156 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



FLO 



occupy the center of the head of a Composite ; 

 while florets of the ray occupy the circumfer- 

 ence. 

 Florida Bean. See Entada. 

 Florida Moss. See Tillandsia. 

 Florists' Flowers. These are defined as, 

 "Flowei-s wliieh, by their beauty, or fra- 

 grance, power to produce permanent varieties, 

 and facility of cultivation, are so largely in de- 

 mand as to render them especially woi-thy of 

 cultivation as an article of commerce." The 

 term is most generally applied to that large 

 section of green-house and hardy plants, 

 which have originally descended from a 

 limited number of species, but which, either 

 by cultivation, careful selection, or systematic 

 hybridization the "Florist," has caused to 

 "break" from the original species into 

 varieties much superior to the original, it 

 may be in the habit of the plant or variety of 

 color and form of the flower. The variety of 

 plants included among Florists' flowers, is 

 annually extending, as genera that have 

 hitherto been neglected are being brought 

 under the same influences with a view of ob- 

 taining similar results. Perfection in habit 

 of plant, and in form of flower, with distinct 

 coloring, are points always aimed at and only 

 those flowers which are most desirable in 

 these respects, should be used for hybridizing 

 or seeding purposes. Seeds having a ten- 

 dency to produce varieties of an inferior 

 quality, it is necessary to perpetuate those 

 good sorts already secured, by cuttings or 

 offsets, as the case may be ; the advantages of 

 the improvements effected are thus available 

 for all, in the select varieties now in general 

 cultivation, as well as those now annually 

 distributed. Among the best known examples 

 of the Florist's success are the Auricula, 

 Chrysanthemum, Carnation, Dahlia, Fuchsia, 

 Gladiolus, Pelargonium, both show and Zonal, 

 Tulip, Hyacinth, Verbena, Rose, etc. 



Flower. That assemblage of organs in a plant, 

 of which the stamens or pistils, or both, form 

 part. 



Flower Border. See Border. 



Flow^er-de Luce. See Iris. 



Flower Fence. See Poinciayia. 



Flower of the Holy Spirit. See Peristeria. 



Flowering Ash. See Ornus. 



FloT«rering Fern. See Osmunda. 



Flowering Grass. Anomatheca cruenta. 



Flowering Rush. See Butomus. 



Flues. Single and double. See Heating. 



Fluitans. Floating on the surface of water. 



Fluvial, Fluviatile. Of or belonging to the 

 water. 



Fly Honeysuckle. Lonicera Xylosteum. 



Fly Orchis. Ophrys mttscifera. 



Fly Poison. Amianthium musccetoxicum. 



Fly-Trap. American. Apocynum androscBtni- 

 folium. 

 Venus's. Dionoea muscipula. 



Foeni'culum. Fennel. The old Latin name. 

 Nat. Ord. Uvibelliferce. 



F. vulgare. the common Fennel, is a native 

 of southern Europe and western Asia, and is 

 usually found on dry soils near the sea. 



FOE 



It is an aromatic plant of perennial duration, 

 and is propagated both by offsets, division 

 of the root, and by seed. F. didce, the Sweet 

 Fennel, is generally considered a variety of the 

 preceding ; but it differs in being a smaller 

 plant, producing larger seeds, and in its 1U)W- 

 ering earlier. The leaves are used in sauces 

 and for garnishing, and the seeds are em- 

 ployed in confectionary and for flavoring 

 liquors. 

 FoUaceous. Having the form of leaves. 

 Foliage Plants. A popular term, though an 

 incorrect one, given to distinguish such plants 

 as are used for decorative purposes for the 

 beauty of their foliage rather than for the 

 beauty of their flowers. It is more particu- 

 larly used for such plants as are used for 

 massing in color ; for example, the Achyraii- 

 thes, Centaureas (Dusty Millers), Pyrethrum 

 aureu77i (Golden Feather), Coleus, and plants 

 of that class used in " ribbon line" bedding, 

 are called "foliage" plants; though, among 

 plants for inside decoration, the Crotons, 

 Dracaenas, Pandanads, Fancy Caladiums, etc, 

 are sometimes so named; but the proper 

 designation for all such plants, whether used 

 for outside or inside decoration, is "Orna- 

 mental-leaved Plants," or "Ornamental-foli- 

 aged Plants." 

 Foliate. Clothed with leaves. 

 Foliole. A leaflet ; the secondary divisions of 



a compound leaf. 

 Foliose. Covered closely with leaves. 

 Follicle. An inflated seed-vessel; as that of 



the Colutea. 

 Fools Parsley. See JEthusa. 

 Fontane'sia. A Syrian shrub of the Olive fam- 

 ily, named in honor of M. Desfontaines, an 

 eminent French botanist. It is an orna- 

 mental, hardy sub-evergreen shrub, resem- 

 bling the common Privet, but with rough 

 bark and graceful, slender drooping branches. 

 Flowers creamj^-yellow in axillary racemes. 

 Introduced in 1787. 

 Forbidden Fruit. Citrus Paradisi. 



Of London. A variety of the Shaddock. 



Citrus decumana. 

 Of Paris. The sweet skinned Orange; a 

 variety of Citrus Aurantium. 

 Forcing Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables. As 

 this operation has to be conducted through- 

 out the winter and early spring months the 

 greatest care Is necessary in practice to ob- 

 tain satisfactory results, more especially as 

 they have to be procured under conditions 

 that are unnatural to the plants at the time, 

 in consequence of their having had an insuffi- 

 cient season of rest. The preparation of 

 plants for forcing is one of the most important 

 points, and only those that have the wood 

 thoroughly ripened, should be chosen. In the 

 early stages of the operation, heat should be 

 applied very gradually, beginning with a little 

 closer, warmer atmosphere than that allowed 

 during the resting period. A temperature 

 not exceeding 50° to 55° will suit a large num- 

 ber of plants to start with, but even this is 

 too high for some subjects. Most plants will 

 bear more heat after the buds swell and have 

 commenced growing, than they will pre- 

 viously. In very early forcing all the sun- 

 shine and light possible should be admitted, 



