An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



359 



Sapota — coiitinued. 



S. Achras (Ai'hras\ Bully-tree ; SapoiUlla or Sapotilla Plum. 

 //, whitish, rather lar^e, pedicellate in the axils ; calyx segments 

 six, in two ilistinct series ; corolla broadly sub-urceolate, six- 

 lobed. May. fr. very luscious, resembling an apple in shape. 

 /. petiolate, clustered at tho tips of the branches, Sin. to 4in. 

 loTig, elliptic-oblong, acute, glabrous ; primary veins thick ; 

 petioles duwnv. Branches numerous, forming a spreading toi>. 

 /i. 10ft. t(i 50ft." West Indies and Central America, 1731. (B. M. 

 3111, 3112.) The correct name of this tree is Achras Sapota. 



SAFOTA (in part), of A. de Candolle, R. Brown, &c. 

 Synonymous with Sideroxylon (which see). 



SAFOTACZS^. A natural order of trees or shrubs, 

 with milky juice, inhabiting- tropical and snb-tropical 

 reg-ions. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, or very rarely 

 polygamous by abortion, not large, glomerate or fascicled 

 at the nodes or in the axils, rarely solitary or fascicled ; 

 calyx inferior, persistent or deciduous : corolla gamopota- 

 lous, the tube campanulate or urcoolate, or rarely 

 elongated, the limb equal, the lobes eijualling in number, 

 or twice or four times as many as, the sepals ; stamens 

 affixed to the tube of the corolla, in one or two series, 

 the filaments erect ; anthers two-celled ; pedicels minutely 

 bracteate or ebracteate. Berry indehiscent, usually two 

 to many-celled. Leaves alternate, very rarely sub-opposite, 

 coriaceous or rarely membranous, entire, jienniveined, 

 exstipulate, or rarely with small, caducous stipules. 

 " Several species of this order are useful to man. The 

 fruits of Lucuma mamtnosa (the Marmalade of the West 

 Indies) are a very agreeable food, as are those of Achras 

 Snpoffi and various species of Ch rijso})h yllum, which 

 arc much sought after in the Antilles ; those of Bassia 



and Imbrirariay Asiatic genera, are also edible 



Other S<ipotaceiC, both Asiatic and African {Siilero.riilon, 

 Ari/anid), are employed for building purposes, on account 

 of the hardness of the wood, whence the name of Iron- 

 wood " (Le Maout and Decaisne). Dirhopsia ffntta, a 

 Malayan tree, furni.shes Gutta Percha. The order com- 

 prises about two dozen genera, and 320 species. Examples : 

 Chryfi(yph}fllum, Lucuma, Sideroxylon. 



SAFOTA, WHITE. A common name for Coaimiroa 

 ethilis. 



SAPFAN-WOOD. A common name for C^salpinia 

 S<i}i}>an. 



SAF WOOD. The new wood of an exogenous stem. 



SARiACA (said to be from Sarac, the native American 

 name of the plant). Syn. Jonesin. Ord. Leyuminoacs. 

 A genus consisting of four or five closely-related species 

 of unarmed, stove trees (or tall, climbing shrubs ?), natives 

 of tropical America. Flowers yellow, rose, or scarlet, 

 racemose ; calyx segments four, petaloid. closely imbricated ; 

 petals absent ; stamens three to nine, free ; racemes dis- 

 posed in short, much-branched, often lateral panicles; 

 bracts small, deciduous. Pods oblong or elongated, two- 

 valved. Leaves abruptly pinnate ; leaflets coriaceous, 

 often few-jugate ; stipules small, caducous. The best- 

 known sps-'ies are described below. For culture, .see 

 Brownia. 

 S. inclinata (curved downwards). _fl. yellowish-orange, disposed 



in fiiscicled j)anicles. I. piimate, with six to eight pairs of oblong 



leaflets, wliich assume, when young, a beautiful reddish tint. 



.lava and Sumatra. A very elegant species, chisely allied to 



.s'. i'ldica. 

 S. indlca (Indian). Jl. very rich orange, with much-exserted, 



crimson stamens. Summer. I. opposite, abruptly jiinnate, with 



three to five pairs of nlilong, shining, firm leaflets. India, 1796. 



(IJ. -M. 5018, under name of .Toncsia Anoca.) 



SARACHA (named in honour of Isidore Saracha, a 

 Benedictine monk, much attached to botany : he enriched 

 the Royal Gardens at Madrid with many rare plants), 

 Syns. Bellinia, Jaltomafa. Ord. Solanacece. A genus 

 consisting of about a dozen species of diffuse or sub-erect, 

 greenhouse or hardy herbs, natives of Western America, 

 from Bolivia to Mexico. Calyx broadly campanulate, 

 shortly five-fid; corolla sub-rotate or very broadly cam- 

 panulate, with a deeply five-fid limb ; stamens five ; 



Saracha — continued. 

 peduncles short. Leaves entire or broadly sinuate- 

 toothed. The two species mentioned below are hardy 

 annuals, thriving in ordinary garden soil. Seeds should 

 be sown in the open border, during spring. 



