AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



31 



cillate oblong, entire, sub-cordate at base. h. 3ft. Havannah, 



1843. The other species are probably not now in cultivation, and 



this one is not generally so. 



JEGLE (from ^gle, one of the Hesperides). Bengal 

 Quince. ORD. Rutacece. A stove evergreen tree, producing 

 very large fruit, which much resembles an orange in general 

 appearance, very delicious to the taste, and exquisitely 

 fragrant. This genus differs principally from Citrus by its 

 numerous disunited stamens. The pulp of the fruit is an 

 aperient, and a valuable remedy in dysentery, the thick 

 rind and the dried unripe fruit are astringent. It thrives 

 best in a rich loamy soil. Propagated by ripe cuttings, 

 which, if not deprived of any of their leaves, will root in 

 sand under a hand glass, in heat. 

 Si. Marmelos (Marmelos). a. white, very fragrant ; panicles 



axillary, terminal. April. Jr. fifteen-celled, i trifoliate ; leaflets 



toothletted. h. 10ft India, 1759. 



2BOLAKTHUS (from aiollo, to vary, and anthos, a 

 flower ; referring to the variableness of the flowers). OBD. 

 Labiates. A genus of few herbs, with thickish leaves. 

 Flowers loosely panicled. They thrive in sandy loam, and 

 increase freely from seeds sown in a similar compost. 

 Si. Livingston!! (Livingstone's), fl. brown. East Africa, 1859. 

 JE. snaveolens (sweet-scented). A. lilac, second ; cymes axillary 

 and terminal, erect, usually trifld, with floral leaves under the 

 divisions. July. 1. nearly sessile, obovate, obsoletely denticu- 

 lated, thickish; pale green. A. 1ft. Brazil, 1859. A pretty stove 

 annual, with a sweet odour. 



AERANTHUS (from aer, air, and anfhos, a flower ; 

 referring to the habit). OBD. Orchideoe. A genus of a 

 couple of species of remarkable stove Orchids, requiring 

 treatment similar to Anguloa, to which they are allied. 

 Si. arachnitis (spider-like), /t green. L linear, h. 4in. Mada- 



gascar, 1850. 



Si. grandiflora (large-flowered).* f~ yellowish-green, large, 

 solitary, terminal h. 8in. Madagascar, 1825. 



AERATION. The exposure of the soil to the free 

 action of the air, as essential to the growth of plants. 



AERIDES (from aer, the air; in reference to the 

 power the species have of deriving their sustenance from 

 the atmosphere). OBD. Orchidece. An extensive genus of 

 epiphytal Orchids, confined to the tropics of the Old World, 

 including many large and showy-flowered species. The 

 majority of them are extremely handsome. The thick fleshy 

 leaves are noteworthy for their characteristically distichous 

 arrangement that is to say, they are arranged in two 

 opposite rows. They are usually truncate at the apex, and 

 for the most part deeply channelled down the centre, but in 

 some species terete or nearly cylindrical.* All of them throw 

 out large fleshy roots from various parts of their stems, by 

 which they absorb the moisture from the atmosphere ; and, 

 in order to grow them successfully, they must be fixed upon 

 blocks of wood. But this method should be adopted only 

 whilst the plants are young, as it is almost an impossibility 

 for the cultivator to mRintain a sufficient amount of atmo- 

 spheric moisture to meet their requirements ; and, unless 

 this is managed, the leaves will shrivel and fall off, leaving 

 only a few at the extremity. Therefore, as soon as the 

 plants are established upon the blocks of wood, let them 

 be removed and potted. Fill the pot three parts full of 

 broken potsherds and lumps of charcoal, and then use 

 nothing but clean, living sphagnum, placing a few roots in 

 the moss and leaving the others free. By this means a 

 greater amount of moisture can be supplied to them, and 

 thus beautiful and symmetrical specimens obtained. The 

 Aerides are easily grown into handsome plants, which 

 usually blossom profusely, and thus recommend themselves 

 to all who cultivate Orchids. From early spring until 

 the end of September they should be treated liberally with 

 water, at the same time taking care never to wet the 

 flowers. After the above-named time, a gradual diminu- 

 tion in the water supply to the roots should take place ; and 

 the atmosphere, too, should be less densely charged with 

 moisture. But drought should never be carried far enough 

 to cause the leaves to shrivel, for, if this is done, the uni- 



Aerldea continued. 



