AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



57 



OAZANIA (named in honour of Theodore Gaza, 

 1393-1478, a learned Greek translator of the botanical 

 works of Theophrastns into Latin). STNS. Mcehnia and 

 Mussinia. ORD. Composites. A genus comprising twenty- 

 four species of very showy plants, natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Flower-heads large and handsome, with 

 yellow strap-shaped ray-florets and tubular disk-florets, 

 usually of a darker colour. Leaves alternate or radical, 

 entire or pinnatisect. Gazanias are of easy culture, in 

 a cool greenhouse, or in the open border, in ummer. A 

 compost of loam and peat is most suitable. Propagation 

 is rapidly effected, in July or August, by cuttings, made 

 from the side shoots near the base of the plant; these 

 should be inserted in sandy soil, and in a close frame. 

 G. Pavonia (peacock).* fl.-heads large, handsome ; ray-florets 



with brown spot at the base, or white central dot, and a green 



tinge. July. I. pinnatifld, hairy, h. lift. 1864. A very hand- 



some plant. (B. R. 35.) 

 G. rigens (stiff). A.- heads brilliant golden colour, with an interior 



black velvet band. June. I. linear, spathulate, hairy, h. lit. 



1755. (B. M. 90.) From this and G. uniflora, the several garden 



varieties have been raised. 

 G. splendens (splendid).* fl. -heads large ; ray-florets bright orange, 



with a black and white spot at the base of each ; disk paler. 



I. linear -spathulate, silky, white beneath, h. lift. A very 



handsome and much-grown trailer, of supposed hybrid origin. 

 G. uniflora (one-flowered).* fl.-heads yellow; ray-florets same 



colour as disk. July and August. I. spathulate-lanceolate, downy 



beneath. Stem shrubby, decumbent, h. 1ft 1816. (B. M. 2270.) 



GEAN. The wild Cherry, Cerasus Aviuin (which 

 see). 



GEASTER. In the southern parts of England, 

 Earth Stars for so the species of Geaster are called 

 are now and then found in shrubberies. Some of them 

 are extremely sensitive to moisture, and are driven 



IG. 90. GEASTER HYGROMETRICUS. 

 about by the wind as shapeless masses (see Fig. 90, a), 

 till the first shower expands them, as in Fig. 90, b. 

 GEBLERA. Included under Securinega. 

 GEERIA. A synonym of Eurya (which see). 

 GEISSOIS (from geisson, house -tiling ; the seeds are 

 imbricated like the tiles on a house). OED. Saxifragece. 

 A genus comprising about four species of stove evergreen 

 trees, natives of New Caledonia, the Fiji Islands, and 

 Australia. G. racemosa, perhaps the only species yet 

 introduced, is a handsome tree, requiring a very sandy 

 loam, to which a small quantity of peat may be added. 

 Cuttings root if inserted in sand, under a hand glass, in 

 heat. 



G. racemosa (racemose), fl. crimson ; racemes axillary, many- 

 flowered, solitary, or in threes, produced from the old wood. 

 1. opposite, petiolate, quinate ; leaflets elliptic, obtuse, quite 

 entire ; stipules oblong, ribbed, undivided, h. 20ft. New Cale- 

 donia, 1851. 



GEISSOMEHJA (from geisson, a tile, and metis, a 

 part ; the imbricated bracts fall over each other like tiles 

 on a roof). STN. Salpixantha. OBD. Acanthacece. A 

 genus containing about ten species of stove evergreen, 

 pubescent or glabrous shrubs, of which one is from 

 Jamaica and the rest from Brazil or Guiana. Flowers 

 red, often velvety, long, in simple terminal spikes or 

 paniculate racemes ; calyx fire-parted ; corolla tubular, 

 dilated upwards. Leaves oval or oblong, entire. Stems 



Vol. II. 



Geissomeria continued. 



tetragonal. The plants thrive in a compost of loam and 

 peat, with the addition of sand and a little rotten cow- 

 dung. Cuttings, procured from rather firm shoots, root 

 easily during summer, if inserted in sandy soil, covered 

 with a bell glass, and placed in bottom heat. The 

 species best known to cultivation are those described 

 below. 



G. COOOlnea (scarlet).* fl. scarlet, sessile, decussate in loose 

 spikes ; peduncles axillary, solitary, pendulous, or terminal by 

 threes. August. I. ovate, coriaceous, entire, h. 3ft. Jamaica, 

 1842. (B. M. 4158, under name of Salpixantha eoccinea.) 

