112 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



GUN 



duced this plant became famous, owing to 

 tlie reputed efficacy of the stems in the cure 

 of cancer ; a reputation its merits would not 

 sustain. 

 Cuneate. Wedge-shaped ; the broadest end 

 uppermost, tapering to the base. 



Cuni'la. Dittany. The derivation of this 

 word is doubtful ; by some botanists it is sup- 

 posed to be from konof^, a cone, and by others 

 from Cuniki, tlie name of a town. Nat. Ord. 

 LabiatcB. 



Native hardy herbaceous perennials, com- 

 mon on dr^- hills from New York to Illinois 

 and southwaid. They produce clusters of 

 small white or purplish flowers from July 

 to September. Propagated by root division. 



Cunningha'mia. In honor of two brothers, J. 

 and A. Cunningham, British botanists in Aus- 

 tralia. Nat. Ord. Conifercz. 



C. Sinensis, the only known species, is a 

 lofty evergreen tree, native of South China. 

 It bears a close resemblance to the Araucarias, 

 the foliage, however, being of a brighter 

 green and less rigid. It is too tender for our 

 climate, but its elegance makes it welcome in 

 any conservatory wliere there is room for its 

 development. Propagated from seed. In- 

 troduced in 1804. 



Cuno'nia. Named after Johii C. Cuno, of 

 Amsterdam, who described his own garden in 

 verse, in 1750. Nat. Ord. Saxifragacecz. 



C. CapensLn, the only species, is a small 

 tree, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 where it is called, " Rood Elze," by the set- 

 tlers. The dense racemes of small white 

 flowers, are axillaiy and opposite, the leaves 

 pinnate with oblong coriaceous serrated leaf- 

 lets. It is quite an ornamental green-house 

 plant, and is easily increased by cuttings. 

 Introduced in 1816. 



Cup Plant. A popular name for Silphium per- 



foliatum. 



Cupa'nia. Named after Francis Cupani, an 

 Italian monk, who wrote on botany. Nat. 

 Ord. SapindacecB. 



A genus of ornamental green-house ever- 

 green trees, chiefly natives of Mexico and 

 the West Indies. The species vary in height 

 from six to twenty feet, and produce beautiful 

 white flowers. One species, C. pendula, a 

 native of tropical Australia, is a loftj'-growing 

 tree, and furnishes the beautiful wood known 

 as Tulip Wood, so called from its Tulip-like 

 markings. The species are increased by 

 cuttings. 



Cu'phea. From kyphos, curved ; referring to the 

 form of the seed-pods. Nat. Ord. Lythracem. 

 An extensive genus of green-house ever- 

 greens, and half-hardy annuals. With a few 

 exceptions, such as C. platycentra, commonly 

 known as " Segar Plant" and "Fire Cracker 

 Plant," they are of but little merit. C. platy- 

 centra makes a beautiful border and room 

 plant. It is propagated readily by cuttings, 

 grows freely, and produces its scarlet and 

 purple tubular flowers In great profusion 

 nearly the whole year. Introduced from 

 Mexico in 1845. 



Cupre'ssus. Cypress. From kuo, to produce 

 and parisos, equal ; in reference to the sym- 

 metrical growth of some of the species. Nat. 

 Ord. ConifercB. 



CUR 



An extensive genus of hardy evergreen 

 trees, widely disseminated. C. sempervirens, 

 the common European Cypress, is a native of 

 Persia, but has for so long a time been gen- 

 erally planted throughout the East, that it is 

 impossible to ascertain the section where it 

 is indigenous. The timber of this species is 

 highly esteemed for its dui-ability, being con- 

 sidered superior to cedar. The doors of St. 

 Peter's Church at Rome, which had been 

 formed of this wood in the time of Constan- 

 tine, showed no signs of decay when, after 

 the lapse of a 1100 years. Pope Eugenius 

 IV. took them down to replace them by 

 gates of brass. In order to preserve the 

 remains of their hei-oes, the Athenians buried 

 them in coffins of Cypress ; and the chests 

 or coffins in which the Egyptian mummies are 

 found are usually of the same material. C. 

 thyoides is the White Cedar or Cypress of our 

 Southern States, a graceful and beautiful tree 

 in its native home, but which only thrives in 

 wet places. There are several species found in 

 California and Oregon, some of which are 

 magniflcent trees; others are graceful and 

 ornamental shrubs. The beautiful Retinos- 

 poras of Japan are nearly related to this 

 genus. A number of species, known as Cu- 

 pressus, are now placed under ChamcBcyparis, 

 by some authors. 



Cupreus. Of copper color, yellowish-red with 

 considerable mixture of gray. 



Curcu'ligo. From curcidio, a weevil ; the seeds 

 having a point resembling the beak of a 

 weevil. Nat. Ord. AmarylUdacecE. 



A genus of green-house herbaceous plants of 

 which the only species worthy of cultivation 

 is C. recurvata, and its variegated forms. 

 They have large palm-like ribbed leaves, 

 beautifully recurved ; most ornamental and 

 useful for green-house or conservatory deco- 

 ration. They are of easy cultivation growing 

 freely in a compost of turfy loam and sand, 

 and are readilj' propagated by suckers which 

 form at the base of the stem. Introduced 

 from Bengal in 1805. 



Curcu'Uo. The Plum Weevil. See Insects. 



Cu'rcuma. Turmeric. From kurkum, its Arabic 

 name. Nat. Ord. Scitaminece.. 



An extensive genus of herbaceous peren- 

 nials, natives of the East Indies, China and 

 Java. Most of the species possess the same 

 aromatic stimulating properties in the roots, 

 or rhizomes, and seeds, as the common ginger, 

 and are plants of considerable beauty f I'om their 

 colored bracts. C. longa is one of the best 

 known species, the powdered root of which is 

 the Turmeric of commerce. This powder is 

 used in India as a mild aromatic and for other 

 medicinal purposes. It also enters into the 

 composition of curry powder, and a sort of 

 arrow-root is made from the young tubers. 

 Turmeric is a dye of a very rich color, but it 

 possesses no durability, nor has there been 

 any combination of mordants found that 

 would give it this quality in a sufficient 

 degree to make it useful. Several of the 

 species, with yellow or reddish flowers, are 

 cultivated in the green-house. 



Curl. A disease of Potatoes, referable to 

 Chlorosis. The tubers produce deformed, 

 curled shoots, of a pallid tint, which are 

 never perfectly developed, and give rise to 



