278 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



NUT 



Pistachia, or Pistachio. Ttie edible seed of 



Pistachia vera. 

 Poison. Tiie poisonous seed of Sirychnos mix 



vomica. 

 Rush. Cyperus rotundus var. Hydra, and C. 



esculentus. 

 Sapucaia. The seed of Lecythvi Zabucajo, 



also, L. Ollaria and L. grandijlora. 

 Sassafras. Nectandra Puchury. 

 Singhara. The fruit of various species of 



Trapa, especially T. bispinotfa and T. bi- 



comia. 

 Soap. Mimosa abstergens. 

 Souari or Suwarrovv. The seed of Caryocar 



nuciferum and C. bidryonum. 

 Spanish or Barcelona. Corylus Avpllana B.ir 



celonensis, also Morcsa Sisymchium. 

 Vegetable Ivor^-. Phytelephas mucrocarpa. 

 Water. The fruit of various species t)f I'rapa^. 

 Wood. Corylus Avellaiia. 

 Nutans. Nodding; inclined very much from 

 the perpendicular, so that the apex is directed 

 downward, as the flower of the Snowdrop. 



Nut-galls. The galls produced by insects on 

 Querent infecloria. 



Nut-gall-tree. Chinese or Japanese, Rhus seini- 

 alata. 



Nut-grass. Cyperus rotundus, var. Hydra. 



Nutmeg. See Myristica, moschata. 

 American. Monodora myristica. 

 Brazilian. Cryptocarya moschata. 

 Californian. Torreya myristica. 

 Clore. Aguthophyllum aromaticiim. 

 Peruvian. The seed of Laurelia sempervirens. 

 Plume. Atherosperma mos^chata. 

 Wild. Myristica fatxia, and M. tomentosa. 



Nutmeg-Geranium. See Pelargonium fragrans. 



Nutmeg-wood. The wood of the Palmyra 

 Pal:;!, Burassus Jlabelliformis. 



Nut Pine. Pinus monophylla (syn. P Fremon- 

 tiana), and P. Sabinianu, the seeds of the 

 latter are collected ill immense quantities by 

 the Californian and Oregon Indians as an 

 article of winter food. 



Nutta'llia. Named by Torrey and Gray, in 

 honor of Thomas Nuttall, of Cambridge, Mass., 

 an eminent botanist. Nat. Ord. RosacecB. 



This genus consists of but one species, N. 

 Cerasijormis, a small ornamental deciduous 

 shrub, of nearly globose habit, branching 

 freely, and producing its drooping racemes of 

 white flowers in great abundance. Easily 

 increased by seeds, or by suckers, which 

 spring plentifully from the roots. Introduced 

 to cultivation from Califorilia in 1848. 



Nux Vomica. See Sirychnos. 



Nuy'tsia. Fire Tree. Named after T. Kuyts, a 

 Dutch navigator. Nat. Ord. LoranthacecB. 



A genus of very handsome shrubs or small 

 trees from Swan Elver, Australia, remarkable 

 as being the only one in this order of parasites 

 that grows on the ground. From the abun- 

 dance of its brilliant orange-colored flowers, 

 the colonists call it the Flame-tree or Tree of 

 Fire. 



Nyctagina'ceae. A natural order of herbs, 

 shrubs or trees, natives of tropical regions, 

 principally America, with opposite unequal 

 leaves and involucrate flowers. The plants 

 of the order have in general purgative quali- 

 ties ; that of Mirabilis Jalapa (false Jalap) has 



NYII 



the nauseous smell of the true Jalap, with 

 which it was long confounded. The order 

 comprises about twenty genera, and one 

 hundred species. Mirabilis, Bougainvillea and 

 Abronia, are illustrative genera. 



Nycta'nthes. Sad Tree. From nyctos, night, 

 and anthos, a flowm-; the flowers open in the 

 evening. Nat. Onl. OleacecB. 



The only species is a free-flowering shrub 

 or small tree, native of India. The flowers 

 open only m the evening, and drop before 

 morning; their fragrance perfumes the air at 

 night. The flowers are gatiiered in the morn- 

 ing and worn as necklaces and in the hair 

 by tlie native women. As it loses its bright- 

 ness during the da}- it has received its speciflc 

 name, X. arbor tri-itis, or Sad Tree. 



Nycteri'r.ia. From nyrfcrinos, nocturnal ; the 

 flowers being fragrant during the evening. 

 Nat. Oi"d. Scrophulariaceoe. 



A genus of half-hardy annuals, perennials, 

 or under-shrubs, natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. A few of tlie species have been under 

 cultivation but they are chiefly plants of little 

 interest. Syn. Zaluzianskia. 



Nycte'rium. A genus now classed under So- 

 lanum. 



Nycto'calos. From nyx, night, and kalos, 

 beautiful; because the handsome flowers of 

 the flrst species discovered open in the even- 

 ing and fade in the morning. Nat. Ord. 

 BignoniacecB. 



A small genus of twining, shrubby 

 plants, natives of the Malayan Archipel- 

 ago, Assam and Queensland. N. Thomp- 

 soni, the only introduced species is a 

 handsome stove-house climber, with white 

 Gloxinia-like flowers nearly seven inches 

 long. It expands only at night and drops the 

 next morning. It was introduced from 

 Assam in 1868. 



Nymphas'a. Water Lily. From nymphe, a 

 water nymph. Nat. Ord. NymphceaceoB. 



This genus consists of beautiful water 

 plants found in lakes, ponds and rivers in 

 almost all parts of the world. N. odorata 

 is the double white Water Lily or Pond Lily, 

 so common and well-known throughout the 

 Eastern and Southern States. Of this species 

 there are several varieties, mostly having 

 pure white flowers, remarkable for their fra- 

 grance. There is, on the Island of Nantucket, 

 and also near Barnstable, Mass., a variety with 

 pinkis-h flowers, and rarely with bright pink-red 

 flowers. They are exceedingly beautiful, and 

 valued highly for their rarity. The cultiva- 

 tion of all our native species in tubs on the 

 lawn, or wherever desired, is attended with 

 but little difficulty. The roots should be ob- 

 tained from their native habitat as early in 

 spring as possible, or at least before they 

 have made much growth. Take any tub or 

 cask, say eighteen inches in depth, put in 

 good rich loam or muck to the depth of six 

 or eight inches, in which plant the roots, 

 barely covering them, and fill the cask with 

 water, replenishing it as it loses by evapora- 

 tion. In winter empty the water and remove 

 to a cold cellar, or protect from hard freezing 

 bya covering of leaves. This is all the care and 

 trouble required to produce flowers almost 

 as fine as are found in their natural homes. 

 Artificial ponds can be made upon the lawn 