S. stapelioides (Stapelia-like). Jl. pale yellow, with five reddish- 

 brown, yellow-veined blotches; corolla rotate, the lobes rounded 

 and apiculate ; peduncles axillary, solitary or rarely twin, one- 

 flowered. Summer. /. slightly cordate or rounded at l)ase, ovate, 

 scarcely acuminate, entire or sinuate-toothed, scattered, the lower 

 ones solitary, the upper ones twin. Stem erect, herbaceous or 

 sutfruticose at base. h. l^ft. 1865. Greenhouse. (R. G. 465.) 



S. umbellata (umbel-tiowered). Jl. cream-coloured or greenish- 

 white ; corolla plicate ; umbels pedunculate, seven to ten-flowered, 

 axillary, solitary. June and July. I. ovate, wrinkled, entire, 

 shining, acute, scabrous; floral ones twin. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Peru, 

 1822. (S. i;. K. (1. 85.) 



SARCANTHUS (from .'ior.c, sarhjs, flesh, and anthos, 

 a flower; referring to the substance of the flowers). 

 Ord. OrchiclecG. A genus including about a score species 

 of stove, epiphytal orchids, inhabiting the East Indies, 

 South China, and the Malayan Archipelago. Flowers often 

 yellowish-green, purplish within, small, shortly pedicellate ; 

 sepals and petals free, sub-equal, spreading, slightly 

 fleshy ; lip affixed to the base of the column, spreading, 

 spurred at base, the lateral lobes short, ear-like, or 

 oblique, the middle one ovate, oblong, or lanceolate; 

 column oblong, sub-terete ; pollen masses four ; bracts 

 small ; peduncles lateral, often slender, simple or pani- 

 culately branched. Leaves distichous, coriaceous or 

 fleshy, flat or terete. Stem leafy, not pseudo-bulbous. 

 These plants should be grown in teak-baskets suspended 

 near the glass in a moist stove. They thrive best in 

 peat fibre and sphagnum, with a few lumps of cliar- 

 coal about their roots. The species best known in gardens 

 are here described. 



S, arietinus (nni's-liead). Jl. greenish, with a rosy lip, having the 

 medial I"he trianguljir and yellowish, and the side lobes puri>lish, 

 minierous. /. straight, terete, as thick as a quill. Assam, 1869. 

 A remarkably odd, stitt'-looking plant. 



S. belophorus (hammer-bearing), fi. of an ochreous colour, with 

 two longitudinal, purple-brown stripes on the sepals, petals, and 

 lip, small, l. ligulate, equally bilolted, undulated. 1883. A small 

 species. 



S. chrysomelas (dark-golden). Jl. yellowish, having the disk of 

 the sepals and i»etals i)larkish-purple, borne in a large panicle. 

 /. tiruad, lorate, UTiei|ually l)ilobed. Moulniein, 1869. 



S. erinaceus (hedgehog-like). Jl. white, with a prettily rose- 

 tinted lii>, numerous ; spikes pendent, axillary, the rachis red and 

 hairy, as are also the ovaries. Moulmein, 1867. (B. M. 5630.) 

 S^'NS. Acrides danypofjon^ A. ruhruui. 



S. filiformis (thread-like). Jl. very small ; sepals and petals 

 chocolate-coloured, reflexed ; lip pale yellow, tipped with pink : 

 raceme seven or eight-flowered. /. filiform. East Indies, 1842. 

 Allied to S. terclifoliu<. (B. U. 4639.) 



S. flexus (zigzag panicled). Jl., sepals yellowish-brown, tipped 

 outside witli reddish-brown ; petals yellowish-brown ; spur of 

 the lip whitish-yellow, the Ijlade at first of the same colour, 

 afterwards yellow ; panicle zigzag. /. short, ligulate, bilobed. 

 Borneo, 1881. A robust plant. 



S. guttatus (spotted). A synonym of RhynchostylU retusa. 



S. Hincksianus (Hincks'). Jl. .smaller ; sepals ami petals gi-een, 

 witli three e(iual, red stripes : side lobes of lip blunt, and callus 

 with medium angles ; spur longer and mure attenuated. Other- 

 wise, this plant resembles S. tciftHutiii.s, Imt is more slender than 

 that species. Native country uncertain. 1878. 



S. laxus (loose), il. dirty-wdiite. somewhat fleshy ; sepals olilong 

 lilunt acute ; petals linear-ligulate, blunt acute ; lateral lacinia^ 

 of lip erect, oblong, lobed, the middle one triangidar, apiculate, 

 hollowed out; spur conical ; raceme long, many-flowered, lax, 

 hairless. I. close together, few, short, very thick, oblong, bluntly 

 bilobed or Vtidentate, keeled on the under side, and with numerous 

 purple spots. Stems very short. Moulmein, 1865. (Ref. B. 109.) 



S. Lendyanus (Lendy's). Jl. borne in a small, loose panicle; 

 sepals and petals greenish, with a purple disk ; lateral lobes of 

 tJie lip orange, with two purple lines, roundish, with introrse 

 angles; niidtUe lobe white, with purple spots, oblong; spur as 

 long as the puiple ovary. I. linear, blunt, bilobed. Saigon, 

 1884. 



S. macrodon (long - tootlied). Jl. yellowish, streaked with 

 purple; sepals and petals oldonji, nearly straight; lip trifid ; 

 iaracts very minute; raceme elongated, loosely many-flowered. 

 I. abbreviated, oblong-ligul.ite, toothed at apex. India, 1872. A 

 small and not particularly ornamental species. 



S. mirablliS (wonderful). JL yellowish, with a purplish spur, 



