72 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



CAR 



Cameus. Pale red, or flesh-color. 



Carnivorous Plants. A term applied to Diorusa 

 miuHcipula, Darlingtonia Califomica, the Dro- 

 seras, and other insect-catching plants, on the 

 supposition that they feed on the insects 

 which they entrap. 



Carob Tree. See Ceratonia. 



Carolina Allspice. A popular name of the 

 CalycanlhiiH, or Sweet-scented Shrub. 



Carolina Jasmine. See Gelsemium. 



Carpel. A division of the ovary; one of the 

 rolled-up leaves of which the pistil is com- 

 posed, whether they are combined or distinct; 

 the small parts of which compound fruits are 

 formed. 



Carpente'ria. Named after the late Professor 

 Carpenter of Louisiana. Nat. Ord. Saxifrag- 

 acecB. 



An ornamental, hardy, tall-growing shrub 

 with pure white flowers, and broadly-lanceolate 

 pinnately-veined leaves, whitened beneath, 

 with a minute and close pubescence. Intro- 

 duced to cultivation from the Sierra Nevadas, 

 California, in 1880. 



Carpi'nus. Hornbeam, Iron Wood. From the 

 Celtic car, wood, and pinda, head ; the wood 

 being used for the yokes of cattle. Nat. Ord. 

 CorylaceoR. 



C. Americana, the only representative of this 

 genus in our woods, is a low-growing tree of 

 compact form, and a very rigid trunk. It is 

 particularly handsome in autumn, because of 

 its richly-colored foliage. It is found in 

 nearly all parts of the country, but is not 

 plentiful in any section. The wood of this 

 tree is exceedingly hard and close-grained, 

 and is well suited for any work requiring great 

 liardness and strength. 



Carpoly'za. From karpoa, fruit, and lysaa, 

 rage ; in reference to the three-celled fruit, or 

 seed-pod, opening like the mouth of an 

 enraged animal. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidacea;. 



A genus of South African bulbs, the only 

 species being C. 8pt>ai^8,Avhich is a very pretty 

 little plant. The leaves and flower scape are 

 twisted, from which fact it derives its specific 

 name. The flowers are white, sepals pink, 

 tipped with green. It requires protection in 

 winter, or may be kept dry and grown in pots, 

 starting them about the first of February. 

 They are propagated by offsets. Introduced 

 in 1791. 



Carrion Flow^er. Coprosmaiithiis lierhaceim, 

 Smilax herbacea, and the genus Stapelia. 



Carrot. Daucus carota. The wild Carrot, indig- 

 enous to Great Britain and many other parts 

 of Europe, and so extensively naturalized in 

 this country as to become one of the most 

 troublesome pests of the farmer, has generally 

 been supposed to be the parent of the many 

 varieties of the common garden Carrot, which 

 has been under cultivation from time im- 

 memorial. Dioscorides describes accurately 

 the Carrot, both as a wild plant and as culti- 

 vated as an esculent root. The parentage was 

 not questioned until Miller, the celebrated 

 English gardener and botanist, undertook to 

 improve the wild Carrot by cultivation, and 

 signally failed in his many and varied 

 attempts. Others have experimented at dif- 

 ferent times, with no better success. The 

 prevailing opinion now is that the garden 



CAR 



Carrot is a distinct species, or was obtained 

 under circumstances entirely different or 

 unknown at the present day. The carrot was 

 introduced into England, in about its present 

 form, by the Dutch, during the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth, and soon thereafter became a favor- 

 ite vegetable, and a useful as well as a profit- 

 able field crop. Careful selection has gradually 

 improved the quality in certain respects, of 

 the Carrot, during the past hundred years, 

 and good cultivation is now required to keep 

 the varieties up to their proper standard. 



Cartha'mus. Safflower. From quurtom, to 

 paint, in Arabic ; the flowers yield a fine 

 color. Nat. Ord. CompositcB. 



This genus consists of two species only, 

 annual plants, f<nind in Caucasus and Egypt. C. 

 tinctorius, tlie Saffron Thistle, is extensively 

 cultivated in India, China, and other parts of 

 Asia, for the coloring matter which its 

 flowers yield. These flowers contain two 

 kinds of coloring matter — the one yellow, 

 which is soluble in water, the other red, 

 which being of a resinous nature, is insolu- 

 able in water, but is soluble in alkaline carbon- 

 ates. The fruit is never converted to any use, 

 as it dyes only dull shades of color ; the other 

 isabeautiful rose-red, capable of dyeing every 

 shade, from the palest rose to a cherry-red. 

 It is chiefly used for dyeing silk, affording 

 various shades of pink, rose crimson and 

 scarlet. Mixed with finely-powdered talc it 

 forms the well-known substance called rouge. 

 In France this species is grown for the beauty 

 of its flowers, and in Spain it is grown in 

 gardens to color soups, olives and other 

 dishes. It is readily grown from seed, which 

 should be started in the hot-bed or green- 

 house. 



Ca'rvun. Caraway. From Carta, in Asia Minor, 

 where it was first discovered. Nat. Ord. 

 Umbelliferce. 



A small genus of hardy biennials, but one 

 species of which, C Carui, is of any special 

 interest. This is a native of Europe, and pro- 

 duces the Caraway seeds which contain an 

 aromatic volatile oil, and are used in flavoring. 

 The plants are of the simplest culture, requir- 

 ing only to sow the seeds where the plants are 

 wanted to grow. 



Ca'rya Hickorj'. The Greek name for the 

 Walnut. Nat. Ord. JuglandacecB. 



A well-known genus of hardy deciduous 

 trees, confined wholly to North America. C. 

 alba is the common Shell-bark or Shag-bark 

 Hickory, so called on account of the rough, 

 shaggy bark of the trees, peeling off in long, 

 narrow strips from large trees. This species 

 furnishes the best Hickory nuts. C. olivafor- 

 mis is the Pecan-nut tree, common from Illi- 

 nois southward. It is a large and beautiful 

 tree. Its delicious nuts are well-known. C. 

 porcina is the Pig-nut, one of the most A^alu- 

 able as a timber tree, but the fruit is worth- 

 less. C. amara is the Bitter-nut or Swamp 

 Hickory-nut. C. sulcata is the Western Shell- 

 bark Hickory, remarkable for the size of the nut 

 which has a very thick shell, but is of excel- 

 lent quality. C. tomentosa, common in the 

 West and South, bears the largest nuts of any 

 of the species, the size, however, being at tha 

 expense of the quality. The timber of all the 

 species is valuable for any purpose where 

 strength and elasticity are required. 



