94 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



GRAPE FEAR. See Amelanchier canadensis. 

 GRAPE PHYLLOXERA. See Grape or Vine 

 Louse. 



GRAPE, SEASIDE. See Coccoloba. 

 GRAFHOLITHA PISANA. See Pea Moth. 

 GRAPPLE PLANT. See Harpagophytom pro- j 

 cnmbens. 



GRAPTOPHYLLUM (from grapho, to write, and 



phyllon, & leaf ; referring to the markings on the leaves). 



STN. Earlia. ORD. Acanthacece. A genus comprising 



four or five species of ornamental stove evergreen glabrous 



shrubs, natives of Australia or the Pacific Islands. 



Flowers red, shortly pedicellate. Leaves opposite, entire 



or (in one species) spinose-dentate, generally spotted. The 



plants thrive in a compost of peat and loam. Cuttings of 



rather firm young shoots, taken with a heel, will root, if 



inserted in sand, under a bell glass, in heat. 



G. Earlii (Earl's). fl. of a rich red, solitary in the axils, or in 



clusters of very few. 1. oblong-elliptical, acute or mucronulate, 



entire, or with a few very small acute teeth, h. 10ft. to 15ft. A 



beautiful glabrous shrub or tree. Australia. SYN. Earlia 



excelsa. 



G. nortense (garden).* Caricature Plant, fl. crimson, inflated at 

 the throat, whorled, in axillary and terminal racemes. July and 

 August. 1. elliptical, variegated. 1780. (B. R. 1227, under name 

 of Jiuticia pieta.) This species its native country is unknown 

 is largely cultivated throughout the tropics for the beauty of 

 its foliage. A variety, with purplish leaves and blood-coloured 

 veins, is figured in B. M. 1870, under name of Justicia picta 

 lurido-sanfjuinea. 

 G. medio-anratum. A synonym of Aphelandra medio-aurata. 



GRASSES, ORNAMENTAL. Numerous annual 

 species of Grasses are cultivated, for the double purpose 

 of rendering mixed flower or shrubbery borders attractive 

 in summer, and for the use of the spikes or panicles, in 

 a dried state, intermixed with everlasting flowers, or 

 arranged separately in vases by themselves, in winter. A 

 few perennial species are equally attractive for similar 

 purposes, notably Arundo conspicua, Gynerium argenteum 

 (Pampas Grass), and Stipa pennata (Feather Grass). The 

 annuals may be sown in any soil outside, in March or April ; 

 and if the spikes are intended for drying, they should be 

 gathered on fine days before the seeds ripen, and gradually 

 dried in a cool place. A selection of the best and most 

 ornamental would include Agrostis elegans, nebulosa, and 

 pulchella, Briza maxima and minor, Sromus brizceformis, 

 Eragrostis elegans, Hordeum jubatum, and Lagurus ovatus. 

 It is advisable to treat many of the annual species as 

 biennials ; that is to say, sow the seeds in July or August. 

 This is too late to allow the plants to flower the same 

 year, but they make finer clumps, and produce larger 

 spikes, the following season. 



GRATIOLA (a diminutive from gratia, grace; re- 

 ferring to its medicinal virtues). Hedge Hyssop. SYN. 

 Sophronantlie. ORD. Scrophularinece. A genus con- 

 taining about twenty species of pretty free - flowering 

 hardy herbaceous plants, mostly natives of Central 

 Europe, North America, and extra - tropical Australia. 

 Corolla often white or pale, tubular; limb two-lipped, the 

 upper lip notched or cleft into two divisions, the lower 

 three-cleft. Leaves opposite, entire or dentate. Gratiolas 

 thrive in a rich, moist soil. Propagated readily by dividing 

 the roots, in spring. 



G. anrea (golden).* fl. golden-yellow; peduncles hardly the 

 length of the leaves. May. i broad-linear, sessile, toothed, 

 dotted above. Stem branched at the base. A. 4in. North Ame- 

 rica, 1828. (L. B. C. 1399.) 



G. carolinensis (Carolina). A synonym of G. virginiana. 

 G. officinalis (officinal).* /. whitish, striated with purple, pedun- 



culate. May. I. lanceolate, serrated, h. 1ft. Europe, 1568. 

 G. pilosa (pilose). /. white ; corolla three or four lines long, 

 little exceeding the calyx ; tube oblong. July. I. ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, sparingly and acutely denticulate, closely sessile by 

 a broad base. Stem 1ft. to 2ft. high, from an apparently annual 

 root. North America, 1827. 



