An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



17 



Aconituin^cn h/ ("() u ed. 



A. a. Decandollii (Decandi»lle's). jl. yellow; panicle and flowers 

 pubescent; helmet rather conical, bent, with a short, abrupt, and 

 acuminated beiik. I. with rather large dark green lobes. Alps of 

 Jura. 1873. 



A. a. eulophum (well-crested). Jl. yellow; panicles and flowers 

 piilieruluus ; lielnu't conical. Caucasus, 1821. 



A. a. grandiflorum (large-flowered). /. yellow, large ; panicle, 

 riuwers. and fruit pubescent; helmet rather conical. Alps of 



Jura, 1821. 



A. a. Jacqnlnii (Jacquin's). Jl, yellow, smooth ; helmet some- 

 what conkal, (Iniwn out into an elongated beak, 



A. a. neinorosum(grc)ve-loving).* Jl. yellow; panicle and flowers 

 pubescent ; helmet somewhat conical, bent ; beak short. I. with 

 broad lobes. 



A. auttunnale (autumn-flowering).* Jl. bluish-purple, in loose 

 panicles ; peduncles rigidly spreading ; spur capitate ; helmet 

 closed ; lip very long, refracted. July. I. with cuneate, bipinnate 

 lobes, h. 3ft. to 1ft. Europe. 



A. barbatam (bearded).* Jl. cream coloured, middle sized ; 

 racemes dense, puberulous ; spur straigbtish, obtuse ; bottom of 

 helmet conical ; middle sepals densely bearded. July. I. opaque, 

 with the lobes divided into many linear segments, on long stalks, 

 which are villous as well as the nerves, h. 2ft. to 6ft. Siberia, 

 1307. Syn. a. squarrotium. 



A. chinense (Chinese).* ^i. intense and very bright blue, in large 

 compound racemes ; pedicels slightly hairy above. Summer. 

 I. lower ones large, deeply cut into three wedge-shaped segments, 

 tapering at the base ; upper ones sessile, gTadually becoming 

 mure entire, h. 4ft. to 6ft. China, 1833. 



A. I*amarckli(T-.amarck's). Jl. cream-coloured, pubescent; racemes 

 long, cylindiiciU, crowded, branched at the base ; spur spiral ; 

 helmet constricted, clavate. July. I. large, seven to nine-parted, 

 with tlie lobes unequally cleft. A. 2ft. to 3ft. Pyrenees, 1800. 



A. luplcidmn (^""olf' s-bane). Synonymous mth A. Vulpar'm. 



A. macrophyllum (large-leaved), fi. yellow, numerous, panicled ; 

 spur arched ; helmet large, somewhat ventricose at the apex. 

 July. I. large, more or less dissected, h. 4ft. to 8ft. Germany. 



A Nuttallii (Nuttall's). Synonymous with A. ockroleucum. 



A ochroleucuin (yellowish-white).* Jl. cream coloured, large ; 

 spur arclied ; bottom of helmet conico-cylindrical ; middle sepals 

 covered with short liairs ; racemes puberulous, rather louse. 

 July. I. five to seven-parted, deep gi-een, the first ones are pube- 

 rulous above, h. 2ft. to 4ft. Russia, 1794. SVNS. A. Nuttallii, 

 A. 2>iilliiltim. 



A. Pallasii (Pallas'). Probably a mere variety, with a continuous 

 spur, of A. anthora. 



A. pallidum (pale). Synonymous with A. ockroleucum. 



A. pyrenaicum (Pyrenean).* /. yellow, rather large ; spur 

 hooked ; bottom of helmet cylindrical, rounded ; racemes elon- 

 gated, dense, puberulous. June. I. parted almost to the bast-, 

 with piiuiatitid lobes, rather hispid beneath, butsmooth above, on 

 lung stalks, h. 2ft. Pyrenees, &c., 1759. 



A. squarrosum (rough). Synonymous with A. barbatum. 



A. vulparia (Fox-bane).* //. pale yellow, .smooth ; spur spiral; 

 helmet cylindrical, large ; beak stretched out, acute : racemes 

 crowded. July. I. three or five-lobed, ciliated, h. 1ft. to 3ft. 

 Europe, 1821. Syn. A. lupicidwm. The principal varieties of 

 this species are : — 



A. V. carpaticum (Carpathian). /. panicled, of a lurid colour, 

 sometimes variegat(Ml witli yelbiw ; Iiehnet conico-cylindrical, 

 conipressi'd ; jtcduncles smooth. I. prttfoumlly cut. Stems smooth. 

 k. 2ft. to 3ft. Carpathian Mountains, IBIO. 



A. V. Cynoctonum (tall Dog's-bane). /. (and stem) yellow, 

 smoothish, numerous, panicled. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Fi-ance, 1820. 



