408 



HENDERSONS HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



SEE 



their weight in gold. Tens of thousands of 

 acres are devoted to the raising of Hower 

 seeds in soutliern Europe, whieli could proba- 

 bly be far better done in California ; but the 

 industry must be one of slow growth, for 

 seeds are different from nearly all otlier mer- 

 cantile commodities, inasmuch as no exami- 

 nation can certainly tell whether or not seed 

 will germinate, or, if it does germinate, can 

 it be known whether it is the variety specified 

 until it matures ; hence seed merchants dare 

 not purchase from the growers until not only 

 their honesty, but, what is of equal impor- 

 tance, their knowledge of the business in which 

 they are engaged is assured. 



Seed-sowiiig. See "Propagation by Seeds." 



Seenia'niiia. Named after Bertlioid Seemann, 

 a botanist and traveler, 1825-1871. Nat. Ord. 

 Gesneracece. 



S. sylvatica, the only described species, is a 

 pubescent, stove-house, perennial plant, with 

 a creeping rhizome, closely allied to Achi- 

 menes and Lsoloma. It bears bright scarlet 

 flowers on solitary axillary p«'(liceis, and 

 requires the same treatment as Gesnera. It 

 was introduced from Peru in 1875. 



Segar Plant. See Cuphea platycentra. 



Segment. One of the divisions into which a 

 leaf or other flat organ may be cut. 



Sego. A common name for Calochortus Nut- 

 tall ii. 



Segregate. Separated from each other. 



Selagiua'ceae. A natural order of small shrubs, 

 or annual or perennial herbs, with alternate 

 leaves, and blue, white, or rarely yellow flow- 

 ers, in terminal heads or spikes, closely 

 allied to Verbenacete. There are about a 

 dozen genera, of which Globularia is Euro- 

 pean, Gymandra from temperate or northern 

 Asia and northwestern America, and all the 

 others, including Selago itself, from southern 

 Africa. 



Selagine'lla. A diminutive of Selago, an an- 

 cient name of a Lycopodium, from which 

 this genus has been separated. Nat. Ord. 

 Lycopodiace<j}. 



A genus of Club Mosses, formerly included 

 in the genus Lycopodium, and differing only 

 by their two-i'anked stems and the form of 

 the fruit. Many of the species are very beau- 

 tiful, and are favorite plants for the fern- 

 house or Wardian case. S. lepidophylla has 

 the fronds curiously curled in and contracted 

 when dry, so as to form a ball somewhat like 

 the Rose of Jericho, but expands again when 

 moistened. It is commonly called the Resur- 

 rection Plant and is found from Texas to 

 Peru. 8. serpens (syn. mutabilis) has the re- 

 markable property of changing its color dur- 

 ing the day; in the morning it is a bright 

 green, but as the day advances it gradually 

 becomes pale, and at night resumes its 

 deeptir tint. S. Kraussiana is a well- 

 known species most useful for decorative 

 purposes, and is now used in large quanti- 

 ties by florists as a ground-work for elab- 

 orate designs of cut flowers, dinner-table 

 decoration, etc. 8. uncinata (better known 

 as 8. ccesia) has a beautiful metallic lustre, 

 resembling the tints of a Peacock's feathers. 

 8. Wildenovii (syn. 8. cmsia arborea) has the 

 same beautiful shades of color as the preced- 

 ing, but is a climbing plant of grand propor- 



SEM 



tions. These two should be grown in a hot- 

 house. The nature of all demands a moist 

 atmosphere and partial shade. 8- atroviridis, 

 8 Braunii, 8. caulescens, 8. ciispidata, 8. 

 erythropus, 8. Galeotli, 8. hcematodes, 8- loevi- 

 guta, 8. Martensii, 8. Poulteri, 8. Wallichii, 

 and a number of other species are well- 

 known green-house or plant-stove decorative 

 plants, and are indispensable in every collec- 

 tion. All the species are readily increased by 

 cuttings, which strike root I'eadily. 



Sela'go. From the Celtic sel, sight, and jach, 

 salutary ; supposed medicinal qualities. Nat. 

 Ord. 8elaginacecB. 



A very pretty genus of low-growing, hardy, 

 green-house shrubs from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, with beautiful spikes of rose-colored, 

 y(dlow, violet, or white flowers. They require 

 but little care or attention, flowering freely 

 in early summer, and are propagated by cut- 

 tings. 



Sele'uia. Probably from 8elene, the moon ; 

 connection not obvious. Nat. Ord. CrucifercB. 

 A small genus of annual herbs, natives of 

 Texas and Arkansas. 8. aurea has the habit 

 of Brassica, the stem three-edged, the leaves 

 pinnatifid, and the flowers golden yellow, in 

 terminal racemes. It is well worthy of culti- 

 vation, both for the color and odor of the 

 flowers, as well as for the considerable time 

 it remains in blossom. It requires similar 

 treatment to other hardy annuals. 



Selenipe'dium. South American Lady's Slip- 

 per. From selenis, a little crescent, and pe- 

 dion, a slipper ; in allusion to the crescentic, 

 slipper-shaped labellum. Nat. Ord. Orchid- 

 acecB. 



A genus of terrestrial Orchids, differing 

 from Cypripedium in having a three-celled 

 and three-furrowed, or three-lobed, ovary. 

 They have been introduced chiefly from the 

 mountainous parts of South America, and 

 require the same general treatment as Cypri- 

 pediums, from which genus they have been 

 removed by Reichenbach. 



Self-heal. See Prunella. 



Seli'num. From 8elinon, the Greek name for 

 Parsley ; applied to this genus on account of 

 the resemblance in the leaves. Nat. Ord. 

 Umbelliferce. 



A genus of about twenty-five species of 

 mostly hardy perennial plants, natives of the 

 Northern Hemisphere. The species are of 

 little horticultural interest. 



Semeca'rpus. Marking Nut-tree. From semC' 

 ion, a mark, and karpos, fruit ; the black, 

 acrid juice of the nut is used by the natives 

 for marking cotton cloths. Nat. Ord. Anacar- 

 diacecB. 



A small genus of East Indian evergreen 

 trees, the unripe fruit of which is employed 

 in making a kind of ink. The hard shell of 

 the fruit contains a corrosive juice, which is 

 employed externally by the natives for sprains 

 and rheumatic affections. When dry it forms 

 a black varnish, much used in India, and, 

 among other purposes, it is employed, mixed 

 with pitch and tar, in the calking of ships. 

 The seeds, called Malacca Beans or Marsh 

 Nuts, are eaten, and are said to stimulate the 

 mental powers and especially the memory. 



Semeia'ndra, From semeion, a mark, signal, 

 an aner, andros, a male; in allusion to the 



