84 



HENDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



CHI 



Chiro'nia. A classical name, after Chiron, one ' 

 of the Centaurs, fabled to be the father of 

 medicine. Nat. Ord. GentianacecB. 



Green-house plants of short duration, and, 

 consequently, requiring to be frequently 

 raised from cuttings, which strike freely in 

 sand. C. floribunda, with rose-colored flowers, 

 and its variety, with white flowers, are the 

 most desirable, and, with other species, 

 are frequently raised from Cape seeds, the 

 plants being all indigenous to the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Introduced in 1756. 



Chives. The popular name of Allium SchcE.no- 

 prasum, the smallest of the Onion family, 

 though one of the finest flavored. It is a 

 hardy herbaceous perennial, native of Siberia, 

 and of the easiest cultui-e, growing freely in 

 almost any soil or situation. Propagated by 

 division, either in spring or autumn. 



CMida'nthus. From chlideios, delicate, and 

 anthos, a flower; alluding to the delicate tex- 

 ture of the flowers. Nat. Ord. AmaryllidacetF. 

 C. fragrans, the only species, a pretty, 

 bulbous-rooted plant, which may be grown in 

 the flower garden during the summer, when 

 its bright yellow flowers are highly interest- 

 ing. In winter it requires the same treatment 

 as the Gladiolus. It is propagated freely by 

 offsets, which should all be removed before 

 planting, to enable the bulb to flower well. 

 Introduced from Buenos Ayres in 1820. 



Chlo'ris. From chloros, green ; alluding to the 

 color of the herbage. Nat. Ord. Graminacew. 

 A very extensive genus of grasses, including 

 a few desirable species for the green-house. 

 Among them is C. radiata, a pretty little 

 annual species, with beautiful one-sided spikes 

 of silky flowers, wnich give it a very curious 

 appearance. There are several other species 

 under cultivation, all useful for basket and 

 similar work. 



Chloro'galum. Soap-plant. From chloros, 

 green, and gala, milk ; referring to their green 

 juice. Nat. Ord. Liliaceoe. 



A genus of distinct, hardy bulbs, containing 

 three species, all natives of California. C. 

 pomeridianum has branched, panicled stems, 

 with white, purplish-veined flowers, opening 

 only after mid-day, whence its specific name, 

 meaning " afternoon." The bulbs are some- 

 times used in California as a substitute for 

 soap. Syns. Phalangium pomeridianum, and 

 Omithogalum divaricatum. 



Cailoro'phora. From chloros, greenish, and 

 phoreo. to bear; alluding to the economic 

 properties of C. tinctoria. Nat. Ord. Urti- 

 cacece. 



A small genus of milky trees, consisting of 

 two species, one native of tropical Asia, and 

 the other of tropical Africa. C. tinctoria, the 

 Fustic Tree, yields yellow, brown, olive, and 

 green dyes. Syn. Maclura tinctoria. 



CUo'rosis. A disease to which plants are sub- 

 ject, and often admitting no cure. It consists 

 in a pallid condition of the plant, in which the 

 tissues are weak and unable to contend against 

 severe changes, and the cells are more or less 

 destitute of chlorophyl. It is distinct from 

 blanching, as it is also from the white color 

 in ornamental-leaved plants, of which, how- 

 ever, it may be a modification. Plants may 

 be affected by chlorosis as soon as the cotyl- 

 edons make their appearance. The best cul- 



CHO 



ture will not always restore such plants to 

 health. The most promising remedy is to 

 water them with a very weak solution of sul- 

 phate of iron. An example of this condition 

 is to be found in cases where the variegated 

 leaves of Pelargoniums, etc., run to pure 

 white without any green. In all such cases 

 death is certain to ensue, unless the leaves 

 again become more or less green. 



Chloro'xylon. Satin-wood. From chloros, 

 greenish-yellow, and xylon, wood, Nat. Ord. 

 Meliacece. 



C. Swietenia, the Satin-wood tree of the East 

 Indies, attains a large size, and is a valuable 

 timber tree. The wood is verj' handsome, 

 light-colored, with a satin-like lustre, and 

 sometimes beautifully mottled or curled in 

 the grain, bearing some resemblance to box- 

 wood, but rather deeper in color. The best 

 kind of satin-wood, however, comes from the 

 West Indies, and is the produce of a different 

 tree, of which we have no description. 



Chocolate. See Theobroma. 



Choi'sya. Named after M. Choisy, a botanist 

 of Geneva. Nat. Ord. Rutacece. 



C. ternata, the only species, is a handsome 

 white-flowered, sweet-scented shrub, growing 

 about six feet high, quite hardy in the Southern 

 States. It is a native of Mexico, an evergreen, 

 and will succeed well with ordinary green- 

 house treatment. It is increased by cuttings. 

 Introduced in 1825. 



Choke-Berry. The popular name of the fruit 

 of tilt' Pyrus arbutifolia, a common shrub from 

 two to ten feet high, found in damp thickets. 



Choke Cherry. See Cerasus Virginiana. 



Choko. See Sechium. 



Chondri'lla. From chondros, a lump ; the plants 

 bear lumps of gummy matter on the stems. 

 Nat. Ord. Compositce. 



A genus of mostly uninteresting plants al- 

 lied to Lactuca (Lettuce). C.juncea, a native 

 of southern Europe, has escaped from the 

 garden and become naturalized in some of the 

 Southern States. It is a straggling, many- 

 branched plant, and almost destitute of leaves 

 when in flower. There are more than twenty 

 species included in this genus, mostly weedy 

 plants. 



Chore'tis. From choros, to unite in chorus ; 

 this genus being an intermediate link between 

 Hymenocallis and Ismene. Nat. Ord. Amarylli- 

 dacece. 



An interesting genus of half-hardy bulbs 

 from Texas and Mexico, requiring a rest from 

 November until May. They grow freely in a 

 light, sandy soil in the open border, or they 

 may be grown in pots in the green-house, and 

 for this purpose they should be started in 

 March in a cool house, heat and water to be 

 increased witli their growth. The flowers are 

 very beautiful, pure white, with a green eye 

 and' a greenish stripe. Propagated by division 

 of the bulbs. 



Chori'zema. Nat. Ord. Legiuninoscp. 



This interesting green-house plant was flrst 

 discovered in Western Australia by Labillar- 

 diere. This botanist was attached to the ex- 

 pedition sent by the French Government in 

 search of the lost La Perouse, and on one of 

 his excursions suffered much, with his party, 

 for the want of water. At last they met with 



