SPIRE LILY 



823 



SPURGE NETTLE 



S. leucostfcta (white-speckled). See S. ALBESCENS. 

 lindleya'na (Lindleyan). Greenish-white. July. 



Leaves banded with white. S. Amer. 1861. 

 margariti'fera (pearl-bearing). See S. ESMERALDA. 

 ,, meta'llica (metallic). Brazil and Guiana. 

 ,, orchioi'des (Orchis-like). 2-3. Rose. November. 



Trop. Amer. 1826. 

 pi' eta (painted). 2. Green. April. Trop. Amer. 



1805. 



,, grandiflo'ra (large-flowered). SeeS. GRAXDIFLORA. 

 ,, variega'ta (variegated). White. Leaves varie- 

 gated. 

 plantagi'nta (plantain-like), i. Red. June. Peru. 



1824. 

 r0tnanzo#ia'na(Romanzovian). i-i. White. August. 



Ireland and N. Amer. 

 Saurogto'ssttwztlizzard's-tongue). ij. Green. Brazil. 



1832. 

 Smi'thii (Smith's). Yellow and green. Costa Rica 



and Central Amer. 1868. 

 Wei'rii (Weir's). Pale red. Brazil. 1870. 



SPIRE LILT. Galto'nia ca'ndicans. 

 SPIROCO'NTJS. See TRICHODESMA. 



SPIRONEMA. (From speira, spiraL and nema, a 

 filament ; stamens spiral. Nat. ord. Spiderworts [Com- 

 melinaceae]. Linn. 6-Hexandria, i-Monogynia. Allied 

 to Tradescantia.) 



Greenhouse herbaceous. Seeds, and division of the 

 roots ; sandy, fibrous peat and loam. Winter temp., 

 45 to 55 ; summer, 60 to 80. 

 S. fra'grans (fragrant), r. White. May. Mexico. 1839. 



SPLEENWORT. Asple'nium. 



SPO'NDIAS. Hog Plum. (The ancient name of a 

 wild Plum ; resemblance of fruit. Nat. ord. Anacards 

 [Anacardiacese]. Linn. lO-Decandria, 4-Peniagynia.) 



Stove evergreen trees. Cuttings of half-ripened shoots 

 in sand, under a bell-glass, in heat, in May or June; 

 loam and peat. Winter temp., 50* to 55 ; summer, 

 60 to 80. 



S. acumina'ta (pointed-leaved). June. Malabar. 1824. 

 axilla' ris (axillary). See S. LUTEA. 

 borbo'nica (Bourbon). 40. Dark purple. Mauritius. 



1825. 

 du'lcis (sweet). 30-50. Yellowish. June. Tropics. 



1793. " Sweet Otaheite Apple." 

 lu'tea (yellow-fruited). 50. Yellow, green. Tropics 



everywhere. 1739. " Golden Apple." 

 mangi'fera (Mango-bearing). 30. White. Trop. 



Asia. 1820. " Hog Plum." 

 Mo'mbin (Mombin) of Jacquin. See S. LUTEA. 

 Mo'mbin (Mombin) of Linnaeus. See S. PURPUREA. 

 myrobala'nus (Myrobalan-like). See S. LUTEA. 

 pleio'gyne (full-pvaried). Australia. 

 purpu'rea (purple). 30. Purplish. Summer. Trop. 



Amer. 1817. 



Sola'ndri (Solander*s). Australia. 

 tubero'sa (tuberous). Brazil. " Burdekin Plum." 



SPONGE TREE. Aca'cia farnesia'na. 



SPONGIOLE. This word has long been applied to the 

 thickened part at the points of the roots of flowering 

 plants, under the mistaken idea that they were the parts 

 that sucked up water containing the food of plants. The 

 term means a little sponge. The thickened part is 

 really the root-cap, consisting of several layers of dead 

 cells, which cover and protect the growing point as it 

 pushes its way through the soil. The root hairs are the 

 organs that absorb moisture, containing plant food. The 

 thin-walled cells of the root, a little behind the root cap, 

 also absorb moistnre. 



SPORANGE or SPORANGIUM. The cases on the back of 

 a fern, and in the axils of the upper leaves or bracts of 

 a Selaginella and allied flowerless plants, which contain 

 the small bodies known as spores. These sporangia or 

 spore-cases are produced in round clusters on the back 

 of the fronds of Polypodium, but in Asplenium the sori 

 or spore clusters are linear, and covered with an indusium 

 or cover. 



