ACANTHOMINTHA 



ACER 



ACANTHOMI'NTHA. (From akantha, a thorn, minthc, 

 mint. Nat. ord. Labiatae.) 



Border annual, raised from seeds sown in spring. 

 A. tiicifo'lia. Purple, yellow, white. July. California. 

 1838. B. M., t. 6750. 



ACANTHONE MA. (From akantha, a spine, and nema, 



_: 1 9. Allie' 



carpus.) 



a filament. Nat. ord. Gesneraceas. Allied to Strepto- 



Stove plant, with the habit of Streplocarpus. Seeds 

 sown in early spring in sandy loam ; manure is added 

 after potting later. 



A. sirigo'sum. . Deep purple, with whitish tube. 

 Fernando Po. 1862. B. M., t. 5339. 



ACANTHOPA'NAX. 



A. acerifo'lium. 1908. 

 , divarica' turn. Japan. 1901. 

 , Henry'i. 5. Green. W. China. 1910. 

 , japo'nicum. Japan. 

 , ricinifo'lium. Japan. 1868. 

 , sessiliflo'rum. China. 

 ,, spino'sum. Japan. 



variega'tum (variegated). Leaves edged creamy- 

 white. Japan. 1874. 



ACANTHOPHTPPIUM. (From acanthos, a thorn, and 

 ippion, a horse ; but why, is not apparent. Nat. ord. 

 Orchids [Orchidaceae]. Linn. zo-Gynandria, i-Monandria.) 

 Loam and peat in a rough state ; division or pseudo 

 bulbs ; 50 to 60 when at rest ; 70 to 80 when growing. 

 A. bi' color (two-coloured). Yellow and red. June. 



Ceylon. 1833. 



,, Curti'sii. Malay Archipelago. 

 ,, a'lbidum (L., t. 619). Malayan Archipelago. 

 ebu'rneum (G. C., 1896, xx. 266). S. Malaya (?). 

 java'nicum (Javanese). Crimson, rose. August. 



Java. 1844. 

 mantinia'num (J. O., 1896, 138 ; L., xii. t. 536). S. 



Philippines. 

 stria' turn (striped-flowered). White-striped. June. 



Nepaul. 

 sylhete'nse (Sylhet). White. June. Sylhet. 1837. 



ACANTHOPHCE NIX. (From akantha, a spine, and 

 phoenix, the date palm. Nat. ord. Palmaceae. Allied to 

 Areca.) 



Useful stove palms, increased by seeds only, which 

 are germinated in a moist bottom-heat, in a compost of 

 one part loam, one of peat, one of leaf-mould, and the 

 remainder of sand. 



A. crini'ta. Seychelles. 1824. Fl. Ser.. t. 1706. 

 gra'ndis (111. H.. 1895, 185). Palmaa S. 

 ru'bra. Madagascar. 1823. Syns. Calamus deal- 

 batus and C. Verschaffelti. 



ACANTHOPHYXLUM. (From akantha, a prickle, and 

 phullon, a leaf ; leaves spiny. Nat. ord. Caryophyllaceas.) 

 Hardy perennial herbs. Seeds ; cuttings. Ordinary 

 well-drained soil. 



A. pu'ngens (prickly). See A. SPINOSUM. 

 spino'sum (spiny). 2. Pink. July. Caucasus. 1831. 

 verticilla' turn (whorled). . White. July. Armenia. 

 1823. 



ACANTHORHTZA. (From akantha, a spine, and 

 rhiza, a root. Nat. ord. Palmaceae.) 



Stove palms. For culture, see THRINAX. 

 A. aculea'ta. Mexico. 1864. Syn. Chamcerops staura- 



cantha. Kerch. Palm, t. 24. 

 ,, arbo'rea. Country unknown. 

 Walli'sii. Trop. America. 1879. Gfl t 077 f 2 

 .. Warscewi'czii. Chiriqui. Gfl., t. 860! f. 3. 

 ACANTHOSTA'CHYS. (Acanthos, a spine, stachys a 

 spike. Nat. ord. Bromeliads [Bromeliacea;]. Linn. 

 6-Hexandria, i-Monogynia.) 



Stove herbaceous plant. Suckers ; equal parts of 

 sand, leaf-mould, and decayed wood. 

 A. strobila'cea (cone- fruited). 4. Red and yellow. 



June. Brazil. 1840. 



ACA'NTHUS. Bear's Breech. (Acanthos, a spine 

 some being prickly. Nat. ord. Acanthads [Acanthacea-]! 

 Linn. 1 4-Didynamia, 2-Angiospermia.) 



