54 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Aloysia— continued. 



A. citriodora (lemon-scented).* /. whitish or lilac, very small, 

 in terminal panicles. August. I. pale green, lanceolate, agree- 

 ably scented, arranged in whorls of threes ; branches slender. 

 Chili, 1781. Sv.NS. Lippia citriodora, Verbena triphylla. 



AIiFINE GAKDEN. A very interesting style of 

 gardening-, which succeefls best by imitating Nature as closely 

 as possible. The situation may be an open or a sheltered 

 one. In building a Eock or Alpine Garden, it should be so 

 arranged that all aspects are secured — shady and sunny — 

 fully or in degree only. Pockets and crevices of various 

 sizes may be made, and filled with soil suitable for the sub- 

 jects to be planted therein, each one having a direct connec- 

 tion with the bulk of the soil ; and the constructing material 

 should be arranged with a gentle fall, so that moisture 

 drains towards rather than from the roots. Alpine plants, 

 as a rule, flourish better on a properly constructed rockery 

 than if placed in any other position, because thorough 

 drainage is effected, and the long and fine roots can 

 run down in the crevices, where the soil is cool and 

 moist. Although most alpine plants are naturally exposed 

 to the full action of sun and wind, they should be placed out 

 in early autumn, or early spring, so as to become thoroughly 

 established before the approach of scorching summer 

 weather. Failing materials necessary for the construction 

 of a rockery, many alpines are easily grown in the 

 ordinary border, in a natui'aUy or artificially well drained 

 situation. Excavate to the depth of 18in., put in a layer 

 of stones, broken bricks, &c., 6in. deep ; fill up with rich 

 fibrous loam and leaf mould, adding sufficient sand to keep 

 the soil porons. When the desired subjects are firmly 

 planted, cover the surface with small gravel or stone 

 ohippings, which, while allowing the rain to penetrate the 

 soil, effectually checks evaporation, and keeps it moist and 

 cool, as well as giving the appearance of rocky diibris. The 

 effect will be better if the surface is slightly undulated. 



ALPINE ROSE. See Rhododendron ferrugineum. 



ALFINIA (in honour of Prosper Alpinus, an Italian 

 botanist). Obd. Zingiberacew. A rather large genus of 

 stove herbaceous perennials, with considerable grace and 

 beauty. Flowers disposed in terminal spikes. Leaves 

 lanceolate, smooth, even, entire, sheathed at the base, and 

 having transverse veins. Roots fleshy, branched, having 

 much of the smell and taste of ginger. The soil can 

 hardly be too rich for the successful culture of these 

 plants. A mixture of equal parts loam, peat, leaf mould, or 

 thoroughly rotted hotbed manure, freely mixed with sharp 

 sand or fine charcoal dust, forms an excellent compost. 

 During the growing season, a top dressing of rotten dung, 

 and a frequent application of weak manure water, prove 

 excellent stimulants. They grow rapidly and consume a 

 great deal of food in the production of so much stem and 

 so many leaves. Unless the former is vigorous and of 

 considerable thickness, it will fail to be crowned with spikes 

 of flower. Alpinias require a high temperature, a rich, light 

 soil, abundance of water, and not a little space, to grow 

 them well. Soon after flowering, the plants will assume 

 the yellow leaf, when water may he gradually withheld ; 

 but no attempt should be made to dry them off too severely, 

 even after the stems die down. Nor must they be stored 

 when at rest in a low temperature ; in fact, they require 

 as much heat to preserve them in health when resting as at 

 any other time. The best time to divide the plants is after 

 the young shoots have made an inch of growth in spring. 



A. albo-lineata (white-lined).* l. elliptic lanceolate, pale green, 

 marked with oblique broad bands of white, h. 3ft. to 4ft. New 

 Guinea, 1880. 



A. mutica (beardless), ji. in pairs on a spike-like raceme ; calyx 

 white ; corolla duplex, consisting of three outer oldoug white 

 segments ; upper lobe concave and projecting, broad ; lip large, 

 bright yellow, veined with crimson ; mouth Knely crispulate at 

 the edge. Borneo, 1882. A very handsome species. 



A. nutans (nodding).* Jt. pink, sweetly-scented ; racemes drooping. 

 May. I. lanceolate, smooth, even, entire, h. 13ft. India, 1792. 

 This species looks best in considei-able masses, even larger than 

 those shown in the illustration, gr-own in large pots or tubs, or 



Alpinia- —contin ued. 



planted out in borders of 

 account be severely divided. 



tropical houses. 

 See Fig. 62. 



It should on no 



FiG. 62. Alpinia nut.\ns, showing Form of Individual Flower. 



A* vlttata (striped).* I. 6in. to Sin. long, elliptic lanceolate, taper- 

 ing to a long fine point, and also narrowed .uradually towanls the 

 sheathing base, pale green, marked by broad strii)es of dark green 

 and creamy white, running off from the midrib in divergent 

 lines, corresponding to the venation. Sttutli .Sea Islands. See 

 Fig. 63, for which we are indebted to I\Il'. Bull. 



ALSIKE. See Trifolium hybridum. 



AIiSODEIA (from nlsoden, leafy ; plants thickly beset 

 with leaves). Ord. Violariew. Ornamental evergreen stovo 

 shrubs. Flowers small, whitish, racemose ; petals equal ; 

 racemes Sjxillary and terminal; pedicels bracteate jointed. 

 Leaves usually alternate, feather-nerved : stipules small, 

 deciduous. They thrive best in a mixture of loam and sand, 

 and young cuttings root readily under a bell glass if planted 

 in sand, in heat. 



A. latifolia (broad-leaved).* il. on dense, glabrous racemes. 



I. c;.vate, ol'tu.-^ely aeiuninated. h. 6ft. Madagascar, 1823. 

 A. pauciflora (few-flowered). H. few, somewhat corj-mbose ; 



pedicels reflexed. I. wedge-shaped, on short footstalks, h. 4ft. 



Madagascar, 1824. 



AIiSOPKIIiA (from alsos, a grove, and pliileo, to love; 

 in reference to the situation which they affect in Nature). 

 Ord. Filici's. A magnificent genus of tropical and tempe- 

 rate tree ferns. Sori globose, dorsal, on a vein or in the 

 forking of a vein ; receptacle mostly elevated, frequently 

 villous ; involucre none. The species of this genus require 

 an abundant supply of water, particularly in summer, and 

 the young fronds must be carefully shaded from solar heat. 

 They thrive well in a peat and loam compost. For general 

 culture, see Ferns. 



A. aculeata (priokly).* fronds ample, tvipiunate. rachises brov/n- 

 stramineous ; pinnse ovate-lanceolate, 1ft. to lift, long ; pinnules 

 sessile, ligulate, 3in. to 4in. long, iin. to Jin." broad : segments 

 close, ligulate, blunt, deutirulate, often less than cue line nroad ; 



