454 



HENDEESON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



THTJ 



respects is more desirable than the common 

 sort. "Where, when, or how this species or 

 variety originated is unknown to the best au- 

 thority we have on evergreens, Josiah Hoopes, 

 ■who claims it to be a variety of T. occidentalis. 

 That it did not come from Siberia, as its name 

 •would indicate, is certain. There are several 

 from the Pacific coast and from China. T. 

 orientalis (syn. Biota), known as the Chinese 

 Arbor Vitse, is peculiar from its flattened 

 branches. Thirty years ago, when^af bouquets 

 ■were in fashion, this was used almost exclu- 

 sively as a.' 'back " or " frame " for the flowers, 

 and is yet in some parts of the country used for 

 that purpose. There are a number of seedling 

 varieties, differing considerably inhabit, form 

 and shades of color of foliage, all desirable 

 and well adapted for ornamental purposes. 



Thuyo'psis. From thuya and opsis, a resem- 

 blance ,' referring to the affinity of the genus. 

 Nat. Ord. Coniferce. 



T. dolobrata, the only species, a beautiful, 

 tall, evergreen tree, witli vigorous, horizontal 

 branches, pendulous at the extremities, was 

 introduced from Japan about 1860. Its varie- 

 gated variety is very attractive ; the branchlets 

 being flat and silvery beneath, make it look 

 like a Lycopodium. T. borealis is now placed 

 under Cupressus as C. Nutkcensis, the Nookka 

 Sound Cupressus. 



Thyme. See Thymus. 



Thymelaeaceae. A natural order of shrubs or 

 small trees, remarkable for the great tenacity 

 of their inner bark. There are about forty 

 genera and over three hundred species, a few 

 of them found in the northern hemisphere, 

 rather more common Avithin the tropics, but 

 most abundant in South Africa and Australia. 

 The order includes these Avell-known genera: 

 Daphne, Pimelia, Gnidia, Lagetta and Struthiola. 



Thynaophy'lla aurea. A neat little annual 

 composite from Colorado, of dwarf habit, 

 fprming a branching tult about nine inches 

 in diameter and four inches high. The flow- 

 ers are in terminal lieads, about half an inch 

 across, resembling a single Marigold with a 

 bright yellow ray and disk. It is of easy 

 culture and prefers a rather dry soil. Syn. 

 Ziowellia aurea. 



Thy'mus. Thyme. From thumoa, courage, 

 strength, the smell of Thyme being reviv- 

 ing, or from thuo, to perfume ; being formerly 

 used for incense in the temples. Nat. Ord. 

 LabiatcE. 



T. vulgaris, the Common or Garden Thyme, 

 a native of Spain and Italy, is recorded to 

 have been introduced to Britain in 1548. Its 

 uses are well known. In the south of France 

 an essential oil distilled from it is exported 

 and sold as Marjoram-oil, for which it is sub- 

 stituted. The Romans were well acquainted 

 with Thyme, which was one of the plantS- 

 recommended to be grown for the sake of 

 bees. There are probably a hundred acres of 

 Thyme grown in the vicinity of New York, and 

 dried for flavoring purposes. The broad-leaved, 

 spreading variety is the kind used, the upright 

 being useless for this purpose. The seed is 

 thickly sown as soon as the ground gets warm 

 in spring, and the plants are transplanted in 

 July, in rows one foot apart, with nine inches 

 between the plants. The crop matures by 

 October of the year it is planted. It is com- 

 mon throughout Europe, and has to some 



TIG 



extent become naturalized ■ in this country. 

 The Lemon-scented Thyme is a hardy, dwarf, 

 trailing evergreen, possessing the most agree- 

 able perfume of any of the species. It is a 

 variety of T. serpyllum, known as T. citrio- 

 dorus, and is very distinct in appearance from 

 the wild form. The branches root at the 

 joints as they trail along the ground. It is 

 used for the same purposes as the other spe- 

 cies, and is found to attain its greatest per- 

 fection when grown in dry, sandy soil. Its 

 gold and silver variegated-leaved varieties 

 are much used in ribbon bordering, and aro 

 admirable plants for hanging baskets and 

 rustic stands. 



Thyrsaca'nthus. Thyrse-Flower. From thyr- 

 80S, a thyrse, and Acanthus. Nat. Ord. Acan- 

 thacece. 



A fine genus of hot-house plants, containing 

 a number of shrubs or herbs, natives of tropi- 

 cal America. They have large leaves, and red 

 fascicled or cymose flowers, in a long, termi- 

 nal raceme. T. Schomburgkianus, much better 

 known in cultivation as T. rutilans, intro- 

 duced from New Grenada in 1855, is one of 

 the finest, and is highly prized for its long 

 racemes of carmine-scarlet flowers. T. calli- 

 stachys (syn. Juslicia lilacina), T. nitidus (syn. 

 Justicia nitida) and T. strictus {Justicia longi- 

 racemosa of gardens) are all desirable and 

 beautiful green-house species. They require 

 the same treatment as Justicia. 



Thyrse, Thyrsiform. A kind of dense panicle 

 like that of the Lilac. 



Thyrse Flower. See Thyrsacanthus. 



Thyrso'pteris. From thyrsos, a bunch or ra- 

 ceme, and pteris, a Fern ; alluding to the con- 

 tracted, fertile portion of the fronds. Nat. 

 Ord. Polypodiace(z. 



T. elegans, tlie only species, is a very hand- 

 some Fern, not unlike a robust-growing DavaU 

 lia. The fronds grow from four to six feet 

 long, one-third of which is naked, and are of 

 a brilliant green color. They are remarkable 

 for producing on the same frond, distinct, 

 contracted, fertile and leafy barren portions. 

 It was introduced from Juan Fernandez in 

 1854, and requires the same treatment as the 

 DavuUia. 



Thysano'tus. From thysanotos, fringed ; the 

 three inner sepals being fringed. Nat. Ord. 

 LiliacecB. 



A small genus of green-house, herbaceous 

 perennials from New South Wales, producing 

 singular, purple. Iris-shaped flowers on slen- 

 der scapes about a foot high. They are not 

 much cultivated. Introduced in 1823. 



Tiare'lla. From tiara, a Persian diadem ; allud- 

 ing to the shape of the capsules. Nat. Ord. 

 Saxifragacece. 



A small genus of hardy, perennial plants, 

 natives chiefly of the United States, one, how- 

 ever, being found in the Himalayas. T cordi- 

 folia. False Mitre-wort, the most common 

 species, resembles Mitella in general appear- 

 ance and is well suited for the rock-work or 

 herbaceous border. 



Tick Seed. The genus Coreopsis. 



Tick Trefoil. See Desmodium. 



Tiger Plower or Tiger Iris. See Tigridia. 



Tiger Lily. Lilium tigrinum. 



Ti'glium. A genus now included under Croton. 



