THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Cotyledon continued. 



or five-partite; lobes often longer than the tube; stamens 

 ten, united to the petals at the base ; scales five ; carpels 

 five, each ending in a subulate style. Fleshy 

 shruba or herbs, mostly from Mexico, one from 

 Peru, and another from Japan. 



Pistoriuia. Calyx short; corolla tube much 

 elongated, cylindrical ; stamens inserted in the 

 throat of the corolla ; carpels long, linear. An- 

 nual erect herbs, natives of Spain and Algiers. 



Umbilicus. Calyx five-parted, equal to, or 

 slightly shorter than, corolla tube ; corolla tu- 

 bular or cam panu late, five-cleft; lobes acute; 

 stamens ten, inserted in the corolla; scales five; 

 carpels five; styles subulate. Herbs, indigenous 

 to the South of Europe and the Orient. 



CULTIVATION. Most of the Cotyledons suc- 

 ceed in well-drained sandy loam, and are readily 

 propagated by seed; this plan being, of course, 

 the only one for the annual species. Many pro- 

 duce a large number of offsets, which afford a 

 certain and rapid method of increase. With 

 those species from which no offsets are developed, 

 and from which few cuttings can be obtained, 

 recourse must be had to the leaves ; these 

 should be pulled not cut off in autumn, laid 

 on dry sand, in pans, on a shelf, in a propa- 

 gating or other warm house, and not watered. 

 After some time, small plants form at the ends 

 of the leaves ; these should be carefully watered, 

 and, as soon as largo enough to handle, placed 

 in small pots, in sandy soil. G. gibbiflora metal- 

 lica is often used in central positions in bedding- 

 out designs, where it is very distinct and effective. This is 

 rather a tender plant, and one which is sometimes difficult 

 to keep in winter; a dry place in a warm house is the 

 best, and during that season but little water should be 

 given. If the leaves are exposed to drip, or the plants are 

 kept too wet at the roots, they are very liable to damp off. 

 C. secunda glauca is very extensively used in gardens, 

 either in single or double lines, as edging plants, or for 

 tracing out designs in carpet bedding. It is hardy enough 

 to stand out in a mild winter, but it is always safer to lift 

 the plants in autumn and place them thickly in a frame 

 where excess of moisture can be guarded against, and frost 

 excluded by means of mats or some other covering. This 

 is one of the easiest to increase, as it annually produces 

 large numbers of side growths, which can be removed and 

 grown into good plants in a comparatively short time. 

 C. fulgens is a fine greenhouse winter-flowering plant that 

 deserves extended cultivation, as its thick coral-red, wax- 

 like flowers remain a considerable time in full beauty. It 

 is easily grown, and does not require much heat. It can 

 be propagated by the leaves, or by cutting up the plants 

 after they have done flowering. June is a good time to 

 put in the cuttings, which should be kept close in a cool 

 place until they have rooted. Early in September, they 

 may bo removed into 5in. pots, in which they will flower. 

 Strong plants will produce three or four panicles of flowers, 

 which open best in a slightly warm, dry atmosphere ; they 

 can then be moved into the greenhouse, where they will 

 last a long time. C. Pachyphytum, often used as a centre 

 amongst other dwarf-growing bedding plants, should be 

 kept rather dry during winter, in a frame or house free 

 from frost. It is easily increased by the leaves, treated in 

 the way mentioned at the commencement of this paragraph. 

 C. adunca (hooked), fl. yellow, pink. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Mexico. 



SYN. Pachyphytum roseum. (Ref. B. 60.) 



C. agavoides (Agave-like).' /. dull orange, few, disposed on a 

 s ender stem, which is Bin. to 12in. lon|. I. rosulate, ovate, 

 glaucous-green, fleshy, narrowed to a rigid, spiny point. Mexico. 

 (Re? B S 67 m ) Echeveria agawiaes. See Fig. 535. 



C. atropurpurea (dark purple). fl. bright red, pentagonal, 

 white towards the base ; flower-stem erect, terminating in a long 

 raceme. I. obovate-spathulate, dark purple, covered with a 



Cotyledon continued. 



glaucous "bloom," and aggregated into a dense rosette at the 

 top of the stem, which is short, stout, and glaucous. Mexico, 

 1869. SYN. Echeveria atrnpurpurea. (Ref. B. 198.) 



FIG. 535. COTYLEDON AGAVOID 



C. caespitosa (tufted). A. yellow, cyinose. July. I. rosulate, 

 narrow, tongue-formed, lanceolate, gradually narrowed to an 

 acute point. A. 1ft. California, 1796. SYN. Echeveria catspitosa. 

 (Ref. B. 69.) 



C. californica (Calif ornian).* fl. pale yellow, disposed on lateral 

 flowering stems, which are 1ft. long, bearing short, ovate, am- 

 plexicaul leaves, and a bifid or triftd raceme. I. rosulate, ligulate, 

 lanceolate, acute, farinosely-glaucous. h. 9in. California, 1855. 

 SYN. Echeveria californica. (Uef. B. 70.) 



C. canallculata (channelled), fl. red. April, h. 2ft. Mexico, 

 1846. SYN. Echeveria canaliculate 



FIG. 536. COTYLEDON CHRYSANTHA. 



C. chrysantha (golden-flowered). /. white or cream-coloured. 

 I. of the dense rosettes shortly oblong-spathulate, obtuse ; the 

 cauline ones elliptic acute, h. Sin. to 1ft. Orient. A very in- 

 appropriate name, given to the plant by its describer before he 

 had seen it in a living state. SYN. Umbilicus chrysanthus. See 

 Fig. 536. 



C. clavifolia (club-leaved), fl. purple ; spikes terminal. Septem- 

 ber. I. petiolate, club-formed, incurved, acuminated, and rather 



