ah THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Agathosma—continued. 
A. hispida (rough-haired). fl. violet, on terminal sub-umbellate 
heads icels and sepals pubescent ; petals quite smooth. May. 
l. crowded, linear, trigonal, blunt, spreading, hispid, keeled, and 
two-furrowed beneath. A. lft. to 2ft. 1786. 
A. imbricata (imbricated). fi. pale purple, in terminal sub-capi- 
tate heads ; petals with a roundish limb ; sepals smoothish ; 
pedicels pubescent. April. l. imbricate, crowded, ovate, acumi- 
nated, dotted, fringed. h. lft. to 2ft. 1774. 
A. orbicularis (round-leaved). fl. white, on terminal sub-umbel- 
late heads ; stamens twice as long as the corolla; pedicels pubes- 
cent. April. J. scattered, spreading, orbicular, ovate, or reni- 
form, smooth, reflexed, small, thickish, without any dots 
beneath ; branches villous. A. lit. to 2ft. 1790. 
A. (proliferous). fl. white, on terminal sub-umbellate 
heads ; sepals smooth ; pedicels somewhat fastigiate, pubescent. 
Apri l. spreading, lanceolate, cuspidate; keel and edges 
oe ad dotted; branches whorled, proliferous. h. lft. to 3ft. 
A. pubescens (downy). ji. white; umbels terminal ; peduncles 
and sepals villous. April. Z. lanceolate, eee pointless, with 
margins and rib ciliated. h. lft. to 2ft. 1798. 
ee nee, wiinkied) jl. white, on terminal sub-umbel- 
late heads ; sepals J arregar ns pedicels capillary, clothed with 
Jandular hairs. i ies l. spreading, oblong or ovate, blunt, 
eeled, wrinkled, villous beneath, reflexed. h. lft. to 2ft. 1790. 
A. vestita (clothed). fl. lilac, on terminal sub-capitate heads; 
pedicels quite smooth. May. l. closely imbricated, ovate, acumi- 
nated, keeled, fringed. A. lft. to 2ft. 1824, 
AGATHYRSUS. See Mulgedium. 
+ AGATI (its Sanscrit name). ORD. Leguminosæ. Orna- 
mental stove trees from India, with lanceolate stipulas, 
abruptly-pinnate leaves, having many pairs of leaflets. 
Flowers large, few, racemose. Legumes 1}ft. long. A 
mixture of loam, peat, and sand is most suitable. Young 
cuttings will root in a pot of sand, with a hand glass over 
them, placed in heat. 
A. coccinea (scarlet).* fi. ays 
ite. 
A ge-flowered). red. July. Legumes 
or i ; L malein ghabrons. he 14t. to 26ft. 11768. 
A. g flore-albo (white flowered). fl. white, double. N. Australia, 
AGAVE (from agauos, admirable; referring to the 
stately form in which some of them flower). ORD. Amarylli- 
dacew. Flower-scape tall, proceeding from the centre of the 
rosette of leaves; perianth funnel-shaped, six-parted. Leaves 
large, fleshy, tufted. Mr. B. S. Williams describes them as 
follows: “They are noble, massive-growing plants, and form 
magnificent ornaments in the greenhouse or conservatory; 
-whilst, from their slow growth, they do not rapidly get too 
large, even for a small greenhouse. Indeed, some of the 
real gems of this genus are neat, compact-growing plants, 
~ seldom exceeding 2ft. in height. Besides being fine orna- 
= mental plants for indoor decoration, the larger growing 
= kinds are unquestionably the finest objects for the embel- 
_ lishment of terrace-walks, or surmounting flights of steps 
= in the open air during the summer season, and also for 
. plunging in rockwork, or about any rustic nooks in the 
_ pleasure-grounds, as, in such situations, they are quite in 
keeping, and thrive admirably. As is well known, they 
attain maturity very slowly; but when this condition is 
reached, the plant sends up a flower spike, and, after 
perfecting this, dies.” A. Sartorii, and a few others are, 
however, exceptional, and go on flowering year after year. 
It is certainly fallacious to suppose it takes them a hundred 
years to flower. Agaves succeed well potted in good 
loam and river sand, to which may be added a little peat and 
leaf mould for some of the smaller-growing kinds. The 
_ drainage should be good, as they enjoy a liberal supply 
of water during the summer season, but during winter 
- considerably less will be required. They can be increased 
_ by suckers when these are to be obtained, and also by 
seeds, to secure the production of which, in the species 
fully impregnated. In the following descriptive list 
me of which are still rare; and in de 
rather smaller than the next 
leaflets powdery. July. A. 20ft. — 
that do not yield suckers, the flowers should be care- 
only those of horticultural value are men- 
bin g 
Agave—continued. 
excellent monograph, which appeared in the columns 
of the Gardeners Chronicle. Many are omitted, not ` 
from any deficiency in horticultural beauty, but because, | 
in several instances, only one plant of a species is known to © 
exist in cultivation, and such cannot, therefore, hope to ~ 
become in general cultivation for many years hence. 
A. albicans (whitened). Probably a variety of A. micrantha. 
== 
Eea ac el 
in. long; 
wf 
— T 
Fig. 45. AGAVE AMERICANA, 
A, americana (American).* jl. yellowish green, 2in. to 
in very dense globose clusters, on pedicels jin, to 
scape, including the thyrsoid panicle, 24ft. to 36ft. 
usually thirty to forty, sometimes more, in a rosette, 
lato ee 3ft. to 6ft. long, 6in. to 9in, broad above the- 
middle, glaucous green, more or less concave all down the face, 
the outer leaves recurved, the dark brown pungent point lin. to 
2in. Jong ; petar brown tipped, }in. to jin, long. S. America, 
1640. Fig. 45. 
A. a. picta (painted).* 1. 2ft. to 3ft. long, about Jin. wide, lowe? 
o recurve upper ones — moderately ae rich goldeg 
ow on bo bordered green very s endid 
variety. Syn, A. pie sea 
A, & varies \ egated): 1. 6ft. or more in 1 h, 6in, or 
8in. wide, dark sr sar in the centre, broadly dhen with rich 
yellow. A very desirable variety. ' 
