AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



141 



Astilbe continued . 



A. Thunbergi (Thunberg's).* JL small, white, very numerous, in 

 erect much branched, pyramidal panicles, with reddish and 

 slightly downy stalks. May. I. unequally pinnate or bipinnate ; 

 leaflets broad, yellowish green, sharply toothed. A. 14ft Japan, 

 1878. This pretty little sub-shrub is extensively propagated on 

 the Continent for forcing purposes. 



ASTRAGALUS (a name applied to a shrub by Greek 

 writers). Milk Vetch. Including Phaca. ORD. Legumi- 

 nosa. A very large genus of hardy herbs or sub-shrubs. 

 Flowers in axillary clusters; standard larger than the wings. 

 Leaves unequally pinnate. About one hundred species 

 have been introduced in English gardens ; many of these 

 are lost to cultivation ; the comparative few here described 

 are still generally grown, and are good representative species. 

 They are all of easy culture. The shrubby kinds grow well 

 in any light dry soil, and are slowly increased by cuttings 

 placed in a cold frame, or by seeds. The herbaceous 

 perennials prefer a dry light soil, and may be increased by 

 divisions or seeds ; the latter mode is preferable, as many 

 species are very liable to die if transplanted or divided, 

 which is at best but a slow method. Seed should be sown 

 in pots of sandy soil placed in a cold frame as soon as ripe, 

 or very early in the spring, as they may lie a long time 

 before germinating. The dwarfer species constitute ad- 

 mirable rockwork plants, and can be grown in pots con- 

 taining a mixture of loam, peat, and sand. Seeds of the 

 two annual species, A. Cicer and A. Glaux, merely require 

 to be sown in the open border early in spring. 

 A. adsurgena (adsurgent).* JL bluish purple; spikes oblong, 

 pedunculate, longer than the leaves, densely packed. June. 7. 

 with eleven to twelve pairs of ovate-lanceolate acute leaflets ; 

 stipules acuminated, length of leaves. Plant ascending, smoothish. 

 Siberia, 1818. A very handsome and rare perennial species. 

 A. adunons (hooked). JL rose purple, in oblong spikes ; peduncles 

 rather shorter than the leaves. June and July. L with nume- 

 rous pairs of roundish-ovate, smooth leaflets, sometimes downy. 

 A. 6in. to 9in, Caucasus, 1819. Perennial. 



A. alopecuroides (foxtail-like).* JL yellow, disposed in thick 

 dense ovate-oblong spikes, on short axillary peduncles. June. L 

 with numerous ovate-lanceolate, pubescent leaflets ; stipules 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminated. Plant erect A. 2ft to 5ft Siberia, 

 1737. One of the finest perennial species grown. 

 A. alplnus (alpine). JL bluish-purple, sometimes whitish, droop- 

 ing, disposed in racemes of about $in. long. Summer. L impari- 

 pinnate, with eight to twelve pairs of ovate or oblong leaflets. 

 Britain. A very desirable, hairy, prostrate perennial. 

 A. arenarius (sand-loving).* JL blue ; peduncles few-flowered, 

 rather shorter than the leaves. June. I. with linear-obtuse 

 leaflets ; stipules connate, opposite the leaves. Plant diffuse, 

 tomentose from white adpressed down. A. 6in. Denmark, 

 1800. Perennial 



A. anstxiacns (Austrian).* /. few ; upper petal, or vexillum, blue, 

 the rest purple ; racemes pedunculate, longer than the leaves. 

 May. L, leaflets glabrous, linear, truncately emarginate. 

 Plant diffusely procumbent South Europe, 1640. Perennial. 

 A. canadensla (Canadian). JL yellow, disposed in spikes; 

 peduncles about as long as the leaves. July. L with ten to 

 twelve pairs of elliptic-oblong, bluntish leaflets. Plant nearly 

 erect, rather hairy. A. 2ft to 3ft North America, 1732. 

 Perennial. 



A. Cicer (Vetch-like). JL pale yellow, disposed in spike-like 

 heads ; peduncles longer than the leaves. July. I. with ten to 

 thirteen pairs of elliptic-oblong mucronate leaflets. Plant 

 diffusely procumbent Europe, 1570. Annual. 

 A. dahuricus (Dahurian). JL purple, in dense racemes, which 

 are longer than the leaves. July. L, leaflets, seven to nine pairs, 

 oblong, mucronate. Plant erect, pilose. A. 1ft to 2ft Dahuria 

 to China, 1822. Perennial. 



