106 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



COT 



singly, and are succeeded by scarlet, and occa- 

 sionally black, berry-like fruit. Loudon says : 

 "The species are very desirable from the 

 beauty of their foliage, flowers, and fruit. C. 

 frigida and C. affiiiis in particular, producing 

 fruit in great abundance, of an intense scarlet 

 color, ^Yhich have a splendid appearance, and 

 remain on the trees the greater part of the 

 winter." C. microphylla is a yet more valua- 

 ble plant. In this species the branches are 

 trailing, the leaves small and evergreen. It 

 is perfectly hardy and wherever it grows, 

 ornamental; its deep glossy foliage, which 

 no cold will Impair, is, when the plant is in 

 flower, covered with snow-white blossoms, 

 rendering it a very desirable plant for rock- 

 work, etc. This species is a native of Nepaul, 

 and was introduced 1825. 



Cotton. See Gossyjyium. 



Cotton-Grass. The common name of the genus 



Eriophorum. 

 Cotton Rose. Filago Germanica. 

 Cotton Thistle. See Onopordon. 

 Cotton Tree, Silk. See Bombax. 

 Cotton-TVood. See Popidus. 



Cotyle'don. Xavelwort. From kotyle, a cav- 

 ity ; in {illusion to the cup-like leaves. Nat. 

 Ord. CrassulacecB. 



A genus of succulent plants, with fleshy 

 leaves, nearly allied to the House-leek, and 

 bearing red or j-ellow flowers. They are 

 plants of no great beauty-, but like all succu- 

 lent plants, are very interesting. The orna- 

 mental species are all from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and were first introduced in 1690. 

 Th«»y are propagated by cuttings and leaves, 

 and require an open, sandy soil. Under this 

 one genus several botanists now include 

 Echeveria, Pachuphytum, Pistorinia, and Umbil- 

 licus. The differences are at the best merely 

 botanical ; the culture of the groups is iden- 

 tical. 



Cotyledons. The seed lobes ; the primordial 

 leaves in the rudimentarj'' plant or embryo; 

 the fleshy leaves that appear above ground 

 when a seedling plant begins to grow, com- 

 monly called seed leaves. Monocotyledons 

 have only one such leaf, as Grasses, Lilies, 

 Palms, etc. ; Dicotyledons have two, as the 

 Maple, Elm, Pea, Bean, etc. 



Couch-Grass. The popular name of TrUicum 

 repens. 



Coulte'ria. In honor of Thomas Coulter, M.D., 

 a botanical author. Nat. Ovl^. LeguminofiCE. 



A genus of ornamental hot-house shrubs, 

 that grow from twelve to fifteen feet high, and 

 produce an abundance of yellow and orange 

 flowers. Their size prevents them from be- 

 ing grown except in botanical collections. 

 The wood of some of the species is used in 

 dyeing. 



Couta'rea. From coutari, its name in Guiana. 

 Nat. Ord. RubiacecB. 



This fine evergreen tree is allied to Cinchona. 

 It I'equires tlie same treatment, and its bark 

 has much the same medicinal pi'operties. 



Cowa'nia. In commemoration of the services 

 rendered to botany by the late Mr. James 

 Cowan, a merchant, who introduced a num- 

 ber of plants from Mexico and Peru. Nat. 

 Ord. RosacecB. 



CKA 



C. plicata, the only species, is worth far 

 more attention than it has hitherto received. 

 Its flowers are large and handsome, resem- 

 bling those of a Rose. They are bright red, 

 and, in addition, the plant is a shrub of ro- 

 bust character, nearly hardj-, requiring only 

 to be protected from severe frosts. Propa- 

 gated by division. It is a native of Mexico. 



Cowbane. The popular name given the genus 

 Archemora, reputed to be an active poison, 

 particularl}' to cattle, if eaten b\' them. It is 

 quite common in swampy grounds, from New 

 York to Illinois and southward. It is also 

 called Wild Parsnip. 



Cowberry. One of the common names of Vac- 

 cinium, which see. 



Cow-Herb. See Vaccaria. 



Cow-Itch. See Mucuna. 



Cow-Parsnip. The common name of Herac- 

 leum, a coarse growing, weedy plant, some- 

 times used in medicine, but of doubtful repu- 

 tation. 



Cowrie Pine, Daminara australis. 



Cowslip. See Primida. 



American. Dodecatlieon Meadia. 



Co^w-Tree. See Brosimum. 



Cow Vetch. Vicia Cracca. 



Cow "WTieat. The genus Melampyrum. 



Crab Apple. See Pyrus. 



Crab-Grass. Called also Dog's Tail, or Wire- 

 Grass, popular names of the genus Eleusine, a 

 native of India, but extensively naturalized 

 in this country. 



Crab's Claw Cactus. See Epiphyllum. 



Crab's Eyes. The seeds of Abrus precatorivs. 



Cra'mbe. Sea-Kale. The name a-ambe is de- 

 rived from the Greek name for Sea-cabbage. 

 Nat. Ord. Cruciferoe. 



A genus of hardy perennials. C. marititna, 

 the best known species, is a native of the 

 west coast of England, where it grows in 

 great abundance in the clean sand and gravel. 

 The common people have from time imme- 

 morial, been in lie practice of watching the 

 appearance of the shoots and leaf-stalks 

 closely, as they appear in early spring, when 

 they cut them off under ground in the same 

 manner as we do Asparagus. These young 

 shoots, when cooked, are bj"^ many con- 

 sidered superior to either Asparagus or Cauli- 

 flower. Sea-Kale is only fit for use in a 

 blanched state, which is easily done. In 

 early spring the crowns should be covered 

 with sand, or some light mulching that will 

 exclude the young shoot from light, the cover- 

 ing being from twelve to fifteen inches in 

 depth. By the time the young leaves are 

 through this mulching they will be perfectly 

 blanched and fit for use. It is a common 

 practice with gardeners to cover the crowns 

 with an inverted flower-pot, and by others 

 the whole bed is covered with manure. 

 Either plan will prove satisfactor}-. See 

 " Forcing Vegetables." Sea-Kale is increased 

 by seed or root cuttings, the latter plan being 

 pi'eferable. The roots should be taken up 

 in the fall, cut in pieces two to three inches 

 long, and these placed in boxes of sand in a 

 dry cellar until the weather is settled in 

 spring, when they may be planted out in 

 rows, three feet apart, and about nine inches 



