AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 919 
Wormia—continued. 
sepals five, spreading; petals five; stamens nearly free. 
Leaves ample, parallel-penniveined. Only two species 
have been introduced. They thrive in a light, sandy 
loam. Cuttings of half-ripened wood root readily, if 
inserted in sand, under a glass, in bottom heat. 
W. 'Burbidgei (Burbidge's)* fl. pale golden-yellow, Zin. in 
diameter, sub-cymose on a simple peduncle 2in. to 4in. long; 
petals obovate-oblong, with broadly undulated margins; stamens 
almost white. July. I 8in. to 10in. long, almost exactly elliptic, 
the base contracted and decurrent as a very broad petiole, lin. to 
Branches 
ljin. long, which expands and is amplexicaul at base. 
terete. North Borneo. (B. M. 6531.) 
W. dentata (toothed). A synonym of W. triquetra. 
W. triquetra (triquetrous) fl. white, 2in. in diameter, in sub- 
terminal, leaf-opposed, secund, few-flowered racemes; pedicels 
lin. long, thickened upwards. May. J. broadly oval, Bän. to 
8in. long, repand-toothed or sinuated, the tip obtuse or sub- 
truncate, the base rounded; petioles with broad, sheathing, 
deciduous wings. h. 20ft. Ceylon, 1818. Syn. W. dentata. 
WORMS. Under this name will be discussed only 
the Earth Worms, since the Nematoid Worms have been 
already treated of. The Earth Worms all belong to the 
genus Lumbricus; but many species have been named 
and described. Their general appearance is too well 
known to call for description. They possess two rows 
of bristles along the sides of the body, so short as to be 
almost invisible, but stiff, and adapted for enabling the 
Worms to move by their aid; they can be felt on drawing 
a finger along the sides of the body from behind forwards. 
On damp evenings and nights the Worms stretch out 
of their holes to seize on food, and to drag it into their 
burrows. The trembling of the soil due to footsteps, or 
the approach of a light, causes a very rapid retreat 
into their holes. In winter, and in very dry weather, they 
burrow deep into the soil, beyond the reach of cold 
and droughts. They feed on decaying vegetable sub- 
stances, and swallow much earth to obtain such remains 
of plants as are in it. The earth, after the vegetable 
matter is digested by the Worm, is ejected close to the 
opening of the burrow in the form known to all gardeners 
as " worm-castings." 
In most cases, Worms ought to be regarded as useful 
creatures, since they constantly renew the surface soil 
with finely - divided earth brought from the subsoil, 
and, by means of their burrows, allow the free pene- 
tration. of rain and air to greater depths than would ` 
otherwise be reached. They also promote the more 
rapid decay of the vegetable remains in the soil. But, 
9n the other hand, they are obnoxious on lawns and in 
flower borders, because of the untidy appearance of 
their castings, and of the pieces of leaves, paper, and 
other things dragged partially into their burrows. They 
also disfigure plants by dragging in the ends of living 
leaves, When they get into flower-pots, they are trouble- 
Some or hurtful, and should be ejected. 
E a Pemedies, After or during mild, warm showers in 
f e dusk of evening, Worms crawl out in large numbers 
iss. their holes in search of food, and can be collected 
y the aid of a lantern ; but the operation must be quickly 
Performed, for the reason above stated. Watering the 
"3 soil—whether in a flower-pot, lawn, or flower border— 
” With a weak solution of smelling salts or Carbonate of 
mmonia causes the Worms to come to the surface in 
w. helpless state; amd am infusion prepared from 
Walnut leaves has the same effect. This should be done 
" the evening. An undue increase in their numbers may 
e checked by keeping in gardens such creatures as 
‘gehogs, shrew-mice, frogs, and the Testacella slugs, 
which feed largely on Worms. 
»MORMWOOD (Artemisia Absinthium). A hardy 
pe amg grown for the use of its leaves and tops me- 
en ; they are intensely bitter. The plants prefer a 
mewhat sheltered, rather dry position; very few speci- 
mens are enerall . 
cuttings, g y sufficient.  Propagated by — 
and division of the roots, in spring. 
