58 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Gelsemium continued. 



half-hardy shrub. It thrives in a rich loamy soil, and may 



be propagated by cuttings, placed under a hand glass. 



G. nitidum (shining). A synonym of G. sempervirens. 



G. sempervirens (evergreen), fl. fragrant ; corolla deep yellow, 

 over lin. long ; peduncles very short, axillary ; stigmas of one form 

 and anthers of the other protruding. Spring. I. evergreen, thin- 

 coriaceous, shining, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, IJin. to 2in. long. 

 Stem slender. Southern United States, 1840. SYN. G. nitidum. 



GEMINATE. United in pairs. 



GEMINIFLOROUS. Twin-flowered; when two 

 flowers grow together. 



GENETYLLIS. A synonym of Darwinla (which 

 see). 



GENICULATE. Bent abruptly, like a knee, e.g., 

 the stems of many grasses. 



GENICULUM. The node of a stem. 

 GENIFA (from Genipapo, the Guiana name of one of 

 the species). Genip-tree. OBD. Rubiacece. A genus com- 

 prising about eight species of stove evergreen shrubs or 

 small trees, natives of tropical America and the West 

 Indian Islands. Flowers white, at length yellow, axillary 

 or terminal, solitary or few ; corolla narrow, campanulate ; 

 tube short; throat glabrous or villous. Fruit succulent, 

 with a rather thick rind, crowned by the calyx, and 

 tapering at each end. Leaves sessile or shortly pedun- 

 culate, opposite, coriaceous, obovate, or lanceolate, clear ; 

 stipules interpetiolar, ovate, acuminated, deciduous. For 

 culture, see Gardenia, to which the genus is closely 

 allied. The species enumerated below flower in summer. 

 G. amerioana (American). Genipap Fruit, fl. small; pe- 

 duncles axillary, dichotomous, corymbose, jr. greenish-white, 

 large, full of dark purple juice ; pulp edible, rather acrid. I. 

 oblong-lanceolate, quite glabrous on both surfaces, h. 20ft. to 

 30ft. West Indian Islands, &c., 1779. 



G. Carnto (native name), fl., corolla white, having the tube 

 silky both inside and outside ; peduncles terminal, two or three- 

 flowered. J. obovate, obtuse, glabrous above, clothed with 

 velvety tomentum beneath, h. 20ft. West Indian Islands, &c. 

 G. Merianse (Merian's). fl. nearly sessile, crowded at the tops of 

 branches. Berry hairy, umbilicate ; pulp edible. I. oblong- 

 ovate, h. 20ft Guiana, 1800. 



G. oblongifolla (oblong-leaved), fl. crowded at the tops of the 

 branches, on short pedicels, and disposed somewhat racemosely. 

 fr. the size of a peach. I. oblong-ovate, obtuse, shining above, 

 and downy on the nerves beneath, with rather revolute margins. 

 h. 20ft. Peru, 1821. The seeds and pulp of the fruit of this 

 species are used by the Indians as a dye. 



GENIFAF FRUIT. See Genipa amerioana. 

 GENIF-TREE. See Genipa. 



GENISTA (the old Latin name used by Virgil). 

 OBD. Leguminosce. A large genus (about seventy species 

 have been described) of pretty dwarf -growing unarmed 

 or prickly, greenhouse or hardy shrubs, natives of Europe, 

 Northern Africa, and Western Asia. Flowers yellow, 

 rarely white, produced either singly or in clusters from 

 the angles of the leaves, or at the ends of the branches. 

 Leaves simple or trifoliolate. The hardy species here 

 described are very pretty plants for growing on rockwork, 

 in almost any ordinary soil, where they will flower con- 

 tinuously throughout the summer. For general culture, 

 see Cytisus. 



G. setnensls (Etna), fl.. racemes terminal. June and July. 

 1. few, linear, silky, h. 6ft. to 15ft. Sicily and Sardinia, 1816. 

 Plant erect, much branched. (B. M. 2674, under name of 

 Spartium cetnensis.) 



G. anglica (English). Needle Furze ; Putty whin, fl., racemes 

 few-flowered, terminal ; floriferous branches unarmed. Summer. 

 J. ovate-lanceolate ; spines simple. Root woody, long, creeping 

 A. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe (Britain). Plant smooth. (Sy. En. B. 326.) 

 G. anxantica (Anxantic). fl. racemose. Summer. I. ovate- 

 elliptic, rather coriaceous, veiny. Branches angular stems dif- 

 fuse. Naples, 1818. Plant quite diffuse. (S. F. G. ii. 266.) 

 G. ephedroldes (Ephedra-like). fl. rather silky, alternate, 

 spicate. Summer. 1. few, sessile, trifoliolate, and simple ; leaf- 

 lets linear, smoothish. Branches spinescent, stiff, terete, at 

 length striated, h. 2ft. to 3ft. Corsica and Sardinia. 

