416 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Cyathodes continued. 



C elauca (milky-green).* K. white. April to June. I. crowded 

 at intervals, somewhat verticillate, spreading or divaricate, linear- 

 lanceolate, h. 25ft Tasmania, 1818. Tree. 

 C. Oxycedrus (Prickly Cedar). A synonym of C. acerosa. 

 CYBELE. A synonym of Stenocarpus (which see). 

 CYCADACE2E. An order of small Palm-like trees or 

 Bhrubs, closely related to Com/era, usually with un- 

 branched stems, "marked with leaf - scars, and having 

 lar^e rays in the wood along with punctated ligneous 

 tubes" Flowers naked; males in cones; females, con- 

 sisting only of ovules, on the edge of altered leaves, or 

 placed below or at the base of scales. Seeds hard, or 

 with a soft spongy covering. Leaves pinnate. The order 

 embraces nine genera. Examples: Cycas, Dwon, Ence- 

 phalartos, Zamia. 



YIG. 580. CYCAS CIRCINALIS. 



CYCAS (the Greek name for a Palm). OED. Cycadacece. 

 Stove herbaceous perennials. Male flowers in cones, con- 

 sisting of scales, bearing anthers on their inner surface. 

 "The female plants bear in the centre of the crown of 

 leaves surmounting the stem, a tuft of woolly pinnately- 

 cleft leaves, in the notches of whose margins the naked or 

 uncovered ovules are placed " (Masters). Stem cylindrical, 

 usually unbranched, terminated at the top by a fine crown 

 of deeply-cut pinnate leaves. They thrive in strong loam 

 and river sand, in moist heat. The pots [must be well- 

 drained to prevent any stagnation. Propagation is effected 

 by seeds; and young plants are obtained from suckers, 

 which are occasionally thrown up. For small gardens, the 

 two species circinalis and revoluta, will be found quite 



Indies, 1800. See Fig. 580. (B. M. 



Cycas continued. 

 sufficient, as the remainder are, for the most part, distinct 

 only in minor details. The handsome appearance of these 

 plants renders them excellent subjects for decorating 

 either stove, greenhouse, or conservatory ; and few sub- 

 jects are more graceful for the sub-tropical garden than 

 an old specimen of C. revoluta, when placed in a warm 

 and sheltered position, where it may be allowed to remain 

 from May till September. 



C. circinalls (crook-leaved).* I. dark shining green on the upper 

 side, paler below, 6ft. to 12ft. long, pinnate ; pinnae falcate, from 

 6in. to 12in. long. Stem stout, cylindrical, increasing in size very 

 slowly. Stem of male plant somewhat slender, frequently two to 

 three times divided. East ' 

 2826, 2827.) 



C. media (middle).* I. elliptic-lanceolate, pinnate ; pinnae very 

 numerous, linear, acuminate, lower ones abbreviated and 

 passing into spines ; petioles and rachis nearly plane on 

 the upper side, and convex beneath. Trunk stout and 

 tall, cylindrical, bearing a very fine head of large leaves. 

 North Australia and Queensland, 1874. (I. H. 1879, 368.) 

 C. Normanbyana (Normanby's).* I. oblong-ovate, pin- 

 nate ; pinn<e numerous, contiguous, linear, about 6in. 

 long, Jin. wide, acutely pointed, slightly narrowed and 

 decurrent at the base ; petioles dorsally compressed, with 

 both faces angular and the base clothed with furfura- 

 ceous down. New South Wales, 1875. 

 C. revoluta (rolled back).* I. dark green, pinnate, 2ft. to 

 6ft. long. Stems very stout, bearing a very handsome 

 crown of leaves. China, 1737. In old plants, the stem is 

 sometimes 7ft. high, and then branches, thus presenting 

 a very unique and massive appearance. (B. M. 2963, 2964.) 

 C. Riumlniana (Riumini's). I. erect, spreading towards 

 the apex, pinnate ; pinnae tapering to a fine point, rich 

 bright green. Stem moderately stout. Philippine Islands, 

 1861. A rare but handsome species. (L H. 405.) 

 C. Rumphil (Rumphius'). I. pinnate, 4ft. to 6ft. long; 

 pinnas 6in. to lOin. long, hardly lin. broad, linear, lan- 

 ceolate, pale green, texture thin ; naked part of the 

 petioles armed with a double row of short spines. Stem 

 slender; summit bearing the crown of leaves. Indian 

 Archipelago. 



C. siamensis (Siamese). I. about 30in. in length, oblong, 

 pinnately divided into about sixty-five pairs and one ter- 

 minal segment, all linear-lanceolate, abruptly spine- 

 pointed at the apex, and decurrent at the base along the 

 rachis, which is puberulous and rounded. Stem stout. 

 Cochin China, 1878. This species closely resembles 

 C. circinalis. (L H. 433.) 



CYCLAMEN (from Tcyklos, circular; referring 

 to the spiral peduncle). Sowbread. OBD. Primu- 

 lacece. A very distinct genus of greenhouse and 

 hardy plants, with circular compressed perennial 

 rootstocks, from which the leaves and flowers 

 spring. Calyx five-partite ; corolla tube short ; 

 limb large, deeply lobed; lobes reflexed. Leaves 

 all radical, petioled, broad. The hardy species are 

 beautiful dwarf-flowering subjects, well adapted for 

 growing in well-drained positions on a rockery, 

 or, in the case of those sufficiently plentiful, for 

 naturalising in the grass by woodland drives, 

 where it is cool and shady. C. neapolitanum 

 succeeds if treated in this way. It flowers pro- 

 fusely in early autumn, at first destitute of leaves, 

 and, at this season, produces a pretty effect. The 

 very numerous varieties, so much cultivated in 

 pots, are the offspring of C. persicum. By selec- 

 tion and good culture, these have been already 

 brought to a high state of perfection, and new varieties, 

 of vigorous growth and with distinctly-coloured massive 

 flowers, are still annually selected. 



Propagation of Cyclamens, whether species or varieties, 

 is effected by seed, which are never in better condition 

 for sowing than when freshly gathered. The hardy kinds 

 should be sown in pots and placed in a cool frame. As 

 soon as the seedlings appear, they should be grown on 

 in a futme until sufficiently strong to be placed out in 

 their permanent positions. A well-drained soil is essential, 

 and a sheltered situation, with protection in winter, is 

 to be preferred. All varieties reproduce themselves 

 tolerably true from seed, if kept isolated when in flower, 

 to prevent cross-fertilisation. 