Herbaceous plants. Seeds, and root division ; light 

 rich garden-soil, sown in autumn or early in spring. 



A. arbo'reus (G. C., 1902, xxxi. 221, f. 70). 20. N.E. 



Tropical Africa. 



,, cardmfo'lius (thistle-leaved). See BLEPHARIS. 

 ,, Ca'roli-Alexa'ndri. i to i. White, rosy. Greece. 



1886. 



,. hispa'nicus (Spanish). See A. NIGER. 

 ,, longifo'lius. 3^ to 5. Purple-rose. Dalmatia. 1869. 

 mo'llis (soft). 3. White. August. Italy. 1548. 



The leaves of this are said to have given rise to the 



Corinthian style in architecture. 

 ,, monta'nus. 3. W. Africa. 1865. 

 ,, ni'ger (black). 3. White. August. Portugal. 1759. 

 Perri'ngi (G. C., 1905, xxxvii. 2 ; Gartenwelt, ix. 354). 



Acanthacea3. i to ij. Cappadocian Anti-Taurus. 

 spino'sus (spiny). 3. White. August. Italy. 1629. 

 ,, ., spinosi' ssimus (most-spiny). 3. White. August. 



South of Europe. 1629. 



A'CARUS. The Mite. See IXSECT PESTS. 



ACCLIMATISATION. In years gone by, when we 

 were getting more new plants from various regions, this 

 was an important subject, and even at the present time 

 it requires consideration. Taking all Japanese shrubs 

 and plants, when newly introduced, they start into 

 growth too early in the season and suffer from frost. 

 Aucuba japonica, when first introduced (in 1783), was 

 regarded as a tender shrub, and was first grown in the 

 stove, then the greenhouse, and later was found to be 

 quite hardy. Pceonia Moutan is another example. The 

 J apanese maples are quite hardy, except that when we 

 get a frost late in the spring they suffer on account of 

 having started into growth too early. It is the same 

 with Astilbe japonica though the roots (or crowns) are 

 quite hardy, yet they start into growth early in the 

 spring, and it frequently happens that the late frost cuts 

 them down, and though introduced at least fifty years 

 ago will still persist in starting early in the season. It 

 seems inherent with all Japanese plants to start into 

 growth early in the season, and some seasons they may 

 escape damage by frost, but they more often suffer. It 

 is the same with plants from other regions take Dicentra 

 (Dielytra) spectabilis, though found in Japan is also a 

 native of Siberia, and is one of our first hardy plants to 

 flower in spring, but will suffer from frost. The conifers 

 from Mexico, which grow in the mountainous regions, are 

 not so impulsive, and it is only when we get an excep- 

 tionally late frost that they suffer. When we first had 

 the tuberous begonias from Brazil they were treated as 

 stove plants, now they are grown in the open, yet they 

 suffer from the first frost we get in the autumn. It is 

 the same with many other succulent plants, take the 

 dahlias, tomatoes, or even potatoes ; they are from the 

 Tropics, but do well out of doors here in England during 

 the summer. It is shrubs and trees which will, after a 

 time, become acclimatised and withstand our winters. 

 The difficulties to contend with are the early growth in 

 spring and the late unripened growth in the autumn. 

 To provide against these evils, means should be taken to 

 ripen shrubs off early, and also to prevent them starting 

 too early in the spring. 



A'CER. The Maple. (Acer, hard, or sharp; because 

 the wood was used for lances. Nat. ord. Maples [Sapind- 

 aceae]. Linn. 2^-Polygamia, i-Moncecia.) 



We have had many additions to this genus during the 

 past few years. The Japanese varieties are beautiful 

 but of slow growth. They may be propagated either 

 from grafting or budding on the common species, which 

 are raised from seeds. They may also be propagated 

 from layers. A. saccharinum produces sugar, and 

 Pseudo-platanus is a useful timber tree. The varieties 

 of A. japonicum may be recommended for pot plants 

 for the cool conservatory. 



A. austri'acum (Austrian maple). See A. CAMPESTRE 



AUSTRIACUM. 



,, barba'tum (bearded-calyxed). See A. SACCHARINUM. 



,, Bo'scii. Siberia. 1820. 



,, campe'stre (common). 25. Green and yellow. May. 



Britain. 

 ,, ,, austri'acum. 30. Green and yellow. June. 



Austria. 1812. 

 colli'num (hill-dwelling). 25. Green and yellow. 



April. France. 

 hebeca'rpum (downy-fruited). 25. Green and 



yellow. June. Britain. 



