FAG 



F A G 



I^^AGAHA, a genus eontaining plants of the 

 "^ cxolic kind Tor the stove. 



It bclont's to the class and order Tetrandria 

 Monogyiiia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Dumuitr. 



The characters arc : that the calyx is a four- 

 rlcft pcrianihium, very small : Icaliets concavci 

 permanent: the corolla has four oblongish pe- 

 tal?, concave, spreading: the stamina consist 

 of four lilanients (three to eight), longer than 

 the corolla : anthers ovate : the pistillum is an 

 ovate germ: style filiform, length of the corolla: 

 stigma two-lobed, obtusish (four-cleft) : the 

 pericarpium is a globular capsule, one-celled (or 

 two-celled), two-valved : the seed single, round, 

 *iid bright. 



The species are : 1 . F. Plerola, I^ntiscus- 

 leaved Fagara, or Bastard Ironwood j 2. F. Tra- 

 godes, Prickly-leaved Fagara. 



The first is a shrub with wrinkled branches, 

 which, according to Browne, rises by a branch- 

 ed and somewhat prickly stalk frequently to the 

 height of eight or ten feet ; the wood very hard : 

 tlie leaves alternate, pinnate, with three pairs 

 of leaflets ; and the common petiole margined 

 and jointed. The leaflets obovatc, quite entire, 

 emarcinate, smooth. The spikes a-xiilary, ses- 

 sile, Tn pairs. The flower small and white. It 

 is a native of Jamaica. 



TTie second species is a shrub, branching, 

 almost erect, tive feet in height. The prickles 

 in pairs, subulate, recurved, strong, subaxillan,', 

 brown, shining ; there is one similar, but 

 smaller, on the back of each joint of the leaves] 

 these are alternate, sessile, pinnate jointed : 

 leaflets oblong, attenuated at the base, obtuse 

 quite entire, shining, sessile : joints usually six, 

 in every respect similar to the leaflets. The 

 flowers are small, axillary, and aggregate. It is 

 a native of St. Domingo, flowering in Fe- 

 bruary. 



CtiUure. — These plants mav be increased by 

 sowing the seed* in pots in the early spring, 

 and plunging them in the bark-bed of the stove. 

 When the plants have attained some growth they 

 should be removed into other pots, and be re- 

 placed in the hot-bed. 



They may likewise be raised by planting cut- 

 tines of the voung shoots in pots, and plunging 

 them in the bark -bed in the stove, due shade 

 and water being given till they have stricken 

 root. They should afterwards be removed into 

 separate pots^ and be replaced in the siovc hot- 

 lt<d. 



These .ire tender plants, requiring the con- 

 stant protection of the stove, where they aflTord 

 variety. 



FAGUS, a genus containing plants of the 

 tree kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Munoecia 

 Poljandria, and rank* in the natural order of 

 jimentaceie. 



The characters are : that the male flowers 

 are fixed to a common amentaceous recep- 

 tacle: the calyx is a onc-leafed perianthium, 

 bell shaped, five-cleft (four-, five-, or six-cltft,) 

 (subsexfid) : thea- is no corolla : the stamina 

 consist of many filaments, the length of the 

 calyx, setaceous: anthers oblong: the female 

 flowers in a bud of the same pKint : the ealvx is a 

 one- leafedjfonr- toothed, erect, acute perianthium; 

 there is no corolla : the pistillum is a covereJ 

 germ with the ealvx : style* three, subulate 

 (one-trifid) : stigmas simple, reflex : the pcri- 

 carpiura is a capsule (which was the calyx) 

 roundish, very larce, covered with soft spines, 

 one-celled, two- to four-valved : the seeds are 

 nuts, one or two, ovate, three-cornered, threc- 

 valved, acuminate. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . F. si/lialica, 

 The Common Beech- tree ; 2. F. castanea, 

 Common Chesnut-trce; 3. F. pumila. Dwarf 

 Chesnut-tree, or Chinqua-pine. 



The first grows to a ver\- large size, lofty and 

 spreading ; the trunk straight, and covered with 

 a whitish bark. The leaves are smooth and 

 glossy, waved on the cdcres rather than serrate, 

 or slightly sinuate-toothed, three inches and 

 more in length, and two or upwards in breadth : 

 the petioles reddish, slightly urooved above, 

 four or five lines in length, pubescent, as is 

 also the midril) of the leaf. 'J"he stipules reddish- 

 brown, shining, lanceolate, conspicuous. It 

 retains the old leaves through the winter. The 

 male catkins come out in bunches from the cndj 

 of the small branches ; are roundish, obtuse, 

 half an inch lone:, and almost as broad ; on 

 peduncles from half an inch to fourteen lines in 

 length, pendulous, round, and pubescent. The 

 fem.ile anient'; eoine out from the same place, a 

 little above the others ; are erect, and on round, 

 whitish, villose peduncle> : the common invo- 

 lucre has two flowers, is four-cleft, and covered 

 with soft spines. The fruit is composed of tw o 

 mits joined at the b.-ise, covered with an almost 

 globular four-valved involucre, with soft spines 

 on the outside, but within verv smooth and 

 *ilkv : the uuis,. when ripe, are OBC-cclkJ 

 ■iii 



