AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



365 



Combretum continued. 



C. farinosum (mealy). fl. orange-coloured, sub-secund ; petals 

 scale-formed ; spikes usually twin, many-flowered. April to July. 

 I. elliptic-oblong, obtuse, rather coriaceous, rounded at the base, 

 mealy beneath. Mexico, 1825. 



C. grandiflorum (large-flowered).* fl. scarlet, large, secund: 

 petals obovate, obtuse; spikes short, axillary, and terminal. 

 Hay to July. 1. oblong. Plant hairy. Sierra Leone, 1824. SYN. 

 C. Afzelii. (B. M. 2944.) 



C. laxum (loose).* /. red or yellow, large, secund ; petals small, 

 elliptic, glabrous; stamens scarlet, nearly lin. long; spikes 

 axillary and terminal. May. I. ovate-lanceolate. Branches sub- 

 quadrangular. Trinidad, 1818. 



C. micropetalum (small-petalled). fl. yellow ; petals obovate- 

 lanceolate; stamens very long, bright yellow; spikes simple, 

 densely-flowered, on short peduncles, about equal in length to 

 the leaves. August. I. elliptic-oblong, acuminated, smoothish 

 above, and lepidoted beneath. Brazil, 1867. (B. M. 5617.) 

 C. racemosum (racemose).* fl. white, on short pedicels ; petals 

 lanceolate, obtuse; panicle of many spikes; spikes elongateu, 

 tufted at the apex. February to July. I. ovate-oblong, acute, 

 shining. West Coast of Africa, 1826. 



COMESFERMA (from kome, hair, and sperma, a seed ; 

 in allusion to the tufts of hair at the ends of the seeds). 

 OBD. Polygalece. A genus of about twenty-five species 

 of greenhouse herbs, under-shrubs or shrubs, erect or 

 twining, all natives of Australia. Flowers small, dis- 

 posed in compound panicles or simple racemes. Bracts, 

 two or three, at the base of the flowers. They thrive in a 

 mixture of sandy loam and peat, with thorough drainage. 

 Young cuttings will root freely, if planted in sand, under 

 a bell glass. Comespermas, although well worth culti- 

 vating, are but rarely seen in English gardens. 

 C. gracilis (slender). A synonym of C. volulilis. 

 C. volubilis (twining), fl. very numerous ; wings bright blue, 

 with purple keels ; racemes axillary, many-flowered. April. 

 L few.linear-lanceolate, bluntish, slightly wavy at the margins 

 Stems numerous, very slender. 1834. A very p^-growing a nd 

 pretty suffruticose twiner. SYN. C. gracilt*. (P. M. K. >, IHO.J 



COMFREY. See Symphyttim officinale. 



COMMELINA (named after Kaspar (1667-1731) and 

 Johann (1629-1698) Commelin, Dutch botanists). OBD. 

 CommeUnacea,. This genus is allied to the better- 

 known one of Tradescantia, but differs in having only 

 three perfect stamens. Herbaceous perennials, some of 

 which are very pretty plants, but not often seen in 

 cultivation. The stove and greenhouse evergreen species 

 are best grown in a light and rich soil, and are pro- 

 pagated chiefly by cuttings, which will root in sand, 

 in a gentle hotbed. The tuberous-rooted species, when 

 grown in the open, should be taken up before autumn, 

 and stored away, like Dahlias, care being taken, however, 

 to prevent them becoming very dry. If the position is 

 sheltered, and the soil well drained, they may be left out. 

 In the ensuing spring, their growth may be accelerated by 

 the aid of slight heat, and in May, they may be trans- 

 planted out in the open. Plants thus treated, flower 

 much stronger than seedlings. 



slender? terete, h. 1ft. to 3ft. Cape o? Good Hope, 1759 A 

 trailing, somewhat bushy greenhouse plant. SYN. C. lutea. 

 (B. M. 1431.) 



Bengal, 1794. Stoever 



nial. See Fig. 504. (S. B. F. G. 3.) 

 C. c. alba (white)* resembles the type, except in the cc 



teretebTan^ 



nial. '(The type*is figured in B. M. 2644.) 



Commelina continued. 



middle rib prominent behind, channelled above. , Stem ascend- 

 ing rooting, branched, red, especially above the joints, hairy. A. 

 H?t to 2ft Lima. A very pretty greenhouse species. (B. M 



Ht 



3047, under the name of C. gracilis.) 



Fio 504 COMMELINA OELESTIS, showing Habit, and detached 

 Flower (natural size). 



C nrefttn. ferectt /I snathes crowded and nearly sessile, hooded, 

 t<?p *?a?euT fruit!" Summlr. 1. large, Sin. to 7in. long, lin..to 

 2in. wide, oblong-lanceolate, the upper surface and margins 

 roueh backwards. Stems erect, rather stout, h. lift, to 4ft. 

 Pennsylvania One of the largest species. Hardy. There is a 

 hairy form, C. hirtella. 



C. lutea (yellow). A synonym of C. africana. 



C. prostrata (prostrate). A synonym of C. benghalenti*. 



expanded, Dinted? 'in fruit" somewhat hood-like. Summer 



ioblon- or linear-lanceolate. Stems slender erect, or reclined 



and rooting towards the base. South United States. Hardy. 



There is a narrow-leaved form, named C. angustifolta. 



COMMELINACE2E. An extensive, widely dispersed 



order of herbaceous plants, principally confined to the 



warmer regions. Outer perianth of three segments, and 



the inner also of three, and coloured. Leaves flat, usually 



sheathing at the base. There are above 300 species. The 



two best-known genera are Commelina and Tradescantw. 



COMMERSONIA DASYPHYLLA. A synonym 

 of Rulingia pannosa (w"hich see). 



COMOCLADIA (from kome, hair, and klados, a 

 branch; in allusion to the leaves being crowded at t 

 tops Of the branches). Maiden Plum OBD. Anacar- 

 dfaeM Stove evergreen trees, abounding in clammy 

 juice. ' Flowers purple, small, on short pedicels disposed 

 in loose branched panicles; petals three to four im- 

 bricate Leaves impari-pinnate, with opposite leaflets. 

 They succeed well in a mixture of peat or loam or any 

 light rich soil. Eipened cuttings root in sand, if placed 



under a glass, in heat. 



-- -- -' i footstalks, oblong, 



beneath, h. 30ft. 



Jamaica, 1778. 



COMFAK-ETTIA (named after Andreas Comparetti, 

 professor at Padua, and a writer on vegetable physiology ; 

 born in 1746, died in 1801). OBD. Orchidea. Elegant but 

 verv rare stove epiphytal Orchids, with handsome, generally 

 SpS racemes of small but brightly-coloured flowers, 

 which retain their beauty for a considerable period 

 They succeed well on small blocks of wood, with live 

 sphagnum, suspended from the roof of a moderately warm 



