SCO 



SCR 



Vellow flower, which is succeeded by a thick 

 twined pod, the size and appearance of a large 

 green caterpillar. It is -a native ot the South 

 of Europe. 



The second species has stronger stalks than 

 the first ; the leaves are much broader ; the pe- 

 duncles support two smaller flowers; the pods 

 'are slender, longer and more twisted, and are 

 armed with blunt spines on their outside. It is 

 a native of the South of Europe. 



The third has slenderer stalks than either of 

 the former ; the leaves stand upon shorter foot- 

 stalks, but are shaped like those of the first sort; 

 the peduncles are slender, and frequently sup- 

 port three flowers ; the pods are slender, not so 

 much twisted as the former, and armed on their 

 outside with sharp distinct spines. It is a na- 

 tive of the South of Europe, and Barbarv. 



Culture. — These plants may be increased by 

 sowing the seeds in the places where thev are to 

 remain in the early spring months, three or four 

 seeds being put in, in a place, the plants should 

 be thinned properly and kept clean from weeds 

 afterwards, when they will produce flowers, and 

 pod= having the resemblance of caterpillars, 

 about the month of June. 



The first sort is the most deserving of culii- 

 vation, as being the largest in the pods and 

 most perfectly formed. 



They afford ornament and variety in their 

 curious pods. 



SCORZONERA, a genus containing a plant 

 of the tap-rooted esculent kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Syngencsia 

 Polygamia jEqualis, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Composite Semijlosculosce. 



The characters are: that the calyx is com- 

 mon, imbricate, long, subcylindrical : scales 

 about fifteen, scariose at the edge : the corolla 

 compound, imbricate, reniform : corollets her- 

 maphrodite numerous, the outer a little longer : 

 proper one-petalled, ligulate, linear, truncate, 

 live-toothed : the stamina have five capillary 

 filaments, very short: anther cylindrical, tubu- 

 lar : the pistillum is an oblong germ: style fili- 

 form, length of the stamens : stigmas two, re- 

 flexed : there is no pericarpium T calvx ovate- 

 oblong, converging and finally spreading and 

 reflexed : the seeds solitary, oblong, cylindrical, 

 striated, shorter by half than the calyx : pappus 

 feathered, sessile, with chaffy .and bristly ravs 

 mixed : the receptacle naked. 



The species cultivated is S. Hispanica, Gar- 

 den Viper's-grass, or Spanish Scorzonera. 



It has a carrot-shaped root, about the thick- 

 ness of a finger, and covered with a dark brown 

 skin ; it is white within, and has a milky juice : 

 ■the lowtr leaves nine or ten inches long,' and. an 



inch and half 'broad in the middle, ending with 

 a long acute point : the stalk three feet high, 

 Siiioi.t'u, branching at top, and having on it a 

 few Harrow embracing leaves : the flowers are 

 bright ycilow. It is a native of Spain, the South 

 of France, ike. 



It is cultivated for the root, which is boiled 

 and eaten as carrots, or it may be fried in bat- 

 ter, which is probably the belter way of using 

 it. They are ready for use in the autumn and 

 winter season. 



Culture. — These crops should be raised from 

 seed sown either in the autumn or spring sea- 

 son, about April, in an open spot of ground 

 where the soil is light and fine. The best mode of 

 sowing them is in shallow drills, about a foot 

 apart, in a thin manner, covering them in to 

 the depth of half an inch : the plants, when of 

 some growth, should be thinned out when they 

 are too thick, to the distance of six or eight 

 inches, keeping them clean from weeds by hoeing. 



Same also raise them by sowing the seed 

 broad-cast over the surface, and afterwards 

 thinning the plants or transplanting them into 

 other beds ; but the first is the most successful 

 method, and transplanting should never be 

 practised with tap- rooted plants. 



The roots ma)' be taken up in the autumn, 

 and preserved in the same manner as those of 

 carrots ; but they are sometimes left in the 

 ground to be pulled as they are made use of. 



In order to save seed, some of the best plants 

 should be left where sown, to run to seed, which, 

 when perfectly ripened, should be collected and 

 preserved in a dry situation till wanted. 



SCOTCH FIR, See Fin us. 



SCREW-FINE. See Fandanus. 



SCREW-TREE. See Helictehks. 



SCROFHULARIA, a genus comprising 

 plants of the fibrous-rooted, herbaceous, and 

 shrubby kinds- 

 It belongs to the class and order Didynamia 

 Angwspermiu, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Personatce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianth, five-cleft, permanent : segments 

 shorter than the corolla, rounded : the corolla 

 one-petalled, unequal : tube globular, larger, 

 inflated : border five-parted, very small : seg- 

 ments, the two upper larger, erect ; two lateral, 

 spreading a little ; one lowest, bent back : the 

 stamina have four linear -filaments, declining, 

 length of the corolla; of which two are later: 

 anthers twin : the pistillum is an ovate germ . 

 style simple, situation and length of the stamens : 

 stigma simple: the ptsicarpium is a roundiih 

 capsule, acuminate, two-celled, two-valved : 

 partition folded, constructed of the margins of 



