AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



17 



Aconitum continued. 



A A. DC ^andollll (Decandolle's). fl. yellow ; panicle and flowers 

 pubesicut ; helmet rather conical, bent, with a short, abrupt, and 

 acuminated beak. I. with rather large dark green lobes. Alps of 

 Jura, 1873. 



A. A. eulophum (well-crested). /. yellow ; panicles and flowers 

 puberulous ; helmet conical. Caucasus, 1821. 



A A grandiflorum (large-flowered), fl. yellow, large ; panicle, 

 flowers, and fruit pubescent ; helmet rather conical. Alps of 

 Jura, 182L 



A A Jacquinil (Jacquin's). /. yellow, smooth; helmet some- 

 what conical, drawn out into an elongated beak. 



A A nemorosnm (grove-loving).* fl. yellow; panicle and flowers 

 ubescent ; helmet somewhat conical, bent ; beak short. I. with 



A antumnale (autumn-flowering).* fl.. bluish-purple, in loose 

 panicles; peduncles rigidly spreading; spur capitate; helmet 

 closed ; lip very long, refracted. July. I. with cuneate, bipinnate 

 lobes. A. 3ft. to 4ft. Europe. 



A barbatum (bearded).* /. cream coloured, middle sized; 

 racemes dense, puberulous ; spur straightish, obtuse ; bottom of 

 helmet conical ; middle sepals densely bearded. July. I. opaque, 

 with the lobes divided into many linear segments, on long stalks, 

 which are villons as well as the nerves. A. 2ft to 6ft Siberia, 

 1807. SYN. A. tqvarrosum. 



A chlnense (Chinese).* fl. intense and very bright blue, in large 

 compound racemes ; pedicels slightly hairy above. Summer. 

 J. lower ones large, deeply cut into three wedge-shaped segments, 

 tapering at the base ; upper ones sessile, gradually becoming 

 more entire, A. 4ft to 6ft China, 1833. 



A. Lamarckii (Lamarck's), fl. cream-coloured, pubescent; racemes 

 long, cylindrical, crowded, branched at the base ; spur spiral ; 

 helmet constricted, clavate. July. I. large, seven to nine-parted, 

 with the lobes unequally cleft A. 2ft to 3ft Pyrenees, 1800. 



A luplcidum (Wolf s-bane). Synonymous with A. Vvlparia. 



A. macrophyllum (large-leaved), fl. yellow, numerous, panicled ; 

 spur arched; helmet large, somewhat ventricose at the apex. 

 July. I. large, more or less dissected. A. 4ft to 8ft Germany. 



A NuttaUli (Nuttall's). Synonymous with A. ochrokucum. 



A ochroleucmn (yellowish-white).* JL cream coloured, large ; 

 spur arched ; bottom of helmet conico-cylindrical ; middle sepals 

 covered with short hairs ; racemes puberulous, rather loose. 

 July. I. five to seven-parted, deep green, the first ones are pube- 

 rulous above. A. 2ft to 4ft Russia, 1794. SYNS. A. Nuttallii, 

 A. pallidum. 



A Pallasil (Pallas'). Probably a mere variety, with a continuous 

 spur, of A. anthora. 



A. pallidum (pale). Synonymous with A. ochroleucum. 



A pyrenaictun (Pyrenean).* fl. yellow, rather large ; spur 

 hooked ; bottom of helmet cylindrical, rounded ; racemes elon- 

 gated, dense, puberulous. June. I. parted almost to the base, 

 with pinnatifid lobes, rather hispid beneath, but smooth above, on 

 long stalks. A. 2ft. Pyrenees, Ac., 1739. 



A. squarrosum (rough). Synonymous with A. barbatum. 



A vnlparla (Fox-bane).* /f. pale yellow, smooth ; spur spiral ; 

 helmet cylindrical, large ; beak stretched out, acute ; racemes 

 crowded. July. I. three or five-lobed, ciliated. A. 1ft. to 3ft 

 Europe, 1821. SYN. A. lupicidum. The principal varieties of 

 this species are : 



A v. carpaticum (Carpathian). /. panicled, of a lurid colour, 

 sometimes variegated with yellow; helmet conico-cylindrical, 

 compressed ; peduncles smooth. I. profoundly cut Stems smooth. 

 A. 2ft to 3ft Carpathian Mountains, 1810. 



A V. Cynoctonum (tall Dog*s-bane). fl. (and stem) yellow, 

 smootblsh, numerous, panicled. A. 3ft to 4ft. France, 1820. 



A v. moldavicum (Moldavian). A. violet, panicled ; helmet 

 cylindrical, compressed. A. 3ft to 4ft Moldavia. 



