A R D 



ARE 



siiile, without being shaded 1)y other plants ; 

 which induces mouldiness. These, hke the an- 

 nual sorts, require to be removed two or three 

 times in the summer into other pots, to prevent 

 their shooting their roots through the holes, and 

 being injured when taken up. 



From their being easily destroyed in the win- 

 ter, it is necessary to raise supplies annually 

 from cuttings in the summer season. 



And as many of the plants rise to the height of 

 three or four feet or more, and send forth many 

 branches, they require occasional pruning. 



As they flower both in the sunmier and winter 

 seasons, thev are curious, and afford a pleasing 

 variety in the green-house or stove. 



ARDUINA, a genus comprising a plant of 

 the evergreen shrubby kind for the green-house. 

 *J"he Cape Buckthorn. 



It belongs to ihe class and order Pcntandria 

 jMoiiogi/7/ia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Contorlo'. 



The characters of v\ hich are : that the calyx 

 is a five- parted, erect, acute, small, permanent 

 periantliium : the corolla one-petalled, funnel- 

 shaped : the tube c\ lindrical, a little curved in- 

 wards at top : the border five-parted, acute and 

 spreading : the stamina consist of five simple 

 filaments, shorter than the tube, and inserted 

 into the lower part of it : the anther.<e are oblong, 

 within the throat of the corolla : the pistillum 

 is a germ superior and ovate : the style filiform, 

 the length of the tube, and the stigina bifid, 

 thickishi the pericarpium is a globular-oval, two- 

 celled berry ; the seeds solitary, oblong and 

 hard. 



There is only one species, A. lispinosa, 

 Two-spined Arduina. 



It is alow shrubby plant, seldom rising above 

 four or five feet in height. It sends out spread- 

 ing branches in pairs from top to bottom, and 

 they are covered with a dark-green bark, and 

 armed with short strong thorns, which come 

 out b)' pairs ; and sometnncs there are double 

 pairs upon the same foot-stalks, which are situa- 

 ted just below the leaves; and where there are 

 four, two point upwards, and the other two 

 downwards. The leaves are heart-shaped, not 

 much larger than those of the Box Tree, or 

 about an inch lonai, and three-quarters of an 

 inch broad at their oase, of the same consist- 

 ence and colour, terminating in acute points ; 

 they are placed opposite in pairs pretty close to- 

 gether, and contnuie green all the vcar. The 

 flowers come out in clusters at the ends of the 

 branches, upon short slender peduncles, each 

 supporting five or six small white flowers, having 

 an aoreeable odour. They cnnmionly appear in 

 July and August, and are seldom succeeded bv 

 6 



seeds in this climate. The berries do not ripen 

 till the following spring, and are thenof adeep- 

 red colour. It is a native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



Cullnre. — This plant is capable of being in- 

 creased by cuttings and layers of the yovmg shoots, 

 the former planted out in the sunnner season in 

 pots, plunged in moderate hot-beds, and shaded 

 from the sun. After they have taken root, they 

 should be removed into small pots, and placed in 

 the shade till they have taken fresh root : they 

 may then be removed to a sheltered situation till 

 autumn, when they must be put into a green- 

 house, or under a hot-bed frame, as they are too 

 tender to live in the open air. 



This is an elegant plant ; but requires to be 

 constantly kept in pots, in order to be removed 

 into the shelter of the green-house during se- 

 vere weather. 



ARECA, a genus comprising a tree of the 

 exotic Palm kind. The P'ausel-nut I'alm, or- 

 Cabbagc Tree. 



It belongs to the class and order Monwcia 

 Etuicandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Pal nice. 



The characters are : that in the male flower* 

 the calyx is a bivalve spathe, having the spadix 

 branched : proper perianthium three-leaved : thg 

 corolla consists of three acuminate, rigid pe- 

 tals : the stamina consist of nine filaments, the 

 three outer longer thiui the rest : female flowers 

 in the same spadix : the calyx is a common spathe 

 with the males : proper perianthium three-leaved : 

 the corolla three acuminate rigid petals : the 

 pericarpium a subovate, fibrose berry, surrounded 

 at the base with the imbricate calyx : the seed 

 is ovate. 



The species is A. okracea, or Cabbage 



In this the sheaths of the leaves are very 

 close, and form the green top of the trunk, a 

 foot and half in length. Below this come out 

 green shining spathes, ^\hich fall to the ground 

 when tlie vciy branchino' spadix bursts forth. 

 The calyx of the flower is one-leafed, cut half 

 way into three segments. The fruits are ob- 

 long, obtuse berries, slightly bent, of a blue 

 purple colour, succulent, ^scarcely fibrose, the 

 size of a middling olive : the pulp dries away, 

 and becomes a brittle, wrinkled bark. The nut 

 or stone is oblong, smoothish, rather acute at 

 the base, membranaceous, brittle, thin, whitish- 

 brown frequentlv with a shade of red. l"he ker- 

 nel is oblong, cartilaginous, very hard, and has 

 a cavity in the middle of a small fissure. In its 

 native state the inhabitants cut oft' the green top 

 of the trunk, take out the white heart, and 

 make use of it as an article of food. But in 



