Part 32

=A. Veitchii= (Veitch's).* _l._ digitate, with about eleven filiform undulated leaflets, glossy green above, dark red beneath; petioles long and slender. New Caledonia, 1867. A very handsome (said to be the best) species, with slender, erect growing stem. See Fig. 143, for which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch and Sons.

=A. V. gracillima= (most graceful).* _l._ alternate, spreading; 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_.

=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_.

=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.

=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.