formity of the specimen is marred ; and, although we are 

 quite willing to admit the possibility of the plants pro- 

 ducing a greater quantity of flower spikes after a thorough 

 shrivelling, we prefer to advocate the system that gives a 

 fair amount of flower coupled with good leafage. As before 

 remarked, the Aerides are peculiarly eastern, and therefore 

 are usually classed amongst the Orchids which require the 

 hottest houses. This is, in one sense, correct ; yet they do 

 not require the great amount of heat which many imagine, 

 and which has, until recently, been given them. They 

 must not, therefore, be excluded from the amateur's collec- 

 tion of Orchids. During the winter season many of the 

 species may be kept in a temperature of oSdeg. to 60deg. ; 

 whilst during the growing season the temperature may run 

 up by sun heat without limit, so long as a free circulation 

 of air and a sufficiency of moisture are secured. The 

 following status of temperature may be observed : In spring, 

 from 65deg. in the night, to 70deg. or SOdeg. by day ; in 

 summer, from 70deg. in the night, to SOdeg. or 85deg. 

 through the day ; in winter, about 60deg. night, and 65deg. 

 day. 



C^MMM* (related).* Jl. delicate rose, produced, u 

 on branching spikes, which are sometimes 2ft. in length, and 

 continue in blossom two or three weeks ; the sepals and petals 

 equal, rounded at the apex ; the lip is sharply rhomboid and 

 three-lobed, with a short spur. J. light green, about 1ft long. 

 h. 3ft A very handsome species from India, forming an 

 excellent exhibition plant 



A. a. snperbum (superb).* An unproved variety, with larger 

 and richer coloured flowers, and more compact habit 



A. Brookii (Sir A. Brooke's).* Jl purple and white ; labellum 

 bright purple ; sepals and petals wnite, very fragrant i. very 

 ornamental, of a glaucous (milky green) hue. Bombay. This 

 species, although one of the handsomest, is very rare. 



A. crassifolinm (thick-leaved).* This is a dwarf, densely-habited 

 plant, with broad, thick, purple-dotted obliquely-bilobed leaves. 

 The flowers, which are borne on long and drooping spikes, are 

 bare larger than those of A./alcatum, which they resemble in 

 form, and have the segments tipped with rich purple or amethyst, 

 the centre or throat of the flower being ivory-white. Compared 

 with A. faleatum, the spur is here bent under at an angle, while 

 in that plant it is straight; the side laciniae of the lip are much 

 broader and shorter in the present plant and the two keels on the 

 lip here stand close together at the base, and become divergent 

 whilst in faleatum they are distant at the base, and become con- 

 vergent near the middle of the lip. This species is described as 

 being the best in the genus. It may be grown near the glass, 

 suspended in a basket Bunnah, 1877. 



FIG. 34. FLOWER OF AERIDES CRISPUM. 

 , (curledX* *. white, suffused with purplish rose, nearly 

 in diameter ; sepals and petals ovate, acute ; lip three-lobed, 

 the middle lobe being very large, toothed at the base, and fringed 

 at the margin ; the horn-like spur is slightly incurved ; racemes 

 ascending, more than double the length of the leaves, many- 

 flowered. 1. deep green, flat and broad, blunt at the ends, and 

 two-lobed, about 4in. or 5in. long. Bombay, 1840. Lasts a long 

 time in beauty. See Fig. 34. 



A. O. Idndleyanum (Lindley-s). A robust-growing variety, 

 producing a large, much-branched panicle of flowers ; sepals and 

 petals white ; lip large, bright rich rose-coloured. 



A. C. Warner! (Warner's).* The leaves are smaller, and more 

 slender than in the species ; the sepals and petals are white, with 

 a soft rich, rose-coloured lip. 



A. oylindxienm (cylindric).* JL white and pink, as large as those 

 of A. crigpum; sepals and petals crispy. I. elongate, subulate, 

 terete, 4in. to tin. long. East Indies. A very rare and distinct 

 species. SYN. A. vandarum, 



A. dasycarpum (thick-fruited). JL brownish, rosy. India, 1865. 



A. dasypogon. See Sarcantnus erinacena. 