SPORE. The small dust-like bodies of ferns and other 

 flowerless plants, that correspond tc seeds in flowering 

 plants, and serve for reproducing them. They arc 



produced inside the sporanges or sporangia above men- 

 tioned. 



SPORTING is the term whereby gardeners describe any 

 deviation from the usual form or colours of a plant or 

 flower. 



SPOT, a disease occurring on the leaves of the pelar- 

 gonium, is a dry gangrene, occasioned by an irregularity 

 in the supply of moisture and vicissitudes of temperature, 

 but especially if one of the extremes is much below the 

 degree of heat most favourable to the healthy growth 

 of that plant. The reason of this is very obvious. If a 

 pelargonium, or any other plant, be placed in a highly 

 stimulating heat, and is abundantly supplied with root 

 moisture, it immediately increases its surface of leaf to 

 elaborate and digest the large amount of sap forwarded 

 from the roots. If this amount of sap is subsequently 

 suddenly reduced, by lowering the temperature and 

 adding water to the soil less freely, the increased surface 

 of leaf is no longer required, and it is a law pervading 

 all the vegetable creation that the moment any one of 

 the parts of a plant is unnecessary to it, immediately 

 that part begins to decay. 



SPRA'GUEA. (Commemorative of Isaac Sprague, a 

 botanical draughtsman of America. Nat. ord. Por- 

 tulaceae.) 



A hardy perennial herb, suitable for the rockery. 

 Seeds; cuttings in a cold frame. Light, well-drained 

 soil. 



S. umbella'ta (umbelled). White, purple. July. New 

 Mexico. 1859. 



SPREAD EAGLE. Onci'diutn carthagine'nse. 



SPREKETJA. (Named after Dr. Sprekel, a German 

 botanist. Nat. ord. Amaryllids [Amaryllidaceze]. Linn. 

 6-Hexandria, I'Monogynia.) 



This is the name for the old Amary'llis formosi' ssitna, 

 or Jacobasa Lily, not by Dr. Herbert, but by Heister, a 

 German botanist ; and Dr. H. had some doubts latterly 

 of its correctness. Stove bulbs. For culture, see 

 HIPPEASTRUM. 

 S. bre'vis (short-flowered). See HIPPEASTRUM CYBISTER 



BREVE. 



Cy'bister (tumbler). See HIPPEASTRUM CYBISTER. 

 formosi'ssitna (handsomest). |. Crimson. June. 



Mexico ; Guatemala. 1658. 

 glau'ca (sea-green), i. White. April. Bolivia. 



1839. 



ri'ngens (gaping). See S. FORMOSISSIMA. 

 glau'ca (milky-green). See S. FORMOSISSIMA GLAUCA. 



SPRENGE LJA. (Named after C. Sprengel, naturalist. 

 Nat. ord. Epacrids [Epacridacea?]. Linn. s-Pentandria, 

 i-Monogynia.) 



Greenhouse evergreen. Cuttings of short young shoots, 

 a little firm at the base, in sand, under a bell-glass, in 

 spring and early summer. Winter temp., 35 to 45. 

 S. Anderso'ni (Anderson's). See ANDERSONIA SPRENGEL- 



IOIDES. 



incarna'ta (flesh-coloured). 2. Flesh. May. N.S. 



Wales. 1793. 

 Poncele'tia (Ponceletia). i. Scarlet. May. N.S. 



Wales. 1826. 



SPRING BEETLES. A name applied to the Elateridae, 

 a group of beetles, many of which are known as skipjacks, 

 soldiers, and sailors. In the larva stage they are known 

 as wireworms, and are very destructive to plants. See 

 WIREWORMS. 



SPRING BELL. Sisyri'nchium grandiflo'rvm. 

 SPRING GRASS. Anthoxa'nihum odora'tum. 

 SPRING SNOWFLAKE. Leuco'jumvefrnum. 

 SPRUCE FIR. Pi'cea exce'lsa and other species. 

 SPRUCE GALL. See INSECT PESTS. 

 SPRUE. A market name for the smallest sprouts of 

 Asparagus. 



SPURGE FLAX. Da'phne Meze'reum. 

 SPURGE LAUREL. Da'phne Lau'reola. 

 SPURGE NETTLE. Ja'trop ha u'rer.s. 