A v. rubicundum (reddish), fl, livid violet, panicled, villous, 

 variegated with yellow ; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed. 



A. 2ft. to 3ft Siberia, 1819. 



V. septentrlonale (northern). 

 helmet conico-cylindrical, 

 1800. 



blue, panicled, villous; 

 A. 4ft North Europe, 



ACONTIAS. See Xanthosoma. 



ACORN. The seed or fruit of the oak. See Qnercus. 



ACORTJS (from o, without, and itore, the pupil of the 

 eye ; in allusion to its reputed medicinal qualities). OBD. 

 Aroidece (Aracete). A small genus of hardy herbaceous 

 plants. Flowers on a sessile spadix; perianth ' six-clef t, 

 inferior, persistent. The species thrive best in a moist soil, 

 and are very suitable for the banks of water, or even as 

 aquatics in shallow water. Propagated easily by divisions 

 during spring. 

 A Calamus (sweet-flag).* /. yellowish, small, borne on a cylin- 



drical spadix 4in. to oin. long. Summer. I. sword-shaped, 



Acorns continued. 



erect, striated 3ft. long. The root ia cylindrical, channelled, and 

 very fragrant Europe. The variety with gold-striped leaves is more 

 useful as a decorative plant See Fig. 20. 



\ 



FIG. 20. ACORUS CALAMUS. 



A. gramineus (Grass-leaved). China, 1796. This is much smaller 

 in all its parts than the above, but very pretty. 



A. g. variegatus (variegated).* A pretty variety with white- 

 striped leaves, forming handsome little tufts. 

 ACOTYLEDONS. Plants having no cotyledons, or 



seed leaves, as in Cuscuta, but usually applied to crypto- 



gamic or flowerless plants, such as Ferns, Mosses, &c. 

 ACRADENIA (from akra, top, and aden, a gland ; 



referring to the five glands on the top of the ovary). OBD. 



Rutacece. An excellent, neat, and compact evergreen bush, 



suitable for the cool conservatory. It requires a rich loam 



and leaf mould. Propagated by seeds, and by cuttings, 



inserted under a bell glass. 



A. Franklinire (Lady Franklin's).* fl. white, produced in great 

 profusion, in terminal clusters. August. I. fragrant, opposite, 

 trifoliolate, gland-dotted. A. 8ft. Tasmania, 1845. 



ACRE (from agros, an open field). The English Statute 

 Acre consists of 160 square rods (perches, poles, or lugs) ; 

 or 4840 square yards; or 43,560 square feet. The 

 following list shows the differentiation in the number 

 of square yards per acre in the various districts of Great 

 Britain and Ireland: Cheshire, 10,240; Cornish, 5760; 

 Cunningham, 6250; Derby '(W.), 9000; Devonshire, 4000; 

 Herefordshire, 3226J; Irish, 7840; Leicestershire, 2308* ; 

 Scotch, 6150; Wales, North (customary), 3240; ditto 

 (erw), 4320 ; Westmoreland, 6760 ; Wiltshire, 3630. 



ACRIDOCARPUS (from akris, a locust ; and karpog, 

 fruit; meaning not obvious). OBD. Malpighiacece. A 

 handsome sub-tropical or warm greenhouse climber, re- 

 quiring plenty of water, and a very free drainage. In- 

 creased by imported seeds, and by cuttings in bottom 

 heat. 



A natalltlUB (Natal).* fl. pale yellow; petals five, rounded, wedge- 

 shaped, crenately-toothed at the edge; racemes simple, elongated, 

 terminal. July. i. oblong or obovate, obtuse, leathery. Natal, 



ACEJOFSIS (from akros, top, and opsis, eye). OBD. 

 Orchideae. A small genus of pretty stove epiphytal orchids, 

 almost unknown to cultivation. Flowers small, arranged 

 in loose panicles ; lip adnate to the very curious column, 

 from which it projects at right angles. 

 A. densiflora (crowded-flowered).* /. green and pink. May. t 



linear-lanceolate. A. 6in. Borneo, 1845. 



A javanica (Javanese). fl. yellow, green. May. L linear-lanceo- 

 late. A. 3in. Java, 1840. 



A plota (painted).* fl. white, green, and purple. May. I. solitary, 

 linear. A. 6in. Bantam, 1843. 



ACBOCLINIUM (from akros, top, and kline, a bed ; 

 referring to the open flowers). OBD. Composites. A small 

 genus of elegant half hardy annuals with " everlasting " 

 flower heads, which are solitary, terminal, and consist of 



D 



