120 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Asclepias— conimueti. 



lower ones four to hix in a whorl ; upper ones three in a whorl, 

 or opposite, h. 2ft. to 3ft, Mexico, 1821. Greenhouse ever- 

 green. 



A. phytolaccoides (Pliytnlacca-Iike). ji. purple ; corona white, 

 with truncate leaflets ; uinhels lateral and terminal, solitary, on 

 long peduncles, drooping. July. l. broad, ovate-oblong, acute, 

 glabrous, paler beneath. Stem ei-ect, simple, spotted with 

 purple, h. 3ft. to 4ft. Virginia and Carolina (on the mountains), 

 1812. 



A. purpurascens (purplish), fi. purple ; umbels erect. July. 

 I. opposite, large, ovate, with a purplish middle nerve, villous 

 beneath. Stem simple, rather hairy at top, brownish green at 

 bottom, h. 2ft. to 3ft. Virginia (in shady swamps), 1732. 

 Hardy. SvN. A. kybrUia. 



A. quadrifolia (four-leaved).* jl. white, small, sweet-scented, 

 witti red nectaries ; umbels twin, terminal, loose-flowered ; 

 pedicels filiform. July. I. ovate, acuminated, petiolate; those 

 in the middle of the stem larger, and four in a whorl ; the rest 

 opposite. Stems erect, simple, glabrous, h. 1ft. New York, 

 1820. Hardy species. 



A. rubra (red), jl. red ; umbels compound. July, August. I. al- 

 ternate, ovate, acuminated. Stem erect, simple, iu 1ft. to 2ft. 

 Virginia, 1825. 



A Sullivanti (Sullivant's). Similar to A. syriaca, but having 

 larger iuid deei)ur coloured flowers. 



A syriaca (Syrian).* Ji. pale purple, sweet scented, in large, 

 loose, drooping umbels. July. I. opposite, lanceolate-oblong, or 

 oval, gradually acute, tomentose beneath. Stems simple, h. 3ft. 

 to 5ft. North America, 1629. SYN. A. Coniuti. 



Ascymnt — continued. 

 Hypericum. Thoy require to be protected during winter 

 by a frame; for this purpose they should be grown in pota, 

 as they never exist long in the open border. A compost of 

 peat, pure leaf soil, and sand, in equal portions, suits them 

 well ; young onttings of the shrubby kinds will root in 

 sand under a hand bell glass. Propagated by careful 

 divisions of the roots in spring. All may bo raised from 

 seeds. 



A. amplexicaule (stem-clasping), fi. yellow, few, axillary, and 



terminal; corymbs naked, July, /.stem-clasping, ovate, cordate, 

 sinuately-curled. Stem dichotomously panicled. h. 2ft. North 

 America, 1823. The flowers and leaves are longer in this than 

 in any other of the species. 



A Crux Andrese.* St. Andrew's Cross, fi.^ petals narrow- 

 ]ialu yellow, nearly sessile, in terminal corymbs. Jidy. I. ovate- 

 linear, obtuse, usually in bundles in the axils, stem shruliby, 

 round, h. 1ft. North America (in sandy fields), 1759. This proves 

 to be cjuite hardy in many situations. 



A hyperlcoides (Hypericum-like). fi. yellow. August. I. linear- 

 oblong, obtuse, h. 2ft. North America, 1759. 



A. stans (standing). St. Peter's Wort. fi. yellow. August. I. 

 oval or oblong, somewhat clasping, h. 2ft. North America, 1816. 



ASHES. The earthy or mineral particles of com- 

 bustible siibstances, remaining after combustion. Asbes 

 are amongst the most economical manures. 



Vegetable Ashes are generally the best application for 



Fig. 158. Flowering Branch op Asclepias tuberosa. 



A. tuberosa (tuberous).* fi. bright orange, very showy; umbels 

 disposed in a terminal sub-coryml». July to September. I. scat- 

 tered, oblong-lanceolate, hairy. Stems erectish, divaricately 

 branched at top, very hairy, h. 1ft. to 2ft. North America (in 

 stony, sandy fields and woods), 16S0. A desirable hardy herba- 

 ceous border plant. See Fig. 158. 



A variegata (variegated), fi., petals and foliola of corona white, 

 fructification u'd, in dense umbels, very handsome ; umbels 

 almost sessile ; pedicels liairy. Jidy. I. opposite, ovate, petiolate, 

 wrinkled, naked. Stems simple, erect, variegated with purple. 

 h. 3ft. to 4ft. New York to Carolina (on dry, sandy hills), 1597. 



A, verticiUata (whorled). fi,, corolla with yellowish gieen petals 

 and white nectaries; undiels many-flowered. July and August. 

 I. very narrow, linear, thick, quite glabrous, usually verticillate, 

 but sometimes scattered. Stems erect, often branched, having 

 a downy line on one side. It. 1ft. to 2ft. New Jersey, 1759. 



ASCYRON. See Hypericuin Ascyron. 



ASCYS.UM (from a, without, and skyros, hard : that is 

 to say, a plant which is soft to the touch). Ord. Hyjtril- 

 cincE. A genus of elegant little herbs and sub-«hrubs. with 

 sessile, entire leaves, destitute of pellucid dots, but usually 

 furnished with black dots beneath. Flowers resembling 



manuring boggy, cold, and, consequently, sour and unprofit- 

 able land, in quantities of about forty bushels per acre, 

 thinly and evenly distributed. The annual exhaustion of 

 salts from large crops of grain, roots, and grass, is from 

 1801b. to more than 2501b. per acre; and the aggregate of 

 a few years will so far impoverish the soil in one or more 

 of the principles necessary to sustain a luxuriant vegetation, 

 that it will cease to yield remunerating returns. Tlic ashes 

 of vegetables consist of such elements as are always re- 

 quired for their perfect maturity, and it is evident they 

 must furnish one of the best saline manures w'hieh can be 

 supplied for their growth ; they contain, in fact, every 

 element, and generally in tlie right proportions, for insuring 

 a full and rapid growth. Both gardener and fai'mer will 

 therefore perceive the great value of Ashes to their ert>i)S. 



Coal Ashes. The bituminous and anthracite coals afford 

 Ashes, and, although inferior in quality to those made from 

 wood and vegetables, are. like them, a valuable manure, and 

 they should be applied to the land in a similar manner. If 

 they contain many cinders, from not having been thoroughly 



