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AN ENCYCLOPEDIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 203 
WEBBIA. Included under Vernonia (which see). 
WEBERA (named in honour of George Henry Weber,. 
1752-1828, Professor at Kiel, and author of various 
Floras). Syns. Ceriscus, Chomelia (of Linnaeus), Stylocoryne 
(of Wight and Arnott), Tarenna, Wahlenbergia (of Blume). 
ORD. Rubiacee. A genus comprising about forty species 
of stove trees and shrubs, inhabiting tropical Asia, Poly- 
nesia, Africa, and (one species) Australia. Flowers in 
terminal, corymbiform cymes, sessile and bibracteolate 
at the ovary, or pedicellate and bracteolate on the 
pedicel; calyx tube ovoid or turbinate, the limb five, 
rarely four, cleft or parted; corolla funnel- or salver- 
shaped, with five, rarely four, narrow, spreading or re- 
flexed lobes, twisted in bud; stamens five, rarely four, 
on the mouth of the corolla; filaments short or wanting. 
Leaves opposite, petiolate, often oblong-lanceolate ; stipules 
triangular-ovate, usually deciduous. Only one species 
calls for description here. For culture, see Vangueria. 
W. corymbosa (corymbose). Z. white, faintly odorous; corolla 
Bin. to jin. in diameter, the tube broad, about equalling the lobes ; 
cymes variable in size. Summer. Z. elliptic- or oblong-lanceo- 
late, acute or acuminate, Jin. to 8in. long, shining above, often 
glaucous beneath ; petioles short, stout. India. A glabrous 
shrub or small tree. (B. R. 119.) 
WEB-FORMING CATERPILLARS. Almost all 
the Caterpillars of Butterflies, Moths, and Sawflies can 
spin silken threads when required; but many of them 
hardly do so except to form a cocoon, for the protec- 
tion of the pupæ; while many do not even spin a cocoon. 
Many larve spin together several leaves to form a protec- 
tion for themselves against birds or other foes, or they 
draw a leaf into a tubular form, with the same object, 
keeping it in position by silken threads. The Web-formers 
are not very numerous, though they belong to widely 
different groups of Lepidoptera. Several of them live on 
Hawthorn leaves, such as the Black-veined White Butterfly 
(Aporia Crategi), the small Ermine Moths (Hyponomeuta 
padella, &c.), and Sawflies of the genus Lyda (eg., L. 
punctata). The Jare of these insects, when young (or 
during their whole life as larve), live in webs spun by a 
number of them in common, sometimes over a whole 
branch, but usually over several leaves. Some form 
separate silken tubes for themselves inside the webs; 
others are contented with the protection afforded by the 
web alone. An account of the several insects just 
mentioned is given under the heading Hawthorn Cater- 
pillars. 
The larve of various European and exotic Moths form 
much more striking and conspicuous webs than do the 
British species—e.g., the Processionary Moth (Cnethocampa 
rocessionea), which feeds on Oaks in Germany. The larvæ 
in a web, on which they lie, and, when going to feed, 
y march in a regular procession—first one, then two, 
then three, and so on, those in each line moving side 
by side, till they reach suitable food, when they disperse 
and eat what they require, and thereafter return to the 
web in the same regular order. When full-fed, they spin 
a compact web, under cover of which they form their 
separate cocoons to protect themselves while they are 
pupe. 
Remedies. Web-forming Caterpillars are easily got rid 
of by tearing down the webs, or cutting off the branches, 
and destroying the larvae. 
WEDELIA (named in compliment to George Wolf- 
gang Wedel, 1645-1721, a German botanist, Professor at 
Jena). Including Wollastonia. ORD. Composite. A genus 
embracing about ware mn of stove, greenhouse, or 
hardy, scabrous-pubescent or hirsute, annual or perennial 
herbs or sub-shrubs, inhabiting the warmer parts of the 
globe. Flower-heads yellow, pedunculate, at the tips of 
the branches or in the upper axils, heterogamous; invo- 
Incral bracts sub-biseriate, the outer three to five usually 
herbaceous or leafy, the inner dry; receptacle flat or 
convex, the pales inclosing the florets; ray florets ligulate, 
| 
Wedelia—continued. 
entire, or two or three-toothed at apex; disk florets five- 
toothed or shortly five-cleft; achenes smooth or tubercled. 