WOUNDS. These are often caused in fruit and 
other trees by an improper use of a knife or hammer, 
also by friction, e.g., when two branches rub against each 
other, and in many other ways. Wounds are invariably 
longer in getting callused and grown over than clean cuts ; 
hence care should specially be taken to prevent any being 
made in the bark of.trees, &e., for want of proper atten- 
tion or appliances. 
WOUNDWORT. Se Anthyllis Vulneraria and 
Stachys. 
WOUNDWORT, HERCULES’. A common name 
for Heracleum (which see). 
WREATH. A floral head-dress which goes all round 
the head. It is generally made up of choice flowers of 
rather small or medium size. Another kind of Wreath 
is that made, in various sizes, of fresh or dried flowers, 
for funerals, Ze, The outline is circular; and a frame- 
work upon which to fasten the flowers may easily be 
made with a piece of strong wire, or of thin board or 
cardboard, cut into the size and shape desired. Either 
green moss or sprigs of Myrtle or Box may be bound 
round to cover the frame before the flowers are arranged 
WREATHEWORT, PURPLE. A common name 
for Orchis mascula (which see). 
WREATH, PURPLE. See Petrea volubilis. . 
WRIGHTIA (named after William Wright, 1740- 
1827, a Scotch physician and botanist), Palay or Ivory- 
tree. Syn. Balfouria. ORD. Apocynacee. A genus 
including about a dozen species of stove shrnbs or small 
trees, with often slender, cord-like branches, natives of 
tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. Flowers red, white, 
or yellow, in terminal or sub-axillary, sessile cymes; calyx 
short, five-parted, with glands or scales inside; corolla 
salver-shaped, the tube cylindric, usually short, the throat 
with one or two series of usually fimbriated scales; stamens 
at the top of the tube; filaments short, dilated. Leaves 
opposite, penniveined. The best-known species are here ` 
described. They thrive in a mixture of peat, loam, and 
sand. Cuttings root readily if inserted in sand, in beat. 
W. coccinea (scarlet)* fl. dark red, lin. in diameter; corolla 
thick, almost fleshy ; scales crimson ; cymes three or four-flowered. 
July. J. elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, Sin. to Sin. long, mem- 
branous, obtusely caudate-acuminate, acute at base; petioles 
very short. h. 12ft. and upwards. India, 1822. A glabrous or 
meade tree. (B. M. 2696.) SYN. Nerium coccineum (L. B. C. 
94). 
W. dubia (doubtful). d. corolla lobes yellow outside, orange- 
red within, ten lines long, spreading, acuminate ; icels 
shorter than the flowers ; cymes three-flowered, glabrous. 
L. ovate-lanceolate, 3in. to 4in. long, glabrous, slightly undulated, 
rather obtusely acuminate. Native country uncertain, 1813. 
Shrub. SYN. Cameraria dubia (B. M. 1646). š 
W. pubescens (downy). /. white, sessile or shortly pedicellate ; 
A terminal, trichotomous, corymbose, not exceeding the 
leaves; corolla tube scarcely exceeding the calyx, the lobes 
twice as long. March. l shortly petiolate, ovate to elliptic- 
oblong, acuminate, 2in. to 4in. long. North Australia, 1829, A 
pubescent or velvety-tomentose, tall shrub or tree. 
W. tinctoria (dyers). Pala Indigo-plant, jf. white, jin. to in. 
in diameter; cymes sometimes tin, in diameter, wit slender, 
dichotomous branches. Summer. l. elliptic-ovate, 
or obovate-oblong, 3in. to 5in. long, obtusely 
or rounded at base; very 
ate, acute or VS S 241; 
reading, 
elliptic-lanceolate, 
acuminate or caud: 
short. India, 1812. A small, glabrous tree. ( 
B. R. 933.) | 
WRIGHTIA (of Roxburgh). A synonym of Wal- 
lichia (which see). ds j 
WULFENIA (named in honour of vene. 
Wulfen, 1778-1825, a botanical author. OBD. Scrophu- 
nus (four species) of hardy, glabrous 
. 
June. ` 
