142 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Astragalus continued. 



A. pannosus (woolly).* JL rose-coloured, in compact globose 

 heads, with peduncles shorter than the leaves. July. I. with 

 four to nine pairs of ovate-lanceolate leaflets, thickly coated with 

 long white woolly hairs. A. 6in. to 9in. Siberia. Perennial 

 ponticus (Pontic). /. yellow ; spikes sessile, almost globose, 

 uly. L oblong, sinoothish ; stipules lanceolate. Stem rather 

 airy. A. 2ft. Tauria, 1820. A very showy, erect, border perennial. 



hairy 

 A. 



very showy, erect, border perennial, 

 (purple), fl. purplish blue, disposed in capitate 

 les longer than the leaves. June. I., leaflets obo- 

 vate, bidentate at the apex; stipules connate, opposite the 

 leaves. Plant diffuse, procumbent, rather hairy. A. 3m. to 6in. 

 Provence, 1820. Perennial. 



A. sulcatus (furrowed).* fl. pale violet, but with a white keel, 

 tipped with brown ; racemes pedunculate, longer than the leaves. 

 July. I. with linear-lanceolate leaflets. Plant erect, glabrous ; 

 stem furrowed. A. 2ft to 3ft. Siberia, 1783. Perennial 



A. Tragacantha (great goat's thorn).* Gum Tragacanth. fl. 

 pale violet, two to five together, axillary, sessile. June. I. with 

 eight or nine pairs of linear hispid leaflets ; young stipules connate, 

 clothed with silky hairs ; adult ones glabrous ; petioles perma- 

 nent, at length becoming hardened spines. A. lift, to 3ft. Levant, 

 1640. Evergreen shrub. Tragacanth, a partially soluble gum, 

 was formerly supposed to be furnished by this plant It is, how- 

 ever, now known that A. Tragacantha yields none. Several species 

 from mountainous regions hi Asia Minor, &c., furnish the gum. 



A. vaginatus (sheathed-stipuled). /. rosy-purple, with white- 

 tipped wings ; calyx rather inflated, covered with soft white and 

 black hairs; spikes dense. Summer. 1. impari-pinnate, with 

 seven or eight pairs of elongated-oblong leaflets, both surfaces 

 covered with short silvery hairs. A. 1ft Siberia. Perennial. 



A. vesicarlus (bladdery). JL, upper petal purple, the wings 

 yellow, and the keel white, tipped with yellow; calyx clothed 

 with black adpressed down and long white spreading hairs; 

 peduncles longer than the leaves. July. 1. with five to seven 

 pairs of elliptic leaflets. Plant diffusely procumbent, hoary from 

 adpressed silky down. A. 6in. to Wn. France, 1737. Perennial 

 trailer. 



than the^e whft^wingfi ; calyx ciotheVf 



somewhat capitate, pedunculate, longer than the leaves. June. 



I. with four to six parrs of lanceolate acute leaflets, beset with 



adpressed hairs, ft. 6in. to 1ft Siberia, 1816. A handsome 



perennial. 



A. virescens (greenish). Synonymous with A. faleata, 



A. vulpinus (fox).* JL pale yellow ; spikes nearly globose, on very 



short peduncles. June. 1. with obovate, obtuse, emarginate, 



rather velvety leaflets. Plant erect ; stem glabrous. A. 2ft to 3ft. 



Caucasus, 1815. A handsome border perennial. 



ASTRANTIA (from astron, a star, and anti, in com- 

 position signifying comparison ; in reference to the appear- 

 ance of the umbels of flowers). OBD. Umbelliferce. Orna- 

 mental, hardy, herbaceous perennials, natives of Europe and 

 Caucasus. Universal umbels irregular, of few rays, BUT- 

 rounded by variable involucre ; partial umbels regular, and 

 containing many flowers, surrounded by many-leaved in- 

 voluoels. Radical leaves petiolate, palmately lobed ; cauline 

 ones few, sessile. Boots blackish. These are suited for 

 borders, banks, and woodlands, growing well in any ordi- 

 nary garden soil, but preferring a damp position. Easily 

 increased by root divisions in autumn or spring. 



A. carniollca (Carniolan).* JL white. May. I. of involucre 

 twelve or thirteen, quite entire, white, with a 7 green line run 

 along the middle of each, tinged with red ; radical ones palmate ; 

 lobes five to seven, oblong acuminated, unequally serrated. A. 

 6m. to 12m. Carniola, 1812. A pretty species. 



^IJr 11 ?? 1 ?* 1 * 1 ? 1 * (Hellebore-leaved).* /. (and involucre) pink, 

 pedice late. June. 1. of involucre twelve or thirteen, ovate! 

 2S22S^J2?5*^ the . u , mbel * little ' b " s . tly : ^9*1 <> n es 



fl., upper petal purplish rose, much longer 

 ings ; calyx clothed with black hairs ; spiles 



(greater).* JL pinkish, pedicellate. May. I of in- 



A. maxima (greatest). Synonymous with A. helleborifolia. 



ASTRAFJE A (from astrape, lightning ; alluding to the 

 brightness of the flowers). OBD. Sterculiacea. Elegant 

 stove evergreen trees. Peduncles axillary, long bearing on 

 their apex an umbel of large sessile flowers, enclosed in a 

 leafy involucre. Leaves alternate, stalked, cordate three 

 to five-lobed. They thrive well in a mixture of loam and 

 peat, and require a plentiful supply of water ; but the best 

 results accrue if the bottom of the pot can be stood in a 

 saucer or tub of water. Propagated by cuttings of young 



Astraptea continued. 



wood, made in April, placed in a compost of loam and 

 peat, or sand, under a bell glass, in heat. 