 G. nlspanloa (Spanish), fl., racemes terminal, somewhat capi- 

 tate ; floriferous branches unarmed. Summer. I. lanceolate, 



Genista continued. 



villous ; spines branched, stiff, h. 6in. to 12in. South-western 



Europe, 1759. (L. B. C. 1738.) 

 G. ovata (ovate), fl. in short racemes. Summer. I. ovate, or 



ovate-oblong, hairy. Stems numerous, hairy, erect, somewhat 



herbaceous, striated, terete, h. 2ft. to 4ft. Central and Southern 



Europe, 1816. (L. B. C. 482.) 

 G. pilosa (hairy). Greenweed. fl. axillary, on short pedicels. 



Summer. I. obovate-lanceolate, obtuse, complicated, downy. 



Stem procumbent, striated, branched. Europe (Britain). (Sy. 



En. B. 327.) 

 G. radiata (rayed), fl., heads two to four-flowered, terminal. 



Summer. I. trifoliolate, nearly sessile, opposite ; leaflets linear, 



rather silky. Branches angular, crowded, glabrous, h. 1ft to 3ft. 



South Europe, 1758. (B. M. 2260, under name of Spartium 



radiatum.) 



G. Retama (Betam). fl. white, silky; racemes lateral, few- 

 L 



flowered. Summer. 



very few, linear-oblong, pubescent. 



Branches erect, slender, twiggy, flexible, h. 2ft. to 4ft. Spain, 

 Portugal, &c., 1670. (B. M. 683, under name of Spartium mono- 

 tpermum.) 



G. sagittalis (arrow-jointed), fl. disposed in an ovate, terminal, 

 leafless spike. Spring. I. ovate-lanceolate. Stems prostrate ; 

 branches herbaceous, ascending, two-edged, membranous, h. 6in. 

 South Europe, 1750. 



G. tinctoria (dyers'). Dyers' Greenweed. fl. disposed in spicate 

 racemes, smooth. Spring and autumn. I. lanceolate, smoothish. 

 Stems erect; branches terete, striated, erect, h. 1ft. to 2ft. 

 Europe (Britain), North and West Asia. This species, of which 

 there is a very pretty double-flowered form, yields a yellow dye. 



G. trlangnlaris (triangular), fl., racemes terminal, short. 

 Summer. I. trifoliolate, the upper ones simple ; leaflets ovate- 

 lanceolate, villous. Branches triquetrous, decumbent, h. 2ft. to 

 4ft. South Europe. (B. M. 314, under name of G. triquetra.) 



G. virgata (twiggy), fl. silky, disposed in something like racemes. 

 March. I. oblong-lanceolate, rather silky. Branches twiggy, 

 terete, striated, h. 3ft. to 4ft. Madeira, 1777. (B. R. xxx. II.) 



GENTIAN. See Gentiana. 



GENTIANA (Gentiane, a name used by Dioscorides, 

 BO called in honour of Gentius, a King of Illyricum, who 

 imprisoned the Roman Ambassadors at the request of 

 Perseus, King of Macedonia ; he is said to have been the 

 first who experienced the virtues of Gentian). Gentian. 

 SYN. Selatium. Including Pneumonanthe. OBD. Gentianeoe. 

 A large genus (about 180 species) of hardy, annual or 

 perennial herbs, dispersed throughout temperate and alpine 

 (rare in Arctic) regions. Flowers blue, violet, purple, 

 yellow, or white, axillary and terminal, sessile or rarely 

 pedunculate, erect. Leaves opposite, often sessile. Gen- 

 tians are among the most beautiful of hardy plants, and 

 some have flowers of a deeper and more intense blue colour 

 than can be found in almost any other genus. Un- 

 fortunately, they are, in many localities, most difficult to 

 establish ; and some species, G. verna for instance, can 

 rarely be induced, under artificial conditions, to increase 

 and blossom as it does in a natural state. All Gentians 

 are extremely sensitive of root disturbance, caused by 

 their being divided or transplanted; consequently, any 

 that are established should be allowed to remain, unless 

 their removal is an absolute necessity. 



Propagation is effected by seeds, which ripen in this 

 country ; and, in one or two instances, by division of 

 the plants, although this is not recommended, for the 

 reasons already given. G. acaulis withstands division, 

 perhaps, better than any of the others, and, being rather 

 plentiful, it is frequently used as an edging plant, more 

 especially in Scotland, and in some of the cooler parts 

 of England. Early in spring, just as growth com- 

 mences, is the best time for division, which should be 

 carefully performed, without undue injury being caused 

 to the roots. Species like G. cruciata, which have their 

 flower-stems proceeding from one rootstock, will not admit 

 of increase by this method. Seeds are slow in vegetating, 

 especially if they are old, or have been stored in a very 

 dry place. When gathered from home-grown plants, they 

 should be sown as soon as ripe ; and, if this is done 

 during the latter part of summer, germination may be 

 expected (although it does not always take place) the 

 following spring. If seeds are imported or purchased from 

 nurserymen, the process may take one or two years, and 



