i 
AGAVE. 106 AJUGA. 
lawn. If the Agapanthus is wanted | 
to flower when of a comparatively | 
small size, it should not be so often | 
shifted; and when it is, the pots, 
need not be so nearly of a size: 
once shifting in spring will, indeed, 
be enough ; and if the roots are so 
large as to require a pot of incon- 
venient size (for the roots must have 
plenty of room), the bulb may be 
divided, and the strongest of the 
fibrous roots cut off, without injur- 
ing the plant, or preventing it from 
flowering. 
Agea’ricus—A genus of Fungi, of 
the Mushroom kind, but generally 
poisonous. 
Acatuo’smMa.—See Drio’sma, from 
which the plants composing the 
genus Agathosma have been sepa- 
rated. 
Aca\ve.—Amaryllidace@.—Suc- 
culent plants from South America, 
of which one species, the American 
Aloe, A. americana. and a varie- 
gated-leaved variety of it, are old | 
inhabitants of British gardens ; hav- 
ing been formerly kept in tubs in 
the orangery or in some other house 
during winter, and set out during 
summer. The large leaves of the 
Agave render it by no means adapt- | 
ed for a small greenhouse ; but as it 
only requires protection from frost, 
it may be kept during the winter 
in a shed where there is very little 
light till summer, when it may be 
set out on a lawn or terrace, giving 
it very little water while in a state 
of repose. ‘This mode of treatment 
may be applied to all succulent 
plants that are dormant during our 
winters. The American Aloe re- 
according to the climate, and tlie 
care bestowed on the plant by the 
gardener. ‘The flower-stem is fre- 
quently forty feet high, and the 
|plant dies as soon as it has done 
flowering. The Aloe is a native of 
Mexico, and the other tropical parts 
of America; but it has been almost 
naturalized in the south of Europe. 
In its native countries, a strong 
spirit is distilled from its sap; the 
fibres of its leaves are used for 
thread, and the feculent matter con- 
tained in its stem for soap. 
AGERA‘TUM, — Composite —Mex- , 
ican annuals, with curious heads {~ 
of small pale blue flowers. The 
seeds should be sown in a warm 
border in a light soil in April or 
May. 
Acroste’mMa.—Caryophyllacee. 
—The Rose Campion.—This genus 4 
and that of Lychnis have been so 
strangely mixed up together, that 
it is difficult to know what plants 
belong to each. The showy green- 
house plant generally called Lych- 
nis Bungedna, and the pretty little 
annual LL. le‘ta, are now removed 
to Agrostemma ; while, on the con- 
trary, A. Celi-rosa and A. Flos Jovis 
have been taken from Agrostemma 
and given to Lychnis. ‘The Corn- 
cockle, A. Githago, is also now 
Githago segetum’ but the Rose 
Campion is still called Agrosiemma 
coronaria. All the species of the 
genus, both annuals and perennials, 
are quite hardy, and will grow in 
any common garden soil. 
Am Puants—See Orcurprous 
EpipryTeEs. 
A'yax.—One of the genera formed 
quires a rich loamy soil, and is| by Mr. Haworth, out of Narcissus, 
increased by suckers. It was for- 
merly supposed that it produced its 
candelabra-like blossoms only once 
in a hundred years; but this is a 
vulgar error, as it sometimes pro- 
duces its flowers, in hot countries, 
in ten years, the period varying to | sion of the roots. 
but not generally adopted by bota- 
nists. 
Asu‘ca.— Labidte.—The Bugle. 
—Well-known plants generally with 
dark blue flowers, always growing 
in dry soil, and increased by divi- 
A. Chamepitys, 
twenty, fifty, or even seventy years, | the Ground-pine, has yellow flowers. 
