274 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



NEP 



far the finest of the family, and the one best 

 adapted for the ordinary green-house. It has 

 no equal for the sitting room or conservator}', 

 being a rapid grower, of graceful habit, and 

 not liable to be injured by sudden changes of 

 temperature. N. exaltata, and N. tuberosa 

 (syn. N. cordifoUa), are both very desirable 

 species, especially for large hanging baskets. 

 N. Duffii is also a veiy elegant species having 

 fascicles of numerous gracefully-arching 

 narrow fronds. It was introduced fi'om Duke 

 of York's Island in 1878. There are many 

 other interesting and beautiful species, all 

 of easy culture, and rapidly increased by 

 division, or by spores. 



Nephrospe'rma. From nephros, a kidney, and 

 sperma, a seed ; referring to the shape of the 

 seed. Nat. Ord. Palmacew. 



N. Van Houtteanum, the only described 

 species, is a very elegant, armed, plant-stove 

 palm, with pinnate, gracefully arched leaves, 

 divided into pendulous, acuminate, unequal 

 segments. The plants are very useful for 

 decorative purposes in the young state. It 

 was introduced from the Seychelle Islands in 

 1868, and is propagated by imported seeds. 

 Syns. Areca nobilis, and Oncoapermum Van 

 Houtteanum. 



Ne'phthytis. Named after Nephthys, the 

 mother-in-law of Typhon. Nat. Ord. Aroidece. 

 A small genus of four species, of which N. 

 pidurata is remarkable for the handsome 

 variegated character of its foliage. This 

 variegation is peculiar, and quite unique in 

 character, forming a pattern resembling in out- 

 line the tips of fern-fronds laid between the 

 nerves of the bright green-colored leaves, 

 with their points all directed towards the base 

 of the leaf. Introduced from the Congo in 

 1887. 



Neptu'nia. Named after the mythological deity 

 Neptune, in reference to the species growing 

 in water. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



A singular genus comprising about eight 

 species of prostrate, often tloating perennial, 

 herbs or small shrubs. Natives of North and 

 South America, tropical Asia and Australia. 

 N. plena (abounding), the only cultivated 

 species, is a most curious and interesting 

 water-plant with yellow flowers. The white, 

 spongy, lower portion of the stems full of 

 air-cells, enabling the plant to float, are very 

 remarkable. The leaflets and petioles are as 

 irritable as those of Mimosa pudica, and are 

 of an extremely delicate yellowish-green 

 color. It was introduced from Mexico in 

 1845. N. lutea is found in damp soil near the 

 coast. Key West to Alabama and westward. 



Neri'ne. Guernsey Lily. Named after Nerin.p, 

 daughter of Nerius. Nat. Ord. Amarylli- 

 dacecB. 



Showy bulbous plants, the type of which is 

 the Guernsey Lily, and which are natives of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, China, and Japan. 

 The Guernsey Lily is a native of Japan, and 

 the reason why it has obtained its English 

 name is said to be, that a ship laden with these 

 bulbs and other plants from China was wrecked 

 on the coast of Guernsey ; and that the bulbs 

 being washed on shore, took root in the sandy 

 soil of the beach, and flourished there so 

 remai-kably as to be supposed to be natives 

 of the island. Whether this story be true or 

 not, it is quite certain that for nearly two 



NEE 



liundred years these bulbs have been culti- 

 vated in Guernsey with the greatest success, 

 growing freely in the open air, and producing 

 abundance of offsets every year, from which 

 the market is supplied. Th6 bulbs are gener- 

 ally planted in spring, in pots of very sandy 

 loam, and placed in some window or other 

 situation where they will have plenty of light. 

 They flower in September and October ; and 

 as soon as they have flowered the bulbs are 

 generally thrown away, as they are said never 

 to flower well the second year. This is, how- 

 ever, entirely the fault of the grower, as, if 

 they were planted in a well-di"ained, sunny 

 border in the open ground, and allowed to 

 mature their new bulbs every year by the 

 agency of the leaves, there is no doubt that 

 they would live as long as any of the kinds of 

 Narcissi, and flower as freely. The true 

 Guernsey Lily is N. sarniensis. N. curvifolia 

 is also an exceedingly beautiful species, and 

 one of the most vigorous growers. The 

 flowers which appear at various seasons, are 

 of a bright glittering scarlet, the petals in the 

 sunlight appearing as if sprinkled with gold- 

 dust. It is probably the most showy of the 

 genus, and is known in cultivation as Amaryl- 

 lis or Nerine Fothergillia. 



Ne'rium. Oleander. From neros, moist ; refer- 

 ring to their native places of growth. Nat. 

 Ord. ApocynacetB. 



Nerium oleander and its varieties are old and 

 valued inhabitants of our green-houses ; their 

 large and handsome flowers, either double or 

 single, pink or white, produced in the early 

 part of the season, having made them general 

 favorites. As the flowers are borne only on 

 mature, well-ripened shoots, the plants must 

 be well exposed to sun and air during their 

 period of growth. Many beautiful varieties, 

 both douVjle and semi-double, mostly of Conti- 

 nental origin, have been introduced of late 

 years, and are the more valuable on account 

 of their blooming freely when in a young or 

 dwarf state. Neriums are easily propagated 

 by cuttings of the matured leading shoots in 

 a close, narrow, warm place, or they may be 

 rooted successfully in bottles of water, and 

 afterwards potted carefully in soil. Their 

 principal insect enemy is the White Scale, 

 Avhich only persistent sponging or washing 

 with kerosene emulsion will subdue. Not- 

 withstanding their beauty they are one of the 

 most virulent of vegetable poisons. The 

 leaves are fatal to animals ; the flowers have 

 caused death to those Avho carelessly picked 

 and ate them, and it is on record that the 

 branches divested of their bark, and used as 

 skewers, have poisoned the meat roasted on 

 them, and killed seven out of twelve persons 

 who partook of it. 



Ne'rtera. From nerteros, lowly ; referring to 

 the habit of the genus. Nat. Ord. RubiacecB. 



A small genus of creeping, herbaceous 

 plants, indigenous to the mountains of Java, 

 the Phillipine and Sandwich Islands, the 

 Andes of South America, Australia, and New 

 Zealand. N. depressa, the Bead Plant, com- 

 monlj^ known under the absurd name of 

 Flowering or Fruiting Duckweed, is a beauti- 

 ful hai-dy perennial rock plant, forming a 

 dense carpet, close to the ground, of creeping 

 stems thickly covered with tiny, small, ovale, 

 almost fleshy leaves. The plant is exceedingly 



