AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



499 



XAN 



Xanthorrhoe'a. Black Boys, Grass-tree. From 

 xanthos, yellow, and rheo, to flow ; alluding 

 to the yellow juice. Nat. Ord. Liliacece. 



Amongst the many curious forms of the 

 vegetable kingdom, the Grass-tree of Austra- 

 lia is one of the most interesting, and forms 

 a conspicuous feature in the landscape of that 

 countiy ; most of the species having thick 

 trunks, like those of Palms, covered with a 

 dense coating formed of the persistent bases 

 of old leaves, glued together by the red or 

 yellow resin with which these plants abound, 

 and usually burnt and blackened outside by 

 bush-fires. The leaves are long, wiry and 

 grass-like, and are borne in a dense tuft at 

 the top of the stem and hang down grace- 

 fully all around it ; their long flower-stalks 

 rising out of the centre, and sometimes grow- 

 ing as high as fifteen or twenty feet, bearing 

 at the top a dense, cylindrical flower-spike, 

 resembling that of the Typha, made up of a 

 mass of scales out of which the flowers pro- 

 trude. In general, its presence is indicative 

 of a poor soil, therefore it is one of those 

 plants which give life to the sterility of a great 

 portion of Australia. "When the plants have 

 been denuded of their leaves and their bodies 

 blackened by the bush-fires, they have been 

 compared to, and even mistaken for, black men 

 holding spears, hence their colonial name. 

 Black Boys. Their leaves afford good fodder 

 for cattle, while the natives eat the tender 

 white centre of the top of the stem. 



Xanthoso'ma. From xanthos, yellow, and 

 soma, a body ; alluding to the large, lobed, de- 

 pressed, yellow stigma. Nat. Ord. Aroidfce. 

 A genus of about twenty-five species of milky, 

 perennial herbs, with erect root-stocks, arrow- 

 shaped leaves, and a yellow spathe rolled 

 round at the base. They are natives of tropi- 

 cal America, and some of the species are use- 

 ful as summer decorative plants. Propagated 

 by cutting up the root-stock into small pieces 

 and starting them in heat. 



Xanthoxyla'ce^. A tribe of Nat. Ord. Rutacece. 



Xantho'xylum. Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree. 

 From xanthos, yellow, and xylon, wood; the 

 roots are yellow. Nat. Ord. RutacecB. 



This is a rather extensive genus, having a 

 wide geographical range, with representatives 

 in most of the tropical countries of the world 

 and in some parts of the temperate regions. 

 The species differ considerably in appearance, 

 some being very large trees, while others are 

 erect or climbing shrubs ; and they are often 

 furnished with (irickles on their branches and 

 leaf-stalks. The leaves are alternate and com- 

 pound, either pinnate (either with or without 

 an odd terminal leaflet), trifoliate, or rarelj' 

 reduced to a single leaflet, the leaflets being 

 usually marked with pellucid dots. Their 

 flowers are small, unisexual, and disposed in 

 variously formed axillary or terminal panicles. 

 The ripe fruits split into two pieces, and con- 

 tain one or two shining black seeds. The 

 fruits of most of the species have an aromatic, 

 pungent taste, like pepper. Those of X pip&- 

 ritum, a Japanese species, are called Japan 

 Pepper; and those of X. /(«.sfi7earethe Tej-bul 

 of northern India, whei"e they are used for 

 intoxicating fish. The genus is repi'esented 

 in the United States by a few species. X. 

 Americanum, Northern Prickly Ash, is a 

 prickly shrub with yellowish-green flowers, 



XIM 



which appear before the leaves. It is remark- 

 able for its pungent qualities. The bark, 

 when chewed, is said to cure the toothache ; 

 whence one of its popular names. Toothache 

 Tree. X. Carolinianuin, the Southern Prickly 

 Ash, is a small tree with very sharp prickles, 

 found on the coast of Virginia and southward 

 Syn. Zanthoxylum. 



Xera'nthemum. From xeros, dry, and anthemon, 

 a fiower ; alluding to the dry nature of the 

 flower ; which retains its form and color for 

 j-ears. Nat. Oi'd. Compositce. 



Hardy annuals of the easiest culture, merely 

 requiring to be sown where they are desired 

 to bloom. The flowers, from their peculiar 

 dry character, may be preserved a very long 

 time after they are cut from the plants, and 

 this circumstance has given rise to the Eng- 

 lish name. Everlasting. The several species 

 are natives of the south of Europe and the 

 Levant. Some of them have been under cul- 

 tivation more than two hundred years. Sow 

 through April and May in the open border, or 

 in a hot-bed, and transplant in March. 



Xerone'ma. From xeros, drj', and nemn, a 

 thread ; the filaments dry and persistent. 

 Nat. Ord. Liliacece. 



X. iloorei, the only species, is an elegant 

 and interesting stove-house perennial, intro- 

 duced from New Caledonia in 1878. It grows 

 about two feet high with the leaves clustered 

 at the base of the flower stem, bearing erect, 

 bright crimson flowers, about half an inch 

 long. It is readily increased by seeds or by 

 division of the root-stocks. 



Xerophy'llum. Turkey's Beard. From xeros, 

 dry, and phyllon, a leaf ; in reference to the 

 dry, grassy leaves. Nat. Ord. LiliacecB. 



A small genus of interesting, hardy, herba- 

 ceous plants, mostly natives. X. asphodeloides, 

 one of the most interesting species, is a native 

 of the Pine barrens of New Jersey and south- 

 ward. It has long, very narrow, bristle- 

 shaped leaves, which form a dense tuft, from 

 which rises a stem bearing a large raceme of 

 showy white flowers in June. They are pro- 

 pagated by seeds or from division, and suc- 

 ceed well in any dry situation. 



Xero'tes. Named after xerotes, dryness, be- 

 cause of the aridity of the herbage. Nat. Ord. 

 JuncacecB. 



A genus of over thirty species of herbaceous, 

 perennial plants, natives of Australia. They 

 succeed well in light, rich soil and are readily 

 propagated by division. Syn. Lomandra. 



Ximene'sia. Named in honor of Joseph Ximenes, 

 a Spanish apothecary. Nat. Ord. ComposUm. 



These are interesting Mexican plants of 

 which X. enceloides is the best known species. 

 It is now generally included under Verbesina, 

 which see. 

 Xime'nia. Named after F. Xitnenes, a Spanish 

 Monk, who wrote on Mexican plants in 1615. 

 Nat. Ord. Olacaceos 



A small genus of trees or shrubs, one species 

 of which is widely dispersed over the tropics 

 of both the Old and New World. X. flori- 

 bundiitn, the species mostly cultivated, has 

 white, fragrant flowers, and bears an edible 

 fruit. It is called by various names. Seaside, 

 Hog, or Mountain Plum, False Sandalwood, 

 etc. The fruits have an aromatic flavor, but 

 are a little rough to the palate. X. Americana 



