F E R 



F E R 



others a^ omaiiuntal tre<?s in lawns, clumps, 

 borders, and olhcr parts oF pli-aRure-grounds, 

 where they have a fine eflett. They succeed on 

 almost any soil, bin llie hest on tiiose ot llic 

 loa;iiy kind. 



FAIR MAIDS-OF-KENT. Sec Ranun- 



Cl'LLS. 



FAN I'AI.M. See Cham-f.rops. 



KEATHKH PMINC'E'S. See Amauavthos. 



rEATUtUI^D COLUMBINE. Sec Tha- 

 McrniiM. 



FENNEL. See .\NKTmJM. 



FENNEL FLOWEK. See Negella. 



FE.NNEL GL\NT. See Ferila. 



FE[iR.^RL'^, H genus containing a plant of 

 tlie herbaceous flowery green-house kind. 



It belongs t(» the class and order Gijnnndrin 

 Tri<rt/nia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Ensal(B- 



Tin; characters are : that the caly.x has two 

 jpathes. alternate, keeled, involute; each one- 

 flowered : the corolla has six petals, ohlonc, 

 •cuminate, revolute, curled, ami fringed; al- 

 ternalely smaller : the stamina consist of three 

 filamcnis, sitting on the style: anthers round- 

 ish, twin, rough-hairy: the pistilluni is an in- 

 ferior £rerra, roundish, three-cornered, obtuse: 

 sivlesi^nple, erect: stigmas three, bifid, cowl- 

 ed, fringed and curled: the pericarpiuin is an 

 oblonir capsule, three-cornered, thicker at top, 

 three-celled, thrce-vaU'cd : the seeds numerous 

 and roundish. 



The species cultivated is F. nnduhtta, Cape 

 Ferraria 



It has a tuberose, roundish, coinprcssed root, 

 in shape like that of the Indian corn-flag, but 

 larger ; in the centre of the upper side it has a 

 hollow like a navel, whence comes out the 

 stalk; the outer skin is of a light brown colour, 

 the inside white. It lies inactive every other 

 year, and sometimes will remain two years 

 without patting out either leaves or fibres. The 

 stem in a font and half hi^h, taper, and about 

 the thickness of a man's little finger. It has 

 hnceolate loaves the whole lengtlf, placed al- 

 ternately, and embracing: the lower leaves are 

 from four to rive inches long, and an inch and 

 half broad towards their base, ending in obtuse 

 points; a little keel-shaped, and of a light- 

 green colour. The flowers are a.\'illary, solitary, 

 from the upper part of the stem, wrapped in a 

 double sheath, out of which the flower-bud 

 rises about an inch. The sheath is composed 

 cf a double row of kecl-shapcd leaves ; the in- 

 ner row being shorter than the outer, and situ- 

 tted oblicjuely to it. It is a most singular and 

 beautiful vegetable production, flowering from 

 February to May, and a native of the Cape. 



Culture. — Tiiis plant is increascJ by planting 

 the oflsets from the roots, in borders prepared for 

 the purpose, in the fronts of the green-house 

 or stove, and covered i)y frames aiiJ glasses in 

 the tailv spring months. Wiien the piaius 

 come up, they r;.q,'.;re a pretty Ircc air during 

 mild wcaiher, but to be well protccitd troni 

 frost. In very hot weatiitr uccasiunai slight 

 waterings are also necessary. 



It is an ornamental plant for grecn-housc 

 collections. 



FERULA, a genus comprehending plants of 

 the herbaceous perennial flowery kind. 



it belonirs to the class and order fentamitia 

 Diisynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 UmMlalie. 



The characters are : that the calyx is an uni- 

 versal umbel, manifold, globular; partial simi- 

 lar: involucre universal caducous; partial niaiiy- 

 ieaved, linear, small: properperianthium, scarcely 

 observable : the corolla universal, uniform : 

 flosculcs all fertile; proper consisting of five 

 oblong, straiglitish petals, nearly ccjuai in size: 

 the stamini have five filaments, the length of 

 tlie corolla: anthers simple: the pistillum is a 

 turbinate, inferior germ : styles two, reflex : 

 stigmas obtuse : the pericarpium an oval fruit, 

 plane-compressed, submargined, marked on 

 both sides with three raised lines, and bipartite : 

 the seeds two, very large, elliptic, flat on both 

 sides, and marked w ith three distinct streaks. 



The species are : 1 . F. communis, Common 

 Fennel-Giant ; 2. F. glauca. Glaucous Fennel- 

 Giant ; 3. F. Tinniiana, Tangier Fennel- Giant; 

 4. F. Fenihgo, Broad-leaved Fennel-Giant. 



The first, in good soils, grows to a great height, 

 and divides iiMo luany branches. The lower 

 leaves spread more than two feet every way, and 

 branch out into many divisions, which are 

 asain subdivided into many smaller; they are 

 of a lucid green, and spread near the ground. 

 From the "centre of the plant comes out tlie 

 flower-slcm, which, when ilie plants arc strong," 

 is ncariv as larire as a common Isrooni-stiek. 

 and ten or twelve feet ! I iu^h, with many joints; 

 there issues from it, when cut, a I'cctiJ yellow- 

 ish li<juor, which coiiercies on the surfac- ot 

 the wound. It is terminated by large umbels 

 of yellow flowers, which appear about the end 

 of June, or the beginning of the following 

 month, and the seeds ripen in September. The 

 roots continue several years, especially in a dry- 

 soil, and annually produce flowers and seeds. 

 It i- a native of luly, ?<e. 



In the 3<ci>nd spities the leaves arc con.po«cd 

 of manv narrow tlat segments, of a gray co- 

 lour, and an- divided into many parts. The 

 Etem is from three to fmir feelnhigh, terminated 

 3 B-J 



