50 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Alnns — continued. 



Alder, the young trees should be put in holes, made with 



an ordinary garden spade, about 9in. deep, and about 4ft. 



apart. They are also increased, but rarely, by cuttings, by 



suckers, and by grafting. 



A. cordlfolla (heart-shaped-leaved).* /. gTei/nish-brown. March 

 and April, before the development of the Iueivo.s. I. heart-shaped, 

 acuminate, dark green, and shining, h. 15ft. to 50ft. Calabria 

 and Naples, 1820. A large, very distinct, and handsome round- 

 headed tree. It grows rapidly in dry soil, and is one of the most 

 interesting of ornamental trees. 



A. flrma (trm) * 1 oval lanceolate, acuminate, sharply serrated, 

 maiiy-uei v ed Jap in One of the must distinct of all the Alders. 





Fici. 60. Alnus glutinosa, showing Catkins and Fruit. 



A. glutinosa (stickv)*. harrcn catkins Ions', larce, find cvlindricfiT, 



].M'inU-iit, thi'ir footstalks hranclied. fertile cntkinx suiall. ovate, 

 witli dc<.*p nil srak's. Sin-ing-. I. roundisli-i.-uiififMrni, obtuse lohed 

 at the niai-iii, and serrated, somewhat j;lutiiious. downy in the 

 axils of the nerves lieneath, h. 50ft. to 60ft. Britain. The Alder 

 affeets moist and damp situations, and, as it jirows quickly, it is a 

 useful tree to iilaut in bare situations. It is valuable as a nurse to 

 other trees by the sea-side. See Fi.j;. 60. 



A. g. aurea (golden).* Foliage golden colour. 



A, .^. incisa (incised).* Compact form, with leaves quite lilie those 

 of common hawthorn. SVN. A. g. oxyacanthifolia. 



A. g. laciniata (cut).* I. oblong and pinnatifid, with the lobes 

 acute. This has elegant drooping brancnes and fern-like leaves, 

 and is one of the best. 



A. g. oxyacanthifolia (sharp -prickled). Synonymous with -1. g. 

 inci-sii. 



A. g. QUercifolia (oak-leaved).* I. with a sinuate outline, like 

 that of the common oak. A very distinct form. The variety 

 imperiafis (- asplem'/olia) slightly differs in its more or less lobed 

 or cut foliage ; -1. f/. varieoata is a variegated form. 



A. incana (hoary).* L broadly oval or ovate, rounded at the base, 

 sharply serrate, whitened, and mostly downy beneath. /;. 8ft. to 

 20ft. North Temperate regions. This affects drier situations than 

 our native A. glutinosa. 



A. viridis (green), fertile catHns slender stalked, clustered, ovoid. 

 I. round oval or slightly heart-shaped, glutinous and smooth or 

 softly downy beneatn, serrate, with very sharp and closely set 

 teeth. Mountainous regions of northern hemisphere. 



AIiOCASIA (from a, withont, and Colocasia). Allied 

 to Colocasia. Ord. AroidecB. Stove plants of great beauty, 

 often with large and handsomely variegated, nsually pel- 

 tate, leaves, and shortly petiolate glaucous spathes. They 

 are not difficult to grow, with a strong moist heat, and 

 an abundant supply of water to the roots. The soil should 



Alocasia — continued. 

 consist of fibrous peat, with a little light fibry loam, in 

 largo lumps ; to this add a good proportion of sphagnum 

 and lumps of charcoal, with plenty of silver sand. Keep 

 the bulbs and soil raised well above the rim of the pots, 

 and finish off with a surfacing of either sphagnum or 

 cocoanut fibre. The latter will soon encourage new root- 

 lets. Crock the pot quite two-thirds up with clean, broken 

 potsherds. Water freely when in good growth, and give 

 liquid manure once or twice a week through the growing 

 season. Shade during bright sunshine in the spring and 

 summer months. Increased by seeds and division of the stems 

 or rhizome. Winter temperature, 60deg. to G5deg. ; summer, 

 75deg. to 85deg. See also Caladium and Colocasia. 



A. alba (white), ft. white, h. lift. Java, 1854. 



A. amabilis (lovely). Synonymous with A. longiloha. 



A. chelsonii (Chelsea).* An interesting hybrid between A. cuprea 



and A. longiloha. I. large, upper surface deep green, glossy and 



metallic, under side purplish, as in A. cuprea. 

 A. cucullata (hood-leaved). Jl. green, whitish. Spring, h. 2ft. 



India, 1826. 



