

AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



137 



Heracleum continued. 



known to cultivation, Heraclenms are not possessed of 

 any very special recommendations. They are best adapted 

 for growing in shrubberies, rongh parts of pleasure 

 grounds, or on the margins of water, being too coarse 

 for the flower garden. They succeed in almost any kind 

 of soil. Increased readily by seeds, or by divisions. The 

 species are much confused. 



H. gigantenm (gigantic). A synonym of H. villosum. 

 H. setosum (bristly). I. ternate ; leaflets petiolate, distantly five- 



lobed ; lobes dentate. Stem, petioles, and leaves hispid. South 



Europe See Fig. 220. 



FIG. 222. UMBEL OF HERACLEUM SIBIRICUM. 



H. sibirlcum (Siberian), fl. yellowish, not radiating; umbels 

 large. Summer. I. pinnate, rough from hairs ; leaflets ovate or 

 oblong, h. 5ft. to 6ft. Europe, Asia, 1789. See Figs. 221 

 and 222. 



H. villosum (villose). fl. white ; umbels many-rayed. I. 

 pinnatifld, deeply toothed. Stem 10ft. to 12ft. high. Caucasus, 

 1820. This speci ;s has, of late years, been extensively cultivated, 

 on account of its large size and commanding appearance. SYN. 

 H. giganteum. 



HERBACEOUS. Thin, green, and cellular, as the 

 tissue of membranous leaves. Also, producing an annual 

 stem from a perennial root. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. A term generally ap- 

 plied to any border perennials which are not shrubby 

 in habit. 



HERBARIUM. A collection of dried plants, sys- 

 tematically arranged. 



HERBERTIA (named after Dr. Wm. Herbert, 1778- 

 1847, once Dean of Manchester, and a distinguished 

 botanist, famous for his knowledge of bulbous plants). 

 OKD. Iridece. A genus (now referred by Bentham and 

 Hooker to Alophia) of some half-dozen species of pretty 

 half-hardy bulbous plants, allied to Tigridia ; natives of 

 Texas, Chili, and South Brazil. The species are rarely 

 seen in gardens, and, in all probability, those described 

 below are the only ones yet introduced. Flowers blue or 

 yellow, pretty, produced at the top of a short scape ; 

 perianth short-tubed, six-parted, the outer segments tri- 

 angular, acute, and reflexed, and the shorter inner ones 

 rounded and erect. The species thrive in sandy loam and 

 peat. Propagated by seeds, or by offsets. 



B. ceerulea (blue).* ft., peduncles shorter than the bracts ; claws 

 of sepals white, blue-dotted; segments blue, spotted; petals blue, 

 acute ; anthers and stigmas short. 1. grass-like, ribbed, narrowed 

 to both ends. A. 6in. Texas. (B. M. 3862, Fig. 3.) 



H. Drummondlana (Drummond's). /. violet ; sepals spotted 



with white on claws ; petals small, recurved. June to August. 



I. broad, plicate, 6in. long. Texas, 1839. 

 H. pulchella (neat), fl. blue, purple ; perianth segments bearded 



at base. July. 1. linear-ensiform, acute at both ends, plicate. 



A. 9m. Chili and South Brazil, 1827. (B. M. 3862, Figs. 1 



and 2.) 



HERB OF GRACE. See Ruta graveolens. 

 HERB-PARIS. See Paris quadrifolia. 

 HERB-PATIENCE. See Patience. 



VOL n. 



HERB- ROBERT. See Geranium Roberti- 



In many gardens, the cultivation of Herbs 

 does not receive the attention their usefulness deserves. 

 Some sorts are rarely required, beyond a small portion 

 of their leaves for flavouring; still, in many cases, the 

 flavour cannot be obtained from any other material. Those 

 which are herbaceous perennials Horehound and Mint, 

 for instance should be cut on a dry day, in summer, when 

 the flowers are just fully opened, and dried slowly in a 

 cool shed for winter use. The annuals and evergreen 

 perennials are best if procurable in a green state; but 

 several of them answer their purpose when dried, and 

 some should, consequently, be kept in reserve. Herbs 

 should always be dried slowly, and not placed in the 

 sun nor in fire heat. The flavour may be preserved much 

 better by rubbing off the leaves when they are quite 

 dry, and corking them close in wide-mouthed bottles. A 

 piece of ground specially devoted to Herbs, is the best 

 arrangement in any garden ; at least, for the cultivation 

 of those of which only a few plants need be kept. Plenty 

 of room should be allowed for getting amongst them to 

 gather any particular sort, and to keep the soil hoed. 

 Part of the space might be devoted to the annual sorts, 

 in preference to placing them amongst other crops in 

 different parts of the garden. Parsley requires special 

 treatment and attention, as it is always of great im- 

 portance for garnishing. The following list comprises 

 most of the useful Herbs in cultivation for flavouring 

 purposes, &c. : Angelica, Balm, Basil (Bush and Sweet), 

 Borage, Burnet, Carraway, Chamomile, Chervil, Chives, 

 Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Horehound, Hyssop, Lavender, 

 Marigold, Marjoram (Sweet), Mint, Parsley, Pennyroyal, 

 Purslane, Eosemary, Eue, Sage, Savory (Summer and 

 Winter), Southernwood, Tansy, Tarragon, Thyme, and 

 Wormwood. 



HERCULES' CLUB. See Zanthoxylum clava- 

 Herculis. 



HERITIERA (named after Charles Louis L'Heritier, 

 1746-1800, a celebrated French botanist). Looking-glass 

 Tree. SYN. Balanopteris. OKD. Sterculiacece. A genus 

 comprising about three species of stove evergreen trees, 

 found on the shores of tropical Asia and Australia. 

 Flowers unisexual, small, disposed in axillary panicles. 

 Leaves undivided, coriaceous, penninerved, silvery-white 

 underneath (whence the common name). Heritieras thrive 

 in sandy loam. Large ripened cuttings will root freely in 

 sand, under a glass, in moist heat. 



fl. littoralis (shore). /. reddish. I. large, coriaceous, oval- 

 oblong, rounded at the base, silvery beneath. Tropical coasts 

 of Old World, 1780. 



H. macrophylla (large-leaved).* This resembles H. littoralis, 

 but has larger leaves and sub-erect fruit. India, &c. 



HERMANNIA (named after Paul Hermann, 1646-95, 

 once Professor of Botany at Leyden). OED. Sterculiacece. 

 A large genus of ornamental greenhouse evergreen shrubs, 

 generally clothed with starry tomentum. Flowers usually 

 yellow, drooping ; peduncles axillary, and few - flowered. 

 Leaves dentate or incised. About eighty species have 

 been described, but very few are in cultivation. Three 

 are natives of Mexico or Texas, four of tropical Africa or 

 Arabia; all the rest are extra-tropical South African. 

 For culture, see Mahernia. 



H. althseifolia (Mallow-leaved). fl. dark yellow or sulphur- 

 coloured ; peduncles solitary or twin, two or three-flowered, longer 

 than the leaves. March to July. I. tomentose, obovate, plaited, 

 crenate. h. 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1728. (B. M. 307.) 



H. flammea (flame).* /. orange-coloured or red ; peduncles one or 

 two-flowered ; racemes terminal. Summer. I. smooth, wedge- 



. shaped, lanceolate, truncated, and toothed at the apex. A. 1ft 

 to 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1794. (B. M. 1349.) 



HERMANNIE2E. A tribe of Sterculiacece. 

 HERMAPHRODITE. Containing both male and 

 female organs. 



T 



