AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



363 



Colocasia continued. 



C. esculenta (edible).* /. whitish ; spadix shorter than the ovate- 

 lanceolate spatbe. i. peltate-cordate. A. 2ft. Sandwich Islands, 

 Ac., 1739. This fine species has been used with great success in 

 sub-tropical gardening in the midland and southern counties. For 

 this purpose, it should be planted out early in June, in thoroughly 

 drained, warm, light and rich soil. In very hot weather, a 

 plentiful supply of water must be administered, and occasionally 

 liquid manure. On the approach of frost, all the leaves, except 

 the central one, must be cut down to within 2in. of the crown. A 

 few days after this operation, the tubers should be taken np, 

 exposed for a few hours to the air, to become dry, and then stored 

 away for the winter in the greenhouse, or any other frost and 

 damp proof situation. SY.N. Caladium e-scuientum. See Fig. 502. 



C.indica(Indian)i fl. brownish ; spadices axillary, I. ovate, bifid 

 at base, rounded. Plant caulescent, sub-erect. A. 5ft. Sandwich 

 Islands, &c., 1824. ST>. Arum indieum. 



C. nymphseifolia (Xymphxa-Ieaved). /., spadix longer than the 

 white cylindrical spathe, sagittate at the end. L peltate-cordate, 

 sagittate. Plant steinless. India, 1800. 



C. odorata (fragrant).* fl. very fragrant ; spadix as long as the 

 white cymbifonn spathe. I. cordate, with rounded lobes, 3ft 

 long. Plant caulescent Peru, 131& See Fig. 503. 



FIG. 503. COLOCASIA ODORATA. 



COLOGANIA (named after a family of the name of 

 Cologan, who resided at Port Orotava, in Teneriffe, and 

 from whom men of science visiting that island experienced 

 the greatest hospitality). OBD. Leguminosce. Stove pro- 

 cumbent or twining shrubs, beset with retrograde hairs. 

 Flowers solitary, axillary, pedunculate, or in short racemes. 

 Leaves pinnately trifoliolate, rarely one or five-foliolate. 

 For culture, see Clitoria. 



C. biloba (two-lobed)L fl. violet, racemose. I. ternate, clothed 

 with adpressed hairs, h. 20ft Summer and autumn. Mexico. 

 Conservatory. SYN. Glycine biloba. (B. K. 14ia) 

 C. Bronssonetii (Broussonefs). A. violet, twin, shortly pedicel- 

 late ; calyx villous, rather five-cleft L, leaflets ovate-oblong, 

 mucronate, rather strigose on both surfaces, paler beneath. 

 Mexico, 1827. 



Other species quoted as being in cultivation are : angvtttfolia 

 and pulcheOa. 



COLQUHOUNIA (named after Sir Robert Colquhonn, 

 Bart., at one time resident at Kumaon). OBD. Labiate. 

 Elegant and curious evergreen, twining or scandent, 

 usually tomentose, not pilose, shrubs ; well fitted for 

 ornamenting rafters in greenhouses or conservatories. 

 Whorls loose, axillary, or approximating into a terminal 

 spike ; bracts minute"; corolla bilabiate, with an exserted 

 incurved tube, and a dilated throat, naked inside. Leaves 

 rather large, crenate ; those of the upper parts of the 

 branches, near the inflorescence, reduced to small bracts. 



Colquhounia continued. 



A light rich soil, or one composed of equal parts loam, 

 sand, and leaf mould, suits them well. Young cuttings 

 will root readily, in the same kind of compost, under 

 handlights, in summer. 



C. coccinea (scarlet).* /-, corolla scarlet, twice the length of the 

 calyx ; whorls few-flowered, approximating into a spike, which 

 is leafy at the base. September. L nearly glabrous, roughish, 

 ovate, acuminated, 3in. to 4in. long. NepanL (B. M. 4514.) 

 C. tomentosa (tomentose).* fl. brilliant orange-red, in crowded 

 whorls. I. densely covered with greyish tomentum. NepauL A 

 tall branching shrub. It may be grown out of doors in warm 

 situations, in summer. (B. H. 1873, 131.) 



COLT'S FOOT. See Tussilatfo. 

 COLUBRINA (from coluber, a snake, in allusion to 

 the twisted filaments of the stamens). OBD. Bhamnete. 

 Stove or greenhouse shrubs. Flowers in axillary, short, 

 crowded cymes, or in fascicles. Leaves alternate, quite 

 entire or crenulated, usually pubescent. The species do 

 not possess much ornamental value, and hence are rarely 

 seen in gardens. 



COLUMBINE. See Aquilegia. 

 COLUMELLA. A synonym of Pi- 

 sonia (which see). 



COLUMELLIA (named in honour 

 of L. Junius Moderatus Columella, a 

 native of Cadiz, in Spain, author of one 

 of the most valuable works on Roman 

 agriculture; he was born about the be- 

 ginning of the Christian era). STN. 

 Uluxia. The only genus of OBD. Columel- 

 liacece. It contains only two species, 

 one of which is not yet introduced to 

 cultivation. C. oblonga is a greenhouse 

 evergreen shrub. It thrives in mixture 

 of loam, peat, leaf soil, and sand; and 

 half-ripened young cuttings will strike 

 readily in the same compost, under a 

 hand glass, with a gentle heat 



C. oblonga (oblong)L JL yellow, terminal, 

 on short peduncles; corolla rotate, with a 

 five-loled concave equal limb ; corymbs leafy. 

 L oblong, veiny, toothed at top, attenuated 

 at the base, shining and green above, but 

 silky and glaucous beneath, lin. to 2in. long. 

 Branchlets clothed with silky down, com- 

 pressed between the internodes. A. 20ft 

 Andes of Peru and Ecuador, 1875. (B. M 

 6183.) 



COLUMELLIACE2E. An order of 

 evergreen shrubs or small trees, containing but one 

 genus Columellia. Flowers with a five-lobed spreading 

 corolla, bearing in its short tube two stamens. Leaves 

 opposite, serrate, exstipulate. 



COLUMN, or COLUMNA. The combination of 

 stamens and styles into a solid central body ; as in 

 orchids. 



COLUMNAR. Formed like a column. 



COLUMNEA (named after Fabins Columna, or, more 

 correctly, Fabio Colonna, an Italian of noble family ; author 

 of "Minus Cognitarum Stirpum Ecphrasis," Rome, 1616, 

 and " Phytobasanos," ^ vol., 4to, Naples, 1592). OKD. 

 Gesneraceaf. A genus of stove evergreens. Peduncles 

 axillary, solitary, or crowded; corolla tubular, straightish, 

 gibbous behind at the base, ringent; upper lip erect, 

 arched; lower one trifid, spreading. Leaves decussately 

 opposite, thickish, hairy or pubescent, somewhat ser- 

 rated. Stems flexile, erect, or scandent. For culture, tee 



C. aurantiaca (orange).* fl. of the deepest and richest orange- 

 colour ; calyx pale yellowish-green. June. New Grenada, 1851. 

 This beautiful but rare species makes an excellent basket plant : 

 it grows well upon a lump of nearly rotten wood, which will 

 absorb water like a sponge, and give it back gradually to the 

 plant (F. d. S. 552.) 



