from Clubbing. The galled roots should be collected, before the grubs emerge, and burned.

=AMELANCHIER= (Savoy name of the Medlar, to which this genus is closely allied). TRIBE _Pomaceæ_ of ORD. _Rosaceæ_. Hardy, deciduous shrubs or small trees, with racemes of white flowers, and simple, serrated leaves; bracteas linear-lanceolate. Pome, when mature, three to five-celled. They are of easy cultivation, in a somewhat rich, loamy soil, and are propagated by layers or cuttings, in autumn, in sheltered situations; by seeds, and by grafting, in early spring, on the Hawthorn or the Quince, or the weaker on the stronger-growing species.

=A. canadensis= (Canadian).* Grape Pear. _fl._ white. April. Pome purple. _l._ oblong-elliptic, cuspidate, when young rather villous, but at length glabrous. _h._ 6ft. to 8ft. Canada, 1746. A very ornamental tree, having a profusion of flowers in early spring, and rich autumnal foliage. SYN. _Pyrus Botryapium_.

=A. c. florida= (flowery).* _fl._ white, numerous, in upright racemes. May. Pome purple. _l._ oblong, obtuse at both ends, coarsely serrate in the terminal portion, glabrous in every state. _h._ 10ft. to 20ft. North America, 1826.

=A. c. ovalis= (oval-leaved). _fl._ white; racemes pressed together. April. _l._ roundish-elliptic, acute when rather young, velvety beneath, glabrous when mature. _h._ 6ft. to 8ft. North America, 1800.

=A. c. parvifolia= (small-leaved). This has a dwarfer habit, and shorter leaves, than the type.

=A. sanguinea=, (bloody). _fl._ white; racemes capitate. April. Pome blackish-purple. _l._ oblong, rounded at both ends, sharply serrated, always naked. _h._ 4ft. to 8ft. North America, 1800. This form differs principally from _A. canadensis_ in the fewer flowers, much shorter raceme, and shorter, broader, and more ovate petals.

=A. vulgaris= (common).* _fl._ white. April. Pome darkish-purple. _l._ roundish-oval, bluntish, pubescent beneath, at length glabrous. _h._ 3ft. to 9ft. Europe, 1596. A desirable shrub, producing an abundance of flowers. SYN. _Mespilus Amelanchier_.

=AMELLUS= (a name employed by Virgil for a blue, Aster-looking plant growing on the banks of the river Mella). ORD. _Compositæ_. Pretty, branched, ascending or diffuse, perennial herbs. Flowers in solitary heads. Leaves hairy, lower ones opposite, upper alternate. Of very easy culture, in ordinary garden soil. Increased by divisions, or cuttings, inserted under glass, in spring.

=A. Lychnitis= (Lychnitis). _fl.-heads_ violet, solitary, terminal, and lateral. June. _l._ linear, lanceolate, entire, hoary. _h._ 6in. Cape of Good Hope. Evergreen, greenhouse trailer.

=AMENTUM.= A catkin. A deciduous spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers.

=AMERICAN ALMOND.= _See_ =Brabejum=.

=AMERICAN ALOE.= _See_ =Agave americana=.

=AMERICAN BLIGHT=, or =WOOLLY APHIS= (_Schizoneura lanuginosa_). The white, cottony-looking matter which is found upon the bark of the Apple and other trees of a similar nature, belongs to a species of Aphis, which has short legs: the females are wingless, while the males are winged; the latter appear in July and August. The insects belong to a group of Aphides unprovided with honey tubes on the hinder part of the body, and in which the third vein of the front wing shows only one fork The woolly coating also distinguishes them from true Aphides. The Blight is said to have been imported from America in 1787, but this is uncertain.