A, cuprea (coppery).* fl., spathe purplish-red, with short lamina. 

 I. cordate-ovate, peltate, dcflexed. 12in. to 18in. long, rich bronze 

 colour, purple beneath. h. 2ft. Borneo, 1860. Sy.ns. A. 

 niftallica, Xanthosoina plumbea. 



A* gigantea (gigantic). Synonymous with A. longiloha. 



A. guttata (spotted). _/!., spathe white, spotted with purple. 

 /. leafstalk also spotted, h. Zlit. Borneo, 1879. 



A. hybrida (hybrid).* A cross between A. Lowii ?Lnd A. cuprea. 

 I. ellijitie in outline, with a very short acuminate point, and very 

 sliL^litly parted at the base, deep olive-tinted green on the upper 

 surface, having stout, well-defined I'ibs, and the margin of an ivory 

 white ; dull purple at the back. 



A. illustris (bright). I. ovate-sagittate, rich gi-een, vrith olive- 

 black patches, deflexed, lift. long. India, 1873. 



A. Jenningsii (Jennings's).* I. peltate, cordate-ovate, acuminate, 

 with their blades detlexed from the top of the erect mottled 

 stalks, ground colour green, surface marked with large wedge- 

 shaped blotches of dark brown ; veins briglit green, 6in. to 8m. 

 long. India, 1867. A very distinct and free gi-owhig species. 



A. Johnstoni (Johnston's).* I. semi-erect, an-ow-shaped, pel- 

 tate, the front lobe being about 12in. long, and the two back lobes 

 14in. long and divergent, olive-gTeen, prettily variegated and 

 strikingly veined with bright rosy red. The leafstalks are fur- 

 nished at intervals with irregular whorls of stiff spines, the points 

 of which are turned upwards. Stem darkly mottled with flesh- 

 coloured bands just above the spines. Solomon Isles, 1875. This 

 plant has quite a unique appearance. 



A. Liervalii (Lierval's). l. bright green. Philippines, 1869. 



A. longiloba (long-lobed). I. large, sagittate, with the upper part 

 spreading out, green, with silvery veins, h. 4ft. Java, 1864. Sv.\s. 

 ■1. aviabiiis, A. gigantea. 



A. Lowii (Low's). jL, spathe white. I. cordate-sagittate, 14in. 

 to 16in. long, peltate, deflexed, olive-green, with thick white 

 ribs, deep purple beneath. Borneo, 1862. 



A. macrorhlza (long-rooted). Jl. green, whitish, h. 5ft. Polynesia. 



A. m. variegata (variegated). I. large, somewhat cordate, with 

 slightly w;tved margins, Ini^iht green, blotched and marbled with 

 white, sometimes nearly quite white ; footstalks broadly streaked 

 with pure white. Ceylou. A very striking and effective large 

 growing plant. 



A. MarshalUi (Mai-shairs). I. green, with dark blotches, and 

 broad central silvery band. India, 1811. 



A. metallica (metallic). Synonymous with A. cuprea. 



A. navicularis O^o^t-shaped spathe). jl., spathe boat-shaped, 

 whitish. /(. 1ft. India, 1855. 



A. Roezlii. See Caladium marmoratum. 



A. scabriuscula (roughish).* fi., spathe entirely white ; limb 

 3in. long, oblong, cusi)idate. I. spreading, not deflexed, sagittate, 

 not in the least peltate, deep shining green above, pale green 

 beneath, extreme length 22in. to 31in. h. 4ft. to 4^ft. North- 

 West Borneo, 1878. Although this is not such an ornamental 

 species as A. Lowii, A. Thibmi/iana, or .4. ctipreay it has themerit 

 of being a much larger and holder jilant than either of these, and 

 is one of the largest species in the genus. 



A. Sedeni (Seden's).* A hybrid between .-1. LoivH and A. cuprea. 

 I. oval, <-ordate. sagittate, deflexed, bronzy green, purple beneath, 

 veins distinct ivory white. 



A. Thibautiana (Thibaut's).* I. ovate-acute, deejply cordate; basal 

 lobes rounded and not sharply pointed, deep olive greyish-green, 

 traversed by numerous grey vemlets branchmg from the midrib, 

 which is greyish-white, purple beneath. Borneo, 1878. This is 

 said to be by far the finest of the genus. 



A. variegata (variegated). C wdiitijh. I. leafstalk mottled with 

 vii.let. India, 1854. 



