AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



213 



KEN 



Ke'ntia. In honor of LietU.-Colonel Kent. Nat. 

 Ord. Palmacece. 



A small genus of Palms, separated from 

 Areca, chiefly on account of the shape and 

 substance of the seed ; in all other respects 

 they are identical. K. sapida is the most 

 southern known Palm, being found in New 

 Zealand, two or three degrees further south 

 than any representative of the order in either 

 hemisphere. The natives use the young 

 flower spikes as an article of food. K. (Syn. 

 Hedyscepe) Canterburyana is an exceedingly 

 ornamental plant, useful for decorative pur- 

 poses. It is called in its native country the 

 " Umbrella Palm." A number of the species 

 ore now under cultiA^ation. Young plants are 

 obtained from seed. 



Kentio'psis. From Kentia, and opsis, a resem- 

 blance ; on account of its likeness to Kentia. 

 Nat. Ord. Palmacece. 



A genus of very pretty Palms, closely allied 

 to Kentia. The leaves of K. divaricata when 

 young are of a fine red color. Natives of New 

 Caledonia. Introduced in 1876. 



Kentucky Blue Grass. See Poapratensis. 



Kentucky Coflfee Tree. See Gymnocladus. 



Ke'rria Japonica. An old favorite in the gar- 

 den, with both single and double flowers, to 

 which has lately been added a very pretty 

 variety with variegated leaves. These have 

 been transferred to the genus Corchorus, 

 which see. 



Kidney Bean. See Phaseolus vulgaris. 



Kidney Vetch. See Anthyllis. 



King Plant. AncectocMlus seiacevs. 



Kinnikinnik. Common name of Comtis sericea. 



Kle'inia. Named by Linnaeus in honor of James 

 Henry Klein, a German botanist. Nat. Ord. 

 Compositce. 



A small genus of curious succulent plants 

 from Africa. Some are of upright habit, and 

 others trailing or creeping. A few have been 

 introduced into the green-house, and are 

 grown for basket plants. K. artieulata. or 

 Candle Plant, is very curious and easily 

 grown ; propagated by cuttings. Syn. Senecio. 



Kni'ghtia. Named after TJws. A. Knight, a 

 celebrated English pomologist. Nat. Ord. 

 ProteacecB. 



A genus comprising three species of trees, 

 or shrubs, one of which is from New Zealand, 

 and the two others, from New Caledonia. K. 

 excelsa, the only species yet introduced, is an 

 ornamental evergreen tree, growing in its 

 native country to the height of 100 feet, and 

 having much the habit of a Lombardy Poplar. 

 The wood of this tree is mottled with red and 

 brown, and is largely employed in making 

 furniture. 



Knight's Spurs. An old name for Larkspur. 



Knight's Star Lily. See Hippeastrum. 



Knipho'fia. Named after J. H. Kniphof, Pro- 

 fessor of Medicine at Erfurt, 1704-1763. Nat. 

 Ord. Liliacece. 



Thi.s genus of half-hardy herbaceous plants 

 is usually known as Tritoma, but the name 

 here given is a prior one, and therefore the 

 more correct. See Tritoma. 



Knot-Berry. Rubus ChamcBmorus. 

 Knot-Grass. Polygonum aviculare. 



KRA 



Knot-"Weed. Centaurea nigra, also the genus, 

 Polygonu7n. 



Kno'xia. Named after Robert Knox, who lived 

 many years in Ceylon. Nat. Ord. Rubiacece. 



A small genus of rather pretty, low-grow- 

 ing green-house evergreens, with small white 

 or pink flowers. Propagated by cuttings ; in- 

 troduced from Bengal in 1828. 



Koele'ria. A small genus of grasses inhabiting 

 the higher altitudes of northern Europe. 



Kcelreute'ria. Named after Kcelreuter, once 

 Professor of Natural History at Carlsruhe, 

 the father of hybridizing plants. Nat. Ord. 

 Sapiiidacem. 



K. paniculata, the only species, is a decidu- 

 ous shrub or low-growing tree, a native of 

 China. It has pinnate foliage with an odd 

 leaflet. The flowers are yellow, disposed in 

 terminal spreading clusters, and are suc- 

 ceeded by large bladdeiy capsules, which 

 render the tree conspicuous till late in autumn. 

 This tree is hardy in the vicinity of New York 

 and southward. 



Koe'niga. Sweet Alyssum. In honor of Charles 

 Kcenig, Superintendent of the Natural History 

 Department of the British Museum. Nat. 

 Ord. CrucifercE. 



K. maritima is a pretty and well-known 

 hardy annual. K. m. major has flowers nearly 

 as large as Candj-tuft. Sow the seed in early 

 spring; it usually sows itself, coming up 

 freely where once sown. A. m. plena, a double 

 variety, is valuable for cut flowers. K. m. 

 variegata has variegated leaves, and is a 

 pretty and useful plant. A more recent 

 variety with double flowers has even flner 

 variegation. The last three named are pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, as they do not seed. 



Kohl-Rabi. Brassica oleracea Caulo-rapa. 

 Kohl-rabi is a very distinct vegetable not 

 very largely cultivated except by Germans. 

 It comes between the Cabbage and Turnip, 

 and is generally used as a substitute for the 

 latter. The upper part of the stem swells 

 into a large fleshy head above ground, re- 

 sembling a Cabbage. Kohl-rabi has several 

 advantages over some other vegetables, and 

 consequently deserves a place in gardens. It 

 is exceedingly hardy, withstanding even 

 severe frosts, and also resists drought much 

 better than the Turnip. The varieties mostly 

 cultivated are the Early Purple and Early 

 "White Vienna, both dwarf and useful sorts ; 

 they are not good if allowed to get old and 

 large before being used. 



Ko'psia. Named after Professor Kops. the 

 author of a Botanical Dictionary of reputa- 

 tion. Nat. Ord. Apocynacece. 



K. fruticosa, the only species, is a native of 

 Pegu, Japan. It is an exceedingly ornamental 

 green-house evergrecui shrub, producing 

 flowers similar to the green- house species of 

 Vinca, several times during the season. The 

 color is red and extremely showy. It is in- 

 creased by cuttings ; introduced in 1818. 



Krame'ria. Named after the two Kramers, 

 German botanists. Nat. Ord. Polygalaceoe. 



A small genus of ornamental green-house 

 evergreen shrubs. K. triandra is remarkable 

 for its entire, obovate, acuminate leaves, 

 covered on both sides with silky hairs. In 

 Peru an extract, which is a mild astringent, is 

 made from it. An infusion of the roots of one 