As these insects get into the cracks and under the bark of trees, they are hard to dislodge. The injury inflicted is not apparent for some time; but, in process of time, large, cankerous wounds are produced, which gradually (with the aid of the insects) destroy the branches, and render the tree useless. If young trees are attacked, they are rendered valueless in a very short time. The insects hide in crevices of the bark of the trees each autumn, and remain dormant during the winter, ascending to their old quarters as the weather becomes warm. Trees which are covered with moss and lichens probably serve as places for hybernation; hence, it is desirable to remove such hiding-places, as well as all pieces of dead bark. To their being left may be frequently attributed the severe attacks of Blight experienced where they exist on trees. So soon as the cottony substance makes its appearance, one of the following remedies should be applied, and, if persisted in for a few seasons, the trees will be quite cleared.

_Brushing and Scraping._ In winter, the trees should be thoroughly cleaned; and, so long as there is a chance of the insects being in the bark, all loose pieces, moss, &c., should be brushed off, and the parts affected should be thoroughly saturated with a strong solution of soft soap or of soft soap and lime-water, applied with a stiff brush, so as to enter all the crevices.

_Gas Liquor._ This is the ammoniacal liquor from gas works. It must be diluted with from eight to twelve times its bulk of water, or it is dangerous to the trees; in fact, after dilution, it is advisable to test it, previous to using to any great extent. As the woolly covering of the insects resists water, it is desirable that the liquor be applied with a brush, and forced amongst the Blight.

_Infusion of Tobacco Leaves_ (1/2lb. to 1 gallon) kills the insects on shoots dipped into it.

_Paraffin or Petroleum._ This is a simple and useful remedy. Obtain a painter's half-worn sash-tool, free from paint, and just moisten it in the oil. Then brush out each infested place as often as the Blight appears, and in one season the trees will be cleared.

_Spent Tan._ Collect spent tan into a heap a month or two before it is to be used, and if it has heated well and rotted, so much the better. In winter, clear away all leaves, rubbish, grass, &c., and spread the tan at the rate of about thirty loads to the acre, taking care that it surrounds the base of each tree infested with Blight. Practical proof of its utility has been given.

_Turpentine and other Spirits._ The mode of applying these is the same as for paraffin, but they frequently injure the bark, and sometimes kill young trees.

To kill insects on the roots, it is well to clear away the soil as far as possible from them, and to saturate the place with soapsuds or ammoniacal solutions; soot, quicklime, or other applications to the soil would also prove useful.

Other remedies that have been suggested are the drainings of stables, and grafting-clay plastered over the bark.

=AMERICAN CENTAURY.= _See_ =Sabbatia=.

=AMERICAN CHINA ROOT.= _See_ =Smilax=.

=AMERICAN COWSLIP.= _See_ =Dodecatheon=.

=AMERICAN CRANBERRY.= _See_ =Oxycoccus macrocarpus=.

=AMERICAN CRESS.= _See_ =Barbarea=.

=AMERICAN DEWBERRY.= _see_ =Rubus canadensis=.

=AMERICAN GOOSEBERRY.= _See_ =Pereskia aculeata=.

=AMERICAN GREAT LAUREL.= _See_ =Rhododendron maximum=.

=AMERICAN HIGH BLACKBERRY.= A common name for =Rubus villosus= (which _see_).

=AMERICAN MANDRAKE.= _See_ =Podophyllum peltatum=.

=AMERICAN MOUNTAIN ASH.= _See_ =Pyrus americana=.

=AMERICAN PLANTS=. This term includes _Rhododendron_, _Azalea_, and several others of similar habit and constitution; indeed, any hardy, flowering shrubs requiring a moist peat border.

=AMERICAN SPANISH OAK.= _See_ =Quercus falcata=.

=AMERICAN SWAMP LILY.= _See_ =Saururus cernuus=.

=AMERICAN WHITE OAK.= _See_ =Quercus alba=.

=AMERICAN WILD BLACK CURRANT.= _See_ =Ribes floridum=.

=AMERICAN WILD RED RASPBERRY.= _See_ =Rubus strigosus=.

=AMERIMNON= (from _a_, privative, and _merinna_, care; in allusion to the little attention the plant requires; name originally applied to the House-leek). SYN. _Amerimnum_. ORD. _Leguminosæ_. Ornamental, evergreen, stove shrubs, with alternate, stalked, ovate, somewhat cordate, simple leaves. For culture, _see_ =Anona=.

