390 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



SAI 



when it is drained off with the water, allowed 

 to settle, and afterward purified by washing. 

 These trees produce their flower-spikes when 

 about fifteen years old, and the fruit is nearly 

 three years in ripening, after which they die. 

 In order to procure the greatest quantity of 

 Sago, the trees must be cut down immediately 

 after the flower-spike makes its appearance. 

 Introduced in 1800. Syn. Metroxylon. 



Sailor Plant. A name applied to Saxifraga sar- 



7nentosa. 

 Sainfoin or Saintfoin. Se« Onobrychis sativa. 

 St. Agnes' Flov^rer. Erinosma or Leucojum. 

 St. Andrew's Cross. Ascyrum Crux-Andrea. 

 St. Catherine's Flower. Nigella Damascena. 

 St. Christopher's Herb. Ostnunda regalis and 



Actma spicata. 



St. James's Wort. Senecio Jacobcea. 



St. John's Bread. See Ceratonia Siliqua. 



St. John's Wort. See Hypericum. 



St. Joseph's Lily. Liliiim candidum. 



St. Martin's Flow^er. Alstrccmeria pulchra. 



St. Patrick's Cabbage. Saxifraga umbrosa. 



St. Peter's Wort. A name applied to Ascyrum 

 Stuns and the genus Symphoricarpus. 



St. Thomas' Tree. See Bauhinia tomentosa. 



Sala'cia. From Salacia, in heathen mythology, 

 the wife of Neptune. Nat. Ord. CelastracecB. 

 A genus of about sixty species of stove- 

 house plants, natives principally of India and 

 the Eastern Archipelago. S. dulcis bears a 

 globular fruit about the size of a crab-apple, 

 3'ellowish in color, sweet and juicy, and 

 (according to Dr. Spruce) much eaten by the 

 Indians on the Eio Negro, who call it Waia- 

 tuma. S. pyriform is also affords a sweet-tasted 

 fruit about the size of a bergamot Pear. The 

 majority of the species are of no great beauty, 

 and are only worth growing in botanical 

 collections. 



Salica'ceae. A natural order of trees or shrubs 

 with alternate leaves ; natives chiefly of the 

 northern temperate and the frigid regions, a 

 few being found in South America and South 

 Africa. The only two genera, Salix and Pop- 

 ultis, contribute some ornamental subjects to 

 our gardens. The number of species in the 

 order is estimated by various authors at 

 between two and three hundred. 



Salico'rnia. Glasswort. From sal, salt, and 

 cormi, a horn ; alluding to the economic prod- 

 ucts, and the horn-like branches of the plants. 

 Nat. Ord. ChenopodiacecB. 



A genus of succulent plants common to salt 

 marshes in various parts of the globe. They 

 grow from six to ten inches high, and are 

 much branched and jointed. The various 

 species of this genus grow abundantly on the 

 coasts of northern Africa and southern 

 Europe, and yield large quantities of soda 

 which is employed in making both soap and 

 glass. From its use in the latter the genus 

 derives its common English name, Glassioort. 

 The genus is represented in this country by 

 several species, the more common being S. 

 herbacea, which is considerably used when 

 young for pickling. On the New England 

 coast it is known by the name Samphire. 



SAL 



Salisbu'ria. Maiden-hair Tree. In honor of 

 Richard A. Salisbury, a distinguished English 

 botanist. Nat. Ord. Coniferce. 



This very remarkable tree was formerly 

 called Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo being its name in 

 Japan. The only species that has been 

 described, and is to be found in collections of 

 ornamental trees, is S. adiantifolia, the leaves 

 resembling in form those of the Maiden-hair 

 Fern, the botanical name of which is Adiantum. 

 This is one of the most beautiful and peculiar 

 of all hardy exotic trees, and one so entirely 

 difi"erent in habit and foliage from all others 

 belonging to this order, that, were it not for 

 the flowers and fruit, it would have been 

 difficult to find its proper position in the veg- 

 etable kingdom. Without regard to its botan- 

 ical position, it is beyond question one of the 

 most beautiful trees under cultivation. It 

 attains a height of eighty feet, and has a 

 straight trunk with a pyramidal head. This 

 tree is a native of Cliina and Japan, and was 

 introduced into England in 1754. It is not 

 yet as common in this country as it should 

 be, on account of its price and scarcity, but is 

 now being more largely propagated and 

 planted. There is a fine specimen on Mr. 

 Manice's place at Queens, L. I., fully fifty feet 

 high, with a full, symmetrical head. There is 

 also a noble specimen on the old Downing 

 place at Newburgii, supposed to be the lai-gest 

 in the States. It is propagated in this country 

 by layers, or by imported seeds. The fruit is 

 common in Japan, and is highly esteemed for 

 its astringent properties and for the reputa- 

 tion it has of promoting digestion. 



From an interesting notice of this remark- 

 able tree in the "Philadelphia Ledger," August 

 29, 1889, remarking on its fruiting for the first 

 time in that city, in the grounds of Mr. Charles 

 J. Wister, Germantown, and communicated to 

 us by Mr. A. Garman, of Philadelphia, we 

 make the following extracts : 



" The tree itself has a very remarkable his- 

 tory. It is asserted by eminent horticulturists 

 that it has been found wild nowhere on the 

 earth, but is cultivated largely both in China 

 and Japan, where it is usually found near the 

 temples and similar religious structures. 



""The first specimen received in this country 

 was presented by William Hamilton, the for- 

 mer owner of the beautiful grounds — in which 

 the celebrated explorer, Pursh, was gardener — 

 which is now known as Woodlands Cemetery. 

 This particular tree is still regarded as one of 

 Philadelphia's arboreal treasures, and tree 

 lovers from distant parts of the globe, when 

 in this city, journey to the cemetery expressly 

 to see this magnificent specimen. 



" When the original tree that was imported 

 from Japan flowered it was found to have male 

 flowers only, and consequently all trees 

 propagated by cuttings were male also. The 

 tree in Woodlands is a male tree. It has 

 only been comparativelj' a few years since 

 seeds have been introduced from China or 

 Japan, and among these young seedlings, 

 plants with female flowers were found. This 

 tree of Mr. Wister's happens to be female, 

 and now that it has come of age it produces 

 fruit. Numerous seedling trees have been 

 distributed over different parts of the United 

 States, and it is expected that others will reach 

 the fruiting stage before many years. There 

 is a magnificent avenue of Ginkgo trees on 