A. tiliSBflora (Lime-tree flowered). A. pink. A. 20ft. Isle of 



Bourbon, 1824. 



A. viscosa (clammy), fl. pink. A. 20ft. Madagascar, 1823. 

 A. Wallichii (Wallich's).* fl. scarlet ; umbels drooping. July. 

 I. large, cordate, angularly lobed ; stipulas leafy, ovate-acumi- 

 nated ; peduncles long, hairy. A. 30ft. Madagascar, 1820. This 

 splendid species has often been described as being one of tho 

 finest plants ever introduced into this country ; and, when in full 

 flower, nothing can exceed it in beauty and grandeur. 

 ASTROCARYUM (from astron, a star, and karyon, a 

 nut ; referring to the disposition of the fruit). OBD. 

 Palmce. A genus of very ornamental stove Palms, allied 

 to Cocos, having the trunk (when present), foliage, fruit- 

 stalks, spathes, and sometimes the fruit, covered with 

 spines. The flowers develop from the axils of the old decayed 

 leaves. Drupes oval, one-seeded, orange or yellow, in some 

 species fragrant. Leaves pinnate, with linear segments, 

 dark green above, and often of a silvery white below. The 

 species thrive in a compost of two-thirds rich loam and 

 one -third vegetable mould ; water may be given copiously. 

 Propagation may be effected by seeds, which should be 

 sown in spring in a hotbed ; or by suckers, if they are to be 

 obtained. 



A. acaule (stemless). I. pinnate, 3ft. to 10ft. long, slender and 

 spreading ; pinnae narrow, arranged in clusters, pendent. Spines 

 very numerous, long, flat, black. A. 10ft Brazil, 1820. 

 A. aooleatnm (prickly). A. 40ft. Guiana, 1824. 

 A. argenteum (silvery).* I. arching, wedge-shaped, pinnate, 

 distinctly plicate, bright green on the upper surface, the under 

 surface, as well as the stalks, covered with a fine white scurf, 

 which gives them a silvered appearance. Columbia, 1875. One of 

 the best of silver palms. 



A. filare (thready).* I. erect, narrowly cuneate, with two divergent 

 lobes ; petioles covered with white scurf, both on the upper and 

 under surfaces. Distinct and elegant, with a comparatively small 

 and slender growth. Columbia, 1875. 



A. granatense (New Grenadan). I. pinnate, with oblong-acumi- 

 nate segments ; the rachis is spiny, like the petiole, both on the 

 upper and lower surfaces ; leafstalks brownish, armed with nume- 

 rous scattered needle-shaped dark-coloured spines. Columbia, 



, (Mexican). Mexico, 1864. 



A. Mum-Morn (Murumuru). I. pinnate, 10ft to 12ft long ; 

 leaflets lanceolate, sub-falcate, dark green above, silvery white 

 below. Stem 12ft to 15ft high, densely clothed with strong 

 reflexed black spines, over 6in. long. A. 40ft. Brazil, 1825. 



A. rostratum (beak-sheathed). I. irregularly pinnate, 3ft to 8ft. 

 lone; pinna; 12m. to 18in. long ; terminal lobe much larger and 

 bifid, dark green above, silvery white below; petioles broadly 

 sheathing at the base, densely armed with black spines, some- 

 times 2in. long. Stem slender, densely clothed with long black 

 spines. A slow grower, ultimately becoming 30ft high. Brazil, 



A. vulgare (common). A. 30ft. Brazil, 1825. 



ASTROLOBIUM. See Ornithopus. 



ASTROLOMA (from astron, a star, and loma, a fringe; 

 in reference to the bearded limb of the corolla). OBD. 

 EpacridecB. Very handsome, little, diffuse, greenhouse, 

 evergreen shrubs. Flowers solitary, axillary ; corolla 

 tubular, distended above the middle, and with five bundles 

 of hairs in the inside, near its base. Leaves crowded, 

 alternate, linear, or obovate-lanoeolate and mucronate. 

 They thrive best in an equal mixture of sand, loam, and 

 peat, with thorough drainage. Propagated by young cut- 

 tings, which root readily in sandy soil, under a bell glass, 

 in a cool house. 

 A. denticulatum (finely-toothed), fl. axillary, erect ; corolla 



pale red, with a ventricose tube. May to July. I. scattered, 



lanceolate, ciliated, usually procumbent, but sometimes slightly 



erect. A. 1ft. New Holland, 1824. 

 A. humifusum (trailing), fl. scarlet, similar to the foregoing. 



May and June. I. lanceolate-linear, rather convex above, with 



ciliated edges. Shrub prostrate, much branched. A. 1ft. New 



Holland, 1807. 



ASTROPHYTUM MYRIOSTIGMA. See Echi- 



nocactus myriostigma. 



ASYSTASIA (meaning not clear). OBD. Acanthacex. 

 Stove evergreen shrubs. Flowers disposed in axillary or 