=A. Brownei= (Browne's).* _fl._ white, sweet-scented; peduncles axillary, ten-flowered, glabrous or puberulous. May. _l._ ovate, somewhat cordate, acute, glabrous. _h._ 6ft. to 10ft. Jamaica, 1793. Requires a trellis or other support.

=A. strigulosum= (strigulose). _fl._ white; racemes axillary, solitary, three times longer than the petioles. May. _l._ ovate, rather cordate, obtuse, clothed with adpressed hairs on both surfaces; branches and petioles clothed with light brown, dense, short hairs. _h._ 6ft. to 10ft. Trinidad, 1817.

=AMERIMNUM.= A synonym of =Amerimnon= (which _see_).

=AMHERSTIA= (commemorative of Countess Amherst, a zealous promoter of natural history, particularly botany). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. A stove, evergreen tree of almost unsurpassed magnificence and brilliancy, requiring a very high and moist temperature. It delights in a rich, strong loam, and may be propagated by cuttings of the half-ripened wood, inserted in sand, under a glass in bottom heat of about 80deg.; also by seeds.

=A. nobilis= (noble).* _fl._ of a fine vermilion colour, diversified with yellow spots, large; racemes long, pendulous, axillary. May. _l._ large, impari-pinnate, bearing six to eight pairs of leaflets. _h._ 30ft. to 40ft. India, 1837. The flowers are, unfortunately, somewhat ephemeral, lasting but a few days in perfection, during which period, however, no object in the whole range of the vegetable kingdom presents a more striking aspect than this tree.

=AMICIA= (commemorative of J. B. Amici, a celebrated French physician). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. A pretty, greenhouse or half-hardy perennial, succeeding in any warm, sheltered spot. Young cuttings will root in sand, under a hand glass, in heat.

=A. Zygomeris= (two-jointed-podded).* _fl._ yellow, splashed with purple on the keel; peduncles axillary, five or six-flowered. Autumn. Legumes with two joints. _l._ abruptly pinnate, with two pairs of cuneate-obcordate, mucronate leaflets, which are full of pellucid dots; branches and petioles pubescent. _h._ 8ft. Mexico, 1826.

=AMMOBIUM= (from _ammos_, sand, and _bio_, to live; in reference to the sandy soil in which it is found). ORD. _Compositæ_. This well-known everlasting is closely allied to _Gnaphalium_, from which it differs principally in habit. Receptacle with oblong, pointed, toothed, chaffy scales; involucre of imbricated leaflets. It may be treated as a half-hardy annual, or as a biennial, if seeds are sown in September and kept in a cool greenhouse during the winter, and this is the best way to grow it. Any moderately good soil suits it.

=A. alatum= (winged). _fl.-heads_ about 1in. across, of a silvery whiteness, with the exception of the yellow disk florets, very numerous, in loose, corymbose panicles. May to September. _l._ oblong-lanceolate; radical ones in a tufted rosette. Stems winged--hence the specific name. _h._ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. New Holland, 1822. See Fig. 77.

=A. a. grandiflorum= (large-flowered).* _fl.-heads_ purer white, nearly twice the size of those in the type. This variety, which comes true from seed, is a great acquisition.

=AMMOCHARIS.= _See_ =Brunsvigia=.

=AMMODENDRON= (from _ammos_, sand, and _dendron_, a tree; in reference to its natural habitat). SYN. _Sophora_. ORD. _Leguminosæ_. A small, neat, hardy evergreen, silky shrub, having the petioles hardening into spines; an excellent subject for shrubberies. It thrives in an ordinary soil, with good drainage, and is propagated by layers and seeds.

=A. Sieversii= (Sievers').* _fl._ purple, disposed in racemes. June. _l._ bifoliolate; leaflets lanceolate, silky-white on both surfaces. _h._ 2ft. to 4ft. Siberia, 1837.

=AMMYRSINE.= _See_ =Leiophyllum=.

=AMOMOPHYLLUM.= _See_ =Spathiphyllum=.