 G. longlflora (long-flowered), fl., corolla scarlet, tubular, velvety, 

 with an arcuate, clavate, somewhat ventricose tube, which is 

 smooth inside ; spikes terminal and axillary. October. I. oppo- 

 site, ovate-lanceolate, wavy, sessile, tapering to the base, smooth 

 above, somewhat pubescent beneath, silky at the veins, h. 3ft. 

 Brazil, 1826. A splendid free-flowering plant. (B. B. 1045.) 



(from geisson, a tile, and rhiza, a 

 root; referring to the dry coats which cover the bulbs, 

 like the tiles on a roof). Tile Boot. OED. Iridece. A 

 genus of about twenty-four species of very pretty green- 

 house or half-hardy bulbous plants, natives, for the 

 most part, of the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers Ixia- 

 like, variable in colour, very showy; perianth funnel- 

 shaped, with a short tube, and an ample, six-parted, 

 nearly equal limb. Leaves narrow, setaceous, or sword- 

 shaped. Bulbs covered by the scarious remains of the 

 bases of the leaves, which lie over each other like the 

 tiles of a roof, and hence the common name. For cul- 

 ture, see Galazia. The following are a selection of 

 the species usually seen in cultivation : 

 G. excisa (abrupt-leaved), /.white. April and May. I., radical 

 ones ovate-oblong. A. 6in. 1789. (B. M. 584, under name of 

 Ixia excisa.) 



G. grandis (large-flowered).* fl. inclined; perianth segments pale 

 straw-coloured, with a blood-red midrib, elliptic-obovate, obtuse, 

 patent; spike six to eight-flowered. May. I. radical, linear- 

 ensiform, obtuse, green, strongly ribbed towards the base. Stem 

 stout, leafy throughout. 1868. (B. M. 5877.) 

 G. inflexa (bending).* fl. very large and handsome; perianth 

 petal-like ; tube very short, slender at the base ; segments of a 

 bright yellow, each marked at the base with an obcordate dark 

 purple or velvet spot. May. I. ensiform, acute, falcate, or ob- 

 liquely bent. h. IJft. 1824. One of the handsomest species of 

 the genus; closely allied to G. obtusata. SYN. G. vaginata. 

 (S. B. F. G. 138.) 

 G. obtusata (blunt). /. yellow. May. I., radical ones en- 



sifonn-linear, obtuse, h. 1ft. 1801. (B. M. 672.) 

 G. Rochensis (De la Roche's).* fl. blue, crimson-spotted centre 

 May. I. radical, linear, acute. Stem smooth. A. 9in. 1790. 

 (B. M. 598, under name of Ixia Rochensis.) 



G. secunda (side-flowering), fl. white. May. I., radical ones 

 linear-acute. Stem villous. A. 1ft. 1795. (B. M. 1105, under 

 name of Ixia secunda.) 



G. setacea (bristle-leaved), fl. sulphur-coloured. June and July. 

 1., radical ones bristly. Stem simple, few-flowered. A. 1ft. 1809. 

 (B. M. 1255.) 

 G. vaginata (sheathed). A synonym of G. inflexa. 



GELASINE (from gelasinos, a smiling dimple ; a 

 poetic allusion to the delicacy of the flowers). OED. 

 Iridece. G. azurea is a pretty hardy bulbous plant, 

 native of South America. For culture, &c., see Komn- 

 lea. 



G. aznrea (blue), fl. blue ; petals dotted with white and black at 

 base ; spathe many-flowered, shorter than peduncles ; peduncles 

 clasped closely by three or four bracts. May. I. plicate, lift, to 

 2ft. long. A. 1ft. 1838. (B. M. 3779.) 



GELONIUM. This genus is now included, by the 

 authors of the "Genera Plantarum," under Ratonia 

 (which see). 



CrELSEMIEJE. A tribe of Loganiacece. 

 GELSEMIUM (from Gelsemino, an Italian name of 

 the Jessamine). SYNS. Leptopteris and Medicia. OBD. 

 Loganiaceoe. A genus comprising three species of twining 

 glabrous shrubs, one from North America, another from 

 Sumatra, and the third from China. Flowers yellow, 

 showy ; corolla infundibulifonn ; tube sub-cylindrical ; 

 throat dilated. Leaves opposite, membranaceous. G. sem- 

 pervirens, the only species yet known to cultivation, is a 



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