AND GENERAL. HOETICULTUBE. 



71 



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lected for sale, and supply a useful article for 

 feeding cattle, and making jelly for invalids. 

 Its decided sea taste and odor are against its 

 being a perfect substitute for isinglass. 

 There is no doubt, however, that in the sick 

 chamber it is a far better substitute than 

 gelatine, as that has very small, if any nutri- 

 tive qualities, a fact not perhaps sufficiently 

 known. 



Caragua'ta A genus of BromeliacecB, closely 

 allied to Tillandsia ; stove-house epiphytes. 

 Their bright scarlet bracts are very showy 

 when in bloom. 



Caraway. See Carum. 



Carcinodes. A term applied to what is com- 

 monly called Canker in trees, which may be 

 characterized as a slov/ decay, and in regard 

 to which the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, an excellent 

 authority, says : " The appearances are very 

 different in different plants, and the causes 

 different. The same plant, as the Apple, may 

 even exhibit three or four different kinds of 

 Canker. One form arises from the attack of 

 the Woolly Aphis; a second from the devel- 

 opment of bundles of adventitious roots, 

 whose tips decay and harbor moisture, and 

 contaminate the subjacent tissues ; a third 

 exhibits itself without any apparent caubo, in 

 the form of broad, dark, or even black patches, 

 spreading in every direction ; while a fourth 

 shows pale, depressed streaks, which soon 

 become confluent, and eventually kill, first 

 the bark, and then, as a necessary conse- 

 quence, the underlj'ing wood. The only 

 remedy is to cut out completely the affected 

 parts, and that is not alwaj^s efflca^jious. The 

 Canker of the Plum and Apricot is brought on 

 by gumming. In many cases Canker arises 

 doubtless from the roots penetrating into 

 some ungenial soil, which vitiates the Juices 

 and induces death to the weaker cells, from 

 which it spreads to surrounding tissue. The 

 rugged appearance is generally due to a 

 struggle between the vital powers of the plant 

 and the diseased action." 



Cardami'ne. Ladies' Smock. Cuckoo Flower. 

 From kardamine, a diminutive of kardamon, 

 cress ; referring to the acrid flavor. Nat. Ord. 

 Criiciferce. 



An extensive genus of hardy herbaceous 

 perennials, common in many parts of the 

 United States, Europe, and northern Asia. C 

 pratensis, popularly known as Ladies' Smock 

 or Cuckoo Flower, is a very pretty meadow 

 plant, with large lilac flowers, common in 

 Europe, but a rather rare plant in this coun- 

 try. A double variety of this species, some- 

 times found growing wild, is remarkably 

 proliferous, the leaflets producing new plants 

 where they come in contact with the ground, 

 and the flowers, when they wither sending 

 up a stalked flower-bud from their centers. 

 The leaves of some of the species are used 

 in salads. 



Ca'rdamon. See Amomum. 



Cardinal Flower. See Lobelia cardinalis. 



Cardiospe'rmum. Balloon Vine. From kar- 

 dia, a heart, and sperma, seed ; in allusion to 

 the shape of the seeds. Nat. Ord. Sapin- 

 dacece. 



Of this small genus only one species is 

 grown as an ornamental plant, viz., C. Hali- 

 cacahum, which is a rapid-growing, handsome 



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climber, remarkable for an inflated mem- 

 branous capsule, from which it receives its 

 common name. Balloon Vine. It grows readily 

 from seed. Introduced from India in 1504. 



Cardoon. See Cynara. 



Ca'rduus. Thistle. From ard, the Celtic word 

 for a prickle or shai'p point ; referring to the 

 spines of the Thistle. Nat. Ord. Compositce. 



Some of the species are very ornamental, 

 though many of them are tall, robust-growing 

 plants, which require a great deal of room 

 and are too large for a small garden. O. 

 Marianus (Syn. Silyhujn Marianum) the Holy 

 Thistle, is well marked by the white veins on 

 its large, shining leaves, fabled to have been 

 produced by a portion of the milk of the Vir- 

 gin Mary having fallen on them. They are 

 annuals, growing freely from seed. 



Ca'rex. From careo, to want ; the upper spikes 

 being without seeds. Nat. Ord. CyperacecB. 



This genus includes more than 1,000 species, 

 widely distributed over the temperate and 

 Arctic regions. They are all perennial grasses ; 

 a few species are handsome plants for the 

 green-house, and useful for basket work and 

 aquariums. They are usually found growing 

 in bogs, marshes, or moist woods, Avhere they 

 yield a very inferior quality of grass. C 

 Fraseri is the handsomest species of the 

 genus, resembling at a short distance, when 

 in flower, one of the Liliacece. The leaves of 

 several of the species are used for seating 

 chairs, and various other purposes for Avhich 

 we use the common Flag. There are more 

 than 300 species in this country, all of which 

 are without interest except to the botanist. 



Caricature Plant. See Graptophyllum. 



Carinate. Keel-shaped. 



Carludo'vica. Named after Charles IV. of 

 Spain, and Louisa, his queen. Nat. Ord. 

 Cydanthacem. 



A genus of low-growing, palm-like, stove- 

 house plants. Some of them have long, 

 climbing stems, sending out aerial roots, 

 which fasten upon the trunks of trees or hang 

 down like ropes, while others are stemless 

 and form dense thickets. C. palmata is one 

 of the more interesting species. Its leaves 

 ai"e shaped and plaited like a fan, and are 

 borne on long, slender stocks. They are of 

 tolerably large size, and deeply cut into four 

 or five divisions, each of which is again cut. 

 It is from the leaves of this species that the 

 well-known Panama hats are made. The 

 leaves are cut when young, and the stiff par- 

 allel veins removed, after which they areslit 

 into shreds, but not separated at the stalk 

 end, and immersed in boiling water for a short 

 time, and then bleached in tlie sun. This 

 species is also exceedingly useful for any orna- 

 mental or decorative purpose. C. plicata is 

 a very interesting climbing species, with foli- 

 age similar to that of C. palmata, but with 

 much shorter leaf-stalks. There are several 

 other species useful for decorative purposes, 

 and valuable from the fact that they will suc- 

 ceed in any out-of-the-way corner, where most 

 other plants would pei'ish. This genus is 

 common throughout the shady thickets of 

 Panama, and along the coast of New Grenada 

 and Ecuador. They are increased from 

 suckers or from seed. 



Carnation. See Dianthus caryophyllus. 