A. dasyglottis (thick- tongued).* A. purple, blue, and white 

 mixed, in capitate spikes ; peduncles a little longer than the 

 leaves. June. L, leaflets elliptic-oblong, somewhat emarginate; 

 stipules connate, opposite the leaves. A. 3in. to 4in. Plant 

 diffuse. Siberia, 1818. A charming little alpine perennial 

 A. talcatus (hooked). /. greenish yellow, in spikes ; peduncles 

 rather longer than the leaves. June. L with sixteen to twenty 

 pairs of elliptic-oblong, acute leaflets. Plant erect, rather hairy. 



A. 1ft. 



Astragataa conttnuod. 



1ft. to 2ft. 

 it'resce/i*. 



Siberia (in wet, grassy places). Perennial. SYN. 



A. galegiformis (Galega-like).* JL pale yellow, pendulous, race- 

 mose ; peduncles longer than the leaves. June. L with twelve 

 or thirteen pairs of elliptic-oblong leaflets. Plant erect, glabrous. 

 A. 3ft to 5ft Siberia, 1729. A showy perennial species. 



A. GlMUC (Milkwort). JL purplish, in dense beads; peduncles 

 longer than the leaves. June. L with eight to thirteen pairs of 



Spain ' 1596 - 



A. glycyphyllos (sweet-leaved).* JL sulphur coloured, in ovate- 

 oblong spikes ; peduncles shorter than the leaves. June. L with 

 four to seven pairs of oval, bluntish, smooth leaflets stipules 

 ovate-lanceolate, entire. A. 2ft to 3ft. Britain. A 'perennial 

 prostrate trailer. 



blueandwhite, disposed In roundish'head?; peduncles' 1 longer 

 than the leaves, ascending. June. L with numerous little 

 ovate, obtuse, dark green leaflets, somewhat emarginate ; stipules 

 connate, ovate. Stems prostrate, rather hairy. A. 3in. Britain, 

 dec. Perennial trailer. 



A. h. alba (white-flowered).* This resembles the type, except 

 in the colour of the flowers. 



A. lencophyUns (hoary-leaved).* JL pale yellow, about Jin. long, 

 in dense racemes ; peduncles much longer than the leaves. July 

 and August L, leaflets in numerous pairs, broadly-linear, 

 covered with soft, silky pubescence. A. 2ft to 3ft North 

 America. Perennial. 



A. maxlTtmg (largest).* fL yellow ; spike sessile, cylindrical, 

 nearly terminal. June. L with ovate-lanceolate, pubescent 

 leaflets ; stipules oblong-lanceolate. A. 2ft. to 3ft Armenia. A 

 very handsome, erect, perennial species. 



FIG. 188. ASTRAGALUS MONSPKSSCLANUS, showing Habit and 

 Flower. 



A. monspessnlAiraa (Montpelier).* JL usually purplish, spicate; 

 peduncles longer than the leaves. June. L, leaflets twenty-one to 

 forty-one, ovate or lanceolate, outer ones rather the smallest 

 Leaves hoary, and plant almost stemless when growing in dry 

 exposed situations ; but in rich earth or moist places the leaves 

 are almost glabrous, and the stem becomes elongated. South 

 Europe, 1710. This species is much appreciated, and well de- 

 serves a place in all collections. Evergreen trailer. See Fig. 188. 



A. narbonenais (Xarbonne). JL yellow, disposed in somewhat 

 globose spikes, on short axillary peduncles. June. I. with oblong- 

 linear leaflets ; stipules lanceolate. A. 2ft to 3ft Narbonne and 

 Madrid, 1789. An erect hairy perennial 



A. odoratus (sweet-scented). JL. pale yellow, sweet-scented, 

 disposed in spikes; peduncles same length as leaves. June. 

 L with eleven to fourteen pairs of oblong acute leaflets ; stipules 

 connate. Plant erect, rather ascending. A. ttn. Levant, 1820. 

 Perennial. 



A. onobrychioldes (Onobrychis-like).* JL beautiful purple, hi 

 capitate spikes on long peduncles. July. L with eight to ten 

 pairs of elliptic leaflets ; stipules connate, opposite the leaves. 

 Plant rather diffuse, shrubby at the base, clothed with adpressed 

 hairs. A. 9m. to 12m. Iberia, Persia, <tc., 1819. A very hand- 

 some perennial species. 



A, Onobrycbia (Onobrychis). JL purple; spikes oblong-ovate, 

 pedunculate, longer than the leaves. June. L with seven to six- 



teen pairs of oblong leaflets. A. IJft, or procumbent Mountains 

 SoutnenVEurope,164a This is 4 elegant perennial, and ranks 

 among the very best The varieties, all white flowered, are: 

 alpinu*, major, nuerophyllut and moldamcut, but only the first- 

 named is now in cultivation. 