G. qnadridentata (four-toothed). A synonym of G. ramosa. 

 G. ramosa (branched), fl. white ; sepals linear (two or three lines 

 long), half the length of the corolla. May to August. I. lanceo- 



Gratiola continued. 



late or linear-lanceolate, acute, serrate with sharp coarse teeth, 

 equalling or shorter than the pedicels, h. 9m. North America, 

 1821. SYN. G. quadridentata. 



G. virginiana (Virginian), fl., corolla four or five lines long ; 

 tube yellowish, barely twice the length of the calyx ; lobes nearly 

 white, the two upper emarginate. August. I. commonly gla- 

 brous, oblong-lanceolate, acute, from entire to denticulate-serrate, 



mostly narrow at the base. h. 6in. to 9m 

 SYN. G. earolinensis. 



North America, 1759. 



GRAVESIA (named in honour of C. L. Graves, a 

 writer on the plants of Northern France ; he also collected 

 in Madagascar). ORD. Melastomacece. A genus contain- 

 ing a couple of species of dwarf stove herbs, natives of 

 Madagascar. Flowers disposed in few-flowered umbel- 

 late cymes; scape solitary, erect. Leaves petiolate, sub- 

 radical, ovate-oblong, membranaceous, sub-serrate, five- 

 nerved. For culture, see Bertolonia. 

 G. gnttata (spotted).* I. ovate, Sin. to 6in. long, 2in. to Sin. wide ; 



ground colour rich dark green, profusely dotted with rose-coloured 



spots arranged in lines. 1864. (B. M. 5524, under name of 



Bertolonia guttata.) The best varieties are : 

 G. g. margaritacea (pearly).* I. ovate-acuminate ; upper surface 



dark olive-green, faintly shaded with purple, with pearly-white 



spots in regular lines ; under side bright pink. 1862. SYN. 



Bertolonia margaritacea. 

 G. . snperba (superb).* I. cordate-ovate, acute, greenish-olive, 



thickly spotted with rather large circular spots, interspersed 



among which are very minute dots of the same colour. SYN. Ber- 



tolonia tuperbissima. 



Other varieties are: albo-punctata (white-dotted) and roseo- 

 punctillata (rosy -dotted). 



GRAY PLUM. The fruit of Parinarium ex- 



celsum (which see). 



GREAT BURNET. See Poterium officinale. 



GREEN DRAGON. See Arum Dracontinm, the 

 proper name of which is Ariscema Dracontium. 



GREEN PLY. See Aphides. 



GREENGAGE. A delicious variety of Plum 

 (which see). 



GREENHEART. See Nectandra Rodizei. 



GREENHOUSE. A Greenhouse is usually understood 

 to be a structure specially devoted to the cultivation or 

 exhibition of plants that never require a very high tem- 

 perature. It is distinguished from a conservatory by the 

 occupants being almost exclusively grown in pots and 

 tubs; whereas, in the other instance, many are perma- 

 nently planted out. Greenhouses have a wide application, 

 ranging from a single house possessed by an amateur, to a 

 large structure set apart for the exhibition of plants 

 that are previously grown to the flowering stage in other 

 houses or pits. Subjects which are available for Green- 

 house decoration throughout the year, are almost in- 

 numerable, and include a large proportion of the most 

 beautiful plants in cultivation. An important essential 

 for their general well-being is plenty of light ; con- 

 sequently, this is one of the first structural conditions 

 to be secured. Secondly, provision should be made for 

 admitting any quantity of air whenever required, as is 

 the case throughout the summer. The best houses of 

 modern construction are far before those of former years 

 in these respects, the general substitution of large for 

 small panes of glass, and glass roofs for slates, having 

 effected great improvements. In well-arranged Green- 

 houses, where sufficient plants are at command, a fine 

 display may be insured throughout the year by having 

 a varied selection, and hastening and retarding to keep 

 a succession. Nearly all the improved types of florists' 

 flowers and select annuals are available for pot culture 

 if desired. Exotic plants are extremely numerous and 

 attractive, particularly those from Australia, the Cape of 

 Good Hope, the Himalayas, China, and Japan. Many 

 hardy flowering plants and shrubs may also be lifted 

 from the open ground and forced in early spring a time 

 when Greenhouses are better furnished and more interest- 

 ing than at any other season of the year. Where there are 

 other houses and pits devoted to the preparation of flower- 



