AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



101 



CON 



Contiguous. Where two neighboring parts 

 are in contact through the whole length of 

 their edges or surfaces ; as the sepals of 

 Raphanus and the cotyledons of many species 

 of plants. 



Contorted. Twisted back upon itself ; arranged 

 so as to overlap other parts. 



Convalla'ria. Lily of the Valley. From the 

 Latin convallis, a valley, and rica, a mantle ; 

 in reference to the dense covering formed by 

 the leaves. Nat. Ord. LiliacecB. 



The Lily of the Valley, C majalis, is a plant 

 so well known, and such a universal favorite, 

 that little need be said by way of description, 

 unless we add that of Gerarde in 1596, which 

 is as follows: "The Lillj' of the Vally hath 

 many leaves like the smallest leaves of Water 

 Plantaine, among which riseth vp a naked 

 stalke, halfe a foot high, garnished with many 

 white floures, like bels, with blunt and turned 

 edges, of a strong savour, yet pleasant 

 enoughf, which being past, there come small, 

 red bei'ries, much like the berries of aspara- 

 gus, wherein the seed is contained." A mod- 

 ern writer in the Treasury of Botany saj's : 

 " Without poetical or fanciful conventional- 

 ities, the Lily of the Valley is as perfect an 

 emblem of purity, modesty and humility as 

 the floral world can afford. It may seem idle 

 to observe that a flower of this description 

 cannot be that referred to in the sermon on 

 the mount ; but as that opinion is frequently 

 broached in popular works, it may simply be 

 observed that it never grows in the open field, 

 and that there is nothing in its array to which 

 the term ' glory ' is applicable. Not a little 

 unprofitable commentary might have been 

 spared if the same general meaning had been 

 attached to the term 'Lilies of the Field,' 

 which has, by common consent, been ascribed 

 to the parallel phrase, 'Fowls of the Air,' 

 while the passage itself would have gained in 

 force and dignity by being kept clear from 

 botanical disquisitions." The flowers of the 

 Lily of the Valley are used during the winter 

 months in immense quantities, New York city 

 alone probably using a million, the average 

 price of which is about five cents each, so that 

 for this flower alone $50,000 is annually paid 

 by the bouquet makers to the florist, the con- 

 sumer paying, no doubt, one-third more. The 

 Lily of the Valley is nearly all imported from 

 Germany and France, usually in single crowns 

 or " pips." The method of culture is to place 

 these thickly together in shallow boxes as 

 soon as received in November, placing them 

 in a cold frame or in the open ground, cover- 

 ing them up so that they do not get severely 

 frozen. They should remain in this condition 

 at least four weeks before they are brought in 

 to force, which should be done gradually, 

 beginning at 50° and running up to 65° or 70^. 

 If taken every few weeks, a succession may 

 be kept up from January until May. In fact, 

 the flowers are now to be had all the year 

 round, as some growers find it suflQciently 

 profitable to keep the roots in refrigeratoi-s, 

 and, thus retarded, they are forced to bloom 

 at will at any time during the summer or fall 

 months. This same system might be used 

 with many other plants, but it is only in very 

 valuable flowers such as this that the expense 

 would be justified. The plant does well in 

 the garden, and may be put under the shade 



CON 



of trees; but wherever placed, the rootn 

 should not be disturbed for several years, if 

 at all, as many clumps will not otherwise 

 bloom. Propagated by division. 



Convex. Rising in a circular form. 



Convolute. When one part is wholly rolled up 

 in another, as in the petals of the Wallflower, 

 or the spathe of an Aricm. 



Convolvula'ceae. A natural opder of herbs or 

 shrubs, usuallj^ twining, and with a milky 

 juice, having alternate leaves, without stip- 

 ules, and I'egular flowers, the flower stalks 

 (peduncles) bearing one or many flowers. 

 They are abundant in tropical countries and 

 rare in cold climates. They twine around other 

 plants and creep among weeds, etc., along the 

 seashore. The plants are characterized chiefly 

 by their purgative qualities, and many of 

 them are used medicinally. Jalap is produced 

 from the root or underground stem of Exogo- 

 niiim {Ipomaa) purga, while the gum resin 

 called Scammony is produced by Convolvulus 

 scammonia. Ipomcca Bona-nox, which pro- 

 duces its pure white flowers at night, is the 

 Moon-creeper of Ceylon and other warm coun- 

 tries. Ipomcua {Culonyction) grandiflora is the 

 plant so widely known and distributed as the 

 Moon-flower. Batatas edulis, the Sweet Po- 

 tato, or Batatas, is cultivated in the United 

 States, Japan and China, and also in Spain 

 and Portugal. In the Philippine Islands the 

 Batatas or Camotes are used for making soup, 

 as well as roasted. This order comprises 

 forty-six known genera and nearlj^TOO species. 

 Convolvidus, IponKra, Calystcgia, Exogonium, 

 Batatas and Pharbitis are illustrative genera. 



Convolvulus. From convolvere, to entwine ; in 

 reference to their twining habit. Nat. Ord. 

 ConvolvulacecB. 



Well-known, splendid climbing plants, hardy 

 and half-hardy, annual and perennial. They 

 should be trained against stakes or trellis- 

 Avork, as their stems are too feeble to support 

 themselves. Most of the tender kinds of 

 Convolvulus were separated from it by Lin- 

 naeus, and formed into the genus Ipomcea. All 

 the tender kinds may be made to flower in the 

 open air during summer, and the more hardy 

 species only require sowing in the open 

 ground. C. Mauritanicus is a prostrate, twin- 

 ing pei-ennial species having blue flowers, 

 with a white thri>at and yellow anthers. It is 

 a most useful plant for hanging-baskets, etc. 

 C. minor (tricolor), a dwarf-growing species, 

 is a native of Spain and Portugal. The flowers 

 are often pure white, but generally variegated 

 Avith blue and yellow, or blue and white ; the 

 more beautiful kind is a bright blue, gradually 

 changing to a pure white in the center. The 

 form of this flower is no less beautiful than 

 the color. The plant spreads Avith much reg- 

 ularity in every direction from the center, so 

 that a bed of them, Avith the plants tAvo feet 

 apart each Avay, Avill form a compact mass 

 resembling a single plant. It is scarcely 

 exceeded in elegance by any plant in the bor- 

 der Avhen in full flower. The fl^OAvers continue 

 open all day if pleasant, but close in case of 

 rain. Seed should be soAvn as soon as the 

 ground can be got in order in spring. If 

 started in the green-house in pots it makes a 

 charming plant for hanging-baskets, rustic 

 Avoi-k, or the AvindoAv. This species has been 

 noticed for more than 250 years in Herbals. 



