CHEIRANTHUS. 



59 



Palms, none of them exceeding the 

 height of a man. They are natives 

 of tropical America, and look more 

 like reeds than palms. It is said, 

 that there are forty -two species in 

 the genus ; and four or five of them 

 are in the Eoyal Gardens at Kew. 



Cham^mo'ly. — A species of Al- 

 lium. 



Charcoal. — Powdered charcoal, 

 sifted so as to have the particles not 

 larger than those of sand, has been 

 used in Germany for striking cut- 

 tings in ; and it is found superior 

 to sand, as it supplies them with 

 nourishment after they are rooted, 

 by attracting oxygen from the 

 atmosphere, and thus forming 

 carbonic acid gas round the roots. 

 Charcoal in larger pieces is also 

 occasionally mixed with the soil in 

 pots and tubs, and is found in many 

 cases to produce rapid and vigorous 

 growth. 



Chardi'xia. — The new name for 

 Xerdnthemum orieniale. 



Cheira'>-thus, — CrucifercB. — 

 The Wall-flower. — Well-known her- 

 baceous plants, which are much 

 prized for the delightful odour of 

 their flowers, which are produced 

 from April to July. (7. Cheiri, the 

 common Wall-flower, and its varie- 

 ties, both double and single, are in 

 general cultivation, growing in any 

 common soil ; and the varieties are 

 readily increased by cuttings. The 

 best varieties are the double-blood, 

 the double- striped, the double-yel- 

 low or Polish, and the double- 

 purple, all of which may be obtained 

 from the nurserymen. There is 

 also a kind with very dark flowers 

 and striped leaves, grown by Nor- 

 man of Brighton ; and a single pale 

 purple, called the French Wall- 

 flower, grown by Hopgood of Bays- 

 watei', and other nurserymen. C. 

 alpinus is a pretty hardy little 

 plant, with yellow flowers, well 



i suited for growing in pots, or on 

 ! rockwork. C. mutahilis is a cu- 

 I rious species from Madeira, requir- 

 j ing the greenhouse, and flowering 

 from December to May. 



Chelido'nium. — Papaveracece. 

 — The common Celandine, or Swal- 

 low-wort {C. majus), is a hardy 

 perennial, with yellow flowers, com- 

 mon on the sea-coast, and in church- 

 yards, in many parts of England. , 

 It grows in any common soil, and is j 

 readily increased by division of the 

 roots, or by seeds, which it produces 

 in abundance. 



Chelo'isE. — Scrophuldrince. — 

 Handsome herbaceous plants, na- 

 tives of North America, most of 

 which are, however, now included 

 in the genus Pentstemon. The four 

 still called Chelone, are C. glabra, 

 C. oiUqua, C. Lybni (C. major, 

 Bot. Mag. ), and C. nemorosa. All 

 the species grow freely in light, rich 

 soil, and are readily increased, by 

 cuttings, suckers, or seeds, which, 

 in favourable seasons, are produced 

 in abundance. 



Chermes or Kermes. — A scale- 

 like insect that raises a kind of 

 gall-apple on a species of Oak 

 ' {Quercus coccifera), and which pro- 

 duces a brilliant scarlet dye. The 

 true Chermes is a kind of Coccus ; 

 but the name was applied by Lin- 

 n^us to a genus of leaping insects 

 known, by the popular name of false 

 Aphides, because the larvje resemble 

 I those insects ; though, in their per- 

 I feet state, they have red bodies, and 

 i long snow-white wings. The in- 

 j sects, which are now called Psylla, 

 I are generally found on plants of the 

 j genus Pyrus ; and they may be 

 known to have attacked a tree by 

 the curling up of its leaves, and 

 withering of its branches. They 

 frequently attack the Pyrus or Cy- 

 dbnia japonica, and the snowy 

 Mespilus, which they destroy by 



