An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



Acacia — continued. 



pairs of pinnie, each pinna bearins: fifteen to eighteen pairs of 

 oblong:-linear, obtuse, glabrous leaflets ; branches white ; pi-ickles 

 sometimes wantiug. h. 20tt. Arabia, 1825. Stove species. 



A> Setigera (bristly). Synonymous with A. lUceana. 



A. sophorsa (sophora-podded). Jl. yellow ; spikes usually twin, 

 axillary. May. I. phyllodia obovate, oblons or lanceolate, quite 

 entire, manv nerved ; sometimes there arc bipinnate leaves at the 

 tops of the branches, h. 20ft. New Holland, 1805. 



A* sphserocephala (round-headed).* Jl. yellow; racemes axillary, 

 usually twin, ovate-roundish. I. with numerous close-set linear 

 falcate pinnules, which are usually tipped by a glandular yellow 

 *'foodbody;" spines twin, hollow. Mexico. A very remarkable 

 stove species, inhabited by ants during certain seasons in its 

 native country. 



A* uncinifolia (hook-leaved). Jl. yellow ; spikes usually twin, 

 diMise, on short peduncles, cylindrical. March. I. phyllodia long, 

 linear-subulate, flat, recurved, raucronate, three-nerved; branches 

 angular, h. 6ft. Swan River, 1846. 



A vera (true). Egyptian Thorn ; Gum Arabic. Jl. white, usually 

 in twin heads, pedunculate, axillary. July. l. with two 

 pairs of pinna?, each pinna bearing eight to ten pairs of 

 oblong linear leaflets ; branches and spines red. h. 20ft. Egypt, 

 1596. 



Fig. 5. A Flowering Branch of Acaci.\ Ricr,AN.\. 



A. verticillata (whorl-leaved).* Jl yellow ; spikes axillary, soli- 

 tary, oblong. March. I. phyllodia linear, ending in a pungent 

 mucrone, disposed somewhat verticillately. h. 6ft. to 10ft. A 

 spreading, prickly, greenhouse species, of variable habit. New 

 Holland, 1780. 

 A. vestita (clothed).* Jl. yellow, in loosely racemose heads, along 

 the peduncles ; upper ones solitary. June. I. phyllodia obliquely 

 elliptic-lanceolate, one-nerved, ending in an awnlike mucrone, 

 hispid, h. 4ft. New Holland, 1820. 

 A viscidula (clammy).* /. yellow; heady globular, on short 

 stalks, axillary, solitary or twin. February. I. linear, clammy ; 

 branches slender, chunmy. h. 6ft., erect. New South Wales, 

 1344. 



ACiENA (from akaina, a thorn ; in allusion to tlio 

 slender spines on tho calyx or fruit). Okd. Rosacece. A 

 genus of dwarf sub-shrubby plant.s. Flowers capitate, or 

 interruptedly spicate, uninteresting; petals absent. Leaves 

 alternate, impari-piunate. Excepting for rockwork, or as 

 edgings to flower bed.s, they are not of much value ; their 

 habit is, however, very compact and neat. They require 

 similar treatment to other hardy herbaceous plants, in 

 ordinary eoil. Increased by cuttings, creeping rootlets, 

 divisions, and by seeds. 



A. microphylla (small-leaved).* fl. green, small, in close heads, 

 furnit;lied witli showy, long crimson spines. Summer. I. small, 

 pinnate, h. lin. to 2in. New Zealand. A neat evergreen with a 

 compact and cushion-like growth ; it is a very effective subject for 

 the rock garden, and grows freely in most situations. The 

 crimson globular heads of sjiine-fovmed calyces form acnnspicnons 

 and (U'nunicntal feature of the i)hint, SVN. .-1. Suva' k.cdiand.<.'j. 

 See Fig. 6. 



Acsena — Co )^^mue J. 



A. mlllefolia (myriad-leaved).* Jl. inconspicuous. A very distinct 



species with tinely-cnt pale green leaves. The fruiting spikes of 

 this are not collected in gkmular heads, as in the others, and 

 their presence detract from its value as an ornamental plant. 

 Otherwise, it i; very graceful. 



Fig. 6. Ac/Ena microphylla. 



A. myriophylla (many-leaved).* fl.. green, small, in rounded 

 spikes. June. /. t'l'm^'te ; leaflets deeply cut. h. 6in. to 1ft. 

 Chili, 1828 Small, fern-like. 



A. Novae Zealandise (New Zealand). A synonym of A. micrO' 

 ■phijUa. 



A. ovalifolia (oval-leaved). Jl. green. Summer, h. Sin. Chili, 

 1858. (iutid for rock gardens. 



A. pulchella (pretty).* Jl. inciuispicuous. A pretty bronzy- 

 leaved species, admirably suited for mckwork crevices, where 

 space is no object. It grows very rapidly, and forms handsome 

 tufts. 



ACAIiYFHA (the name given by Hippocrates to the 

 Nettle). Ord. Euphorhiacea'. Stove ornamental and 

 variegated nettle-like leaved shrubs. Flowers greenii-h or 

 reddish, inconspicuous, in erect or drooping bracted axillary 

 or terminal spikes ; those of the upper portion sterile, of 

 the lower, fertile. The undorniontioned only are those most 

 worthy of cultivation. They are very easily grown, with 

 ordinary stove treatment, and in a peat and loam compost. 

 "When well cultivated, the leaves of the hybridised varieties 

 are highly coloured, but rather coarse than otherwise. In- 

 creased by cuttings under a glass in sandy soil, in stove 

 heat, during April. 



A. Macafeeana (Macafee's). /. red, blotched with bronzy crim- 

 son. 1877. 

 A> macrophyUa (large-leaved).* I. cordate ovate, russet brown, 

 blotched with paler spots. The best and handsomest stove 

 species. 

 A. marginata (margined), I. large, very hairy, ovate-acuminate, 

 centre ))rown, with a distinct margin of rosy carmine, about \m. 

 wide. Fiji Islands, 1875. 

 A. musalca (mosaic).* I. bronzy green, variegated with orange 



and dull rud. Polynesia, 1877. 

 A. torta (twisted). I. dark olive, tinted green ; margin cut 

 into blunt, oblong segments. Sauioan Islands. Remarkable 

 for its curiously contorted foliage. It has erect stems, which 

 are terete, and covered by the leaves in a very singular 

 way. 

 A. tricolor (three-coloured). A synonym of A. WUhcsiana. 

 A. WilUesiana (Wilkes').* I. ovate-acuminate, curiously blotched, 

 uiuttled, and splashed with red and crimson; gi-ound colour 

 coppery green, h. 6ft. to 10ft. New Hebrides, 1866. Syn. A. 

 tricolor. 

 A. W. marginata (Wilkess margined).* I. large, olive brown, 

 margined with rosy carmine. Fiji Islands, 1875. 



ACANTHACEiE. A large order of soft-wooded, 

 herbaceous plants, usually having gamopetalous axillary 

 flowers; calyx composed of dco:)ly imbricated scales; bracta 

 lar^e, leafy. 