A, V. moldavicum (Moldavian). /f, violet, panicled ; helmet 



cylindi iriil, compressed, h. 3ft. to 4ft, Moldavia. 

 A. V. rubicundum (reddish). Jl. livid violet, panicled, villous, 



varu'i;:iti'd with yellow; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed. 



h. Zil. to 3ft. Siberia, 1819. 

 A. V. septentrlonale (uortliem).* A. blue, panicled, villous ; 



Jii'lmit iniii.o (.yliiidri<al, compresseu. h. 4ft. North Europe, 



1800. 



ACONTIAS. ^ro Xanthosoma. 



ACOB^N*. 'Hie seed or fruit of the oak, See Quercus. 



ACORUS (from a, witbout, and liore, the pupil of tlio 

 eye; in allusion to its reputed medicinal qualities). Ord. 

 A'roide(E. A small genua of hardy herbaceous jdants. 

 Flowers on a sessile spadix; i^eriantli six-cleft, inferior, per- 

 sistent. They thrive best in a moist soil, and are very 

 suitable for the banks of water, or even as aipiatics in 

 shallow water. Propagated easily by divisions during 

 spring. 



A, Calamus (sweet-flag).* Jl. yellowish, small, borne on a cylin- 

 drical spadix 4iu. to 6in. long. Summer, i. sword-shaped. 



Acorus — continued. 



erect, striated 3ft. long. The root is cylindrical, channelled, and 

 very fragi-ant. Europe. The variety wittigold-striped leaves is more 

 useful as a decorative plant. See Fig. 20. 



Flu. 20. Aroicus Calamus. 



A, gramlnens (grass- leaved). Chin?., 1796. This is much smaller 



in all its parts than the above, but very pretty. 

 A. g, varleg'atus. "^ A pretty variety with white striped leaves, 



forming handsome little tufts. 



ACOTTLEDONS. Plants having no cotyledons, or 

 seed leaves, as in Gascuta, but usually applied to crypto- 

 gamic or flowerlesa plants, such as ferns, mosses, &o. 



ACRADENIA (from akra, top, and aden, a gland; 

 referring to the five glands on the top of the ovary). Ord. 

 RutacecB. An excellent neat and compact evergreen bush, 

 suitable for the cool conservatory. It requires a rich loam 

 and leaf mould. Propagated by seeds and cuttings under 

 a bell glass. 



A. Franklinlse (Lady Franklin's).* Jl. white, produced in great 

 prufnsi<in, in terminal clusters. August. I. fragrant, opposite, 

 trifoliate, gland-dotted. A. 8ft. Tasmania, 1845. 



ACRE (from agros, an open field). The English Statute 

 acre consists of 160 square rods (perches, poles, roods, 

 or lugs); or 4840 square yards; or 43,560 square feet. 

 The following list shows the differentiation in the number 

 of square yards per acre in the various districts of Great 

 Britain and Ireland: Cheshire, 10,240; Cornish, 5760; 

 Cunningham, 6250; Derby (W.), 9000; Devonshire, 4000; 

 Herefordshire, 3226| ; Irish, 7840; Leicestershire, 2308^; 

 Scotch, 6150; Wales, North (customary), 3240 ; ditto 

 (erw), 4320; Westmoreland, 6760; Wiltshire, 3630. 



ACRIDOCABrPUS (from afcWs, a locust ; and karpos^ 

 fruit; meaning not obvious). Ord. Malpighiaceas. A 

 handsome sub-tropical or warm greenhouse climber, re- 

 quiring plenty of water, and a very free drainage. In- 

 creased by imported seeds, and by cuttings in bottom 

 heat. 



A. natalitins (Natal).* Jl. pale yellow; petals five, rounded, wedge- 

 shaped, creuately-tootbed at the edge; racemes simple, elongated, 

 terminal. July. I. oblong or obovate, obtuse, leathery. Natal, 

 1867. 



ACRTOFSIS (from akros, top, and o-psis^ eye). Ord. 

 Orchidace(s. A small genus of pretty stove epiphytal orchids, 

 almost unknown to cultivation. Flowers small, arranged 

 in loose panicles; lip adnate to the very curious column, 

 from which it projects at right angles. 

 A. densiflora (crowded-flowered).* jl. green and [liuk. May. I. 



linear-lanceolate, h. 6in. Borneo, 184.'), 

 A javanica (.lavanese). Jl. vellow, green. May. l. linear-lauceo. 



late, h. Sin. Java, 1840. 

 A, picta (painted).* fl. white, green, and puride. May. I. solitary, 



linear, fi. 6in. iianUim, 1843. 



ACROCIflNIUIHC (from a/.ro.<?, top, and kline, a bed; 

 referring to the open flowers). Ord. Compositor. A small 

 genus of elegant half hardy armuals with " everlasting " 

 flower heads, which are solitary, terminal, and consist of 