Leaves opposite, often toothed, rarely trifid or entire. 
The species are mostly interesting from a botanical stand- 
point only. Those described below thrive in any fairly 
good soil. W. hispida may be increased by seeds or by 
divisions, and W. radiosa by seeds or by cuttings. 
W. aurea (golden). A synonym of Zexmenia aurea. 
W. hispida (hispid). /.-heads one to a peduncle; outer invo- 
lucral scales hairy, the inner ones nearly glabrous. June. 
l. lanceolate or somewhat obovate-lanceolate, cuneate at base, 
acuminate at apex, cut-toothed, hairy. Branches erect, hispid. 
A 1 Mexico, &c., 1819. Half-hardy perennial. (B. R. 643.) 
SYN. Zexmenia texana. 
W. radiosa (rayed)  /i.-heads one to three on peduncles longer 
than the leaves ; involucral scales in three series, the outer ones 
leafy, the inner membranous. June. Z. petiolate, ovate- or 
oblong-lanceolate, acute, serrulated, puberulous. A. 2ft. Brazil, 
1820. Greenhouse sub-shrub. (B. R. 610.) 
WEDGE-GRAFTING. See Grafting. 
WEEDS AND WEEDING. Weeds abound in 
every direction on cultivated land, and wherever there is 
any kind of soil in which their roots can receive the least 
encouragement and support. It is sometimes remarked 
in reference to a piece of land that ‘‘ Weeds won't grow 
on it," and this is readily understood as referring to its use- 
lessness for gardening. The length of time during which 
the seeds of many common Weeds retain their germinative 
powers is remarkable when, from the removal of ground, 
or other causes, they become buried too deep to grow 
until brought again under the more immediate influence 
of the atmosphere. The rapidity with which soil newly 
upturned after a long period becomes covered with Weeds 
will often come under notice, suggesting the existence 
of seeds which grow only when placed under suitable 
conditions. Amongst Weeds that, once established, are 
only with great difficulty eradicated, are Chickweed, Couch 
Grass, Dandelions, Groundsel, Plantains, and Thistles. 
The destruction of all these before their seeds ripen, and 
the frequent use of the hoe during dry weather, are the 
best plans of preventing their increase. Hand-weeding 
is the most effectual mode of eradication where there are 
tap-roots, as in Dandelions, Plantains, and Thistles. 
The roots of these plants, if left in the ground, will 
frequently form new crowns in a short time, and grow 
again. Hand-weeding is also the most certain plan of 
keeping walks clean; it should be attended to whenever 
the surface is moist, and everything pulled up should be 
burned, or put where the seeds are not likely to ripen 
and sow themselves. Proper Weeding-knives should 
always be provided along with other garden tools; the 
work is more readily executed with these than with old 
knives of other kinds, that are often made to do 
service. For destroying ona large scale Weeds in walks, 
salt may be effectually employed, scattered with the hand 
over the surface, during dry weather, in summer. Smith’s 
Weed-killer, a preparation specially made for walks, has 
been highly spoken of. Any “destroyer” of Weeds 
applied to walks must be kept clear of grass and other 
living edges, and care must also be taken to avoid 
stepping from a walk on to the grass at the time when 
a preparation destructive to plant life is being employed. 
WEED-WIND, or WITH-WIND. An old name 
for Bindweed (Convolvulus). 
WEEPING ARBOR-VITZ. 
talis pendula. 
WEEPING ASH. Se Fraxinus excelsior pen- 
dula. 
See Thuya orien- 
q WEEPING BEECH. se Fagus sylvatica pen- 
WEEPING CHERRY. Se Cerasus semper- 
florens. Ee E SC 
