220 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Kniphofia continued. 



K. comosa (tufted). /. yellow, disposed in a dense oblong-obtuse 

 head ; stamens very long. August I. linear, erect, bright green 

 acuminate, almost triquetrous. A. 1ft. to 2ft. Abyssinia, 1879. 

 (B. M. 6569.) 



K. foliosa (leafy). /. bright yellow or tinged with red, in a dense 

 cylindrical raceme, 6in. to 12in. long. August. /. in a dense 

 basal rosette, ensiform, acuminate, Sin. to 4in. broad at the 

 clasping base, tapering to a long point, green on both surfaces. 

 Abyssinia, 1880. SYN. K. Quartiniana. (B. M. 6742.) 



K. Lelchtlinii (Leichtlin's).* fl. dull pale vermilion-red and 

 yellow. August. I. 4ft. long, spreading all round, about Jin. in 

 diameter at one-third distance above the base, triquetrous, 

 bright green. 1880. Abyssinia. (B. M. 6716.) 



K. L. distachya (two-ranked). A robust variety, with broader 

 leaves, and rather shorter flowers than the type ; peduncle some- 

 times two or three-headed. 1884. 



K. Macowanl (MacOwan's). fl. bright orange-red, disposed in 

 cylindric-ovoid racemes, Sin. to 5in. long. August. I. sub-erect, 

 narrow-subulate, strongly keeled, deeply channelled. A. 1ft. to 

 lift South Africa, 1874. (B. M. 6167.) 



K. prsecox (early), fl. bright red or yellow, on scapes nearly 2ft. 

 long. May. I. about 2ft. long, sharply keeled, and with toothed 

 edges. South Africa, 1862. A handsome species, with the habit 

 of K. aloides. (Ref. B. 169.) 



K. pumila (dwarf), ft- orange-red, in a dense-flowered raceme, 

 Sin. to 5in. long ; scape longer than the leaves. August 

 I glaucous, with scabrid margins, 1ft to lift long, about iin. 

 wide. South Africa, 1774. (B. M. 764, under name of Tritoma 

 pumila.) 



K. Quartiniana (Dr. Quartin Dillon's). A synonym of K. foliosa. 



K. Rooperl (Hooper's).* fl. orange-red, becoming yellow with age, 

 about liin. long, densely crowded ; raceme 6in. to 8in. long, ovoid- 

 oblong; scape stout, 1ft. long; bracts few, short. November. 

 1. lift long, Ijin. broad, ensiform, gradually acuminate, deeply 

 keeled at the back, dark green, not glaucous ; margins serrulate. 

 A. 2ft. British Caffraria, 1854. SYN. Tritoma Rooperi. (B. M. 

 6116.) 



K. triangularis (three-angled). Very like K. Macowani but 

 the foliage is broader and longer, and in this respect it resembles 

 K. aloides. A very desirable plant. 



K. Uvaria (Uvaria). A synonym of K. aloides. 



KNIVES. Various descriptions of Knives are used in 

 gardens, and some, at least, are indispensable for budding, 

 grafting, pruning, and many other purposes. They are 

 specially manufactured for different work, and the 

 numerous sorts are named accordingly. Budding Knives 

 have usually an ivory handle, and either a straight edge 

 on the blade, or one curved backwards at the point. 

 These are also in general use for propagating, and for 

 other light work. Pruning Knives are of various forms, 

 the blade in some being immovable in the handle, 

 and the Knife kept in a sheath when not in use. The 

 handles of Pruning Knives should be of buckhorn, to 

 prevent slipping of the hand when using them. A curved 

 blade is best adapted for pruning large branches, or 

 for use in ordinary rough work, a straight-edged one 

 being preferable for small shoots. Knives for Peach- 

 pruning are sometimes made with a blade tapering from 

 the back to a fine point, to admit of their cutting out 

 small shoots where crowded, without causing injury to 

 those left. The Vegetable Knife has a large curved 

 blade, and is chiefly used for cutting and dressing 

 vegetables. An Asparagus Knife has a serrated blade on 

 the end of an iron shank, 1ft. or more long, which is 



FIG. 361. ASPARAGUS KNIFE. 



fixed into a handle somewhat like that of a trowel (see 

 Fig. 361). It is made in this way for cutting off the 

 young shoots below ground. See also Budding Knives 

 and Pruning Knives. 



KNOWLTONIA (named in honour of Thomas Knowl- 

 ton, 1692-1782, once Curator of the botanic garden at 

 Eltham). SYN. Anamenia. OBD. Ranunculaceae. This 



Knowltonia continued. 



genus comprises five or six species of greenhouse or half- 

 hardy perennial herbs, having a very acrid juice, natives 

 of the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers dull-coloured, in 

 branching cymes or umbels ; petals whitish, yellowish, 

 or greenish. Leaves from the rootstock stalked, three- 

 parted, or twice three-parted ; leaflets stalked, toothed 

 or cut. The species thrive in a loam and peat soil. Pro- 

 pagated by dividing at the root, or by seed. 



K. veslcatoria (blistering), fl. yellow, green, in simple few- 

 flowered umbels. February to April. I. biternate, thick ; segments 

 ovate or cordate, serrulate, or nearly entire. A. lift. 1691. 

 (B. M. 775.) 



KNOXIA (named after K. Knox, a traveller, and resi- 

 dent in Ceylon). SYN. Cuncea. OBD. Rubiacece. A 

 genus containing six or eight species of hirsute, glabrous, 

 or pubescent, stove evergreen herbs or sub - shrubs, 

 natives of the whole of India, Java, China, the Philip- 

 pine Islands, and tropical Australia. Flowers rose or 

 lilac, small, in terminal, sessile, or pedunculate cymes ; 

 corolla salver or funnel-shaped, with lanceolate segments 

 and a hairy throat. Leaves opposite or sub-fasciculate 

 in the axils, petiolate, ovate, or lanceolate. The species 

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

 shoots will root in sand, during April or May, if placed 

 under a glass, in a gentle heat. The species described 

 below is the only one in cultivation. 



K. corymbosa (corymbose). 

 I. lanceolate, villous. Stem i 

 dichotomously branched. A. ; 

 erect annual. 



. white or purplish. Summer, 

 indric or obscurely four-angled, 

 to 3ft. India, 1820. A slender, 



KCEHLERIA. This is regarded, by Bentham and 

 Hooker, as synonymous with Isoloma (which see). 

 K. hondensis. See Isoloma hondenso. 

 K. Seemannl. See Isoloma SeemannL 



KOELLENSTEINIA. A synonym of Aganisia. 



K<ELLIKERIA (named after Professor Koelliker, of 

 Wurzburg, author of a List of the Wild Plants of Zurich, 

 &c.). OBD. GesneracecB. A monotypic genus, the species 

 being a low herbaceous stove plant. It succeeds in a 

 compost of loam and leaf mould, with a little sand inter- 

 mixed. Propagation may be effected by division of the 

 tubera. 



Fio. 362. K(ELLiKERiA ARGYROSTiGMA, showing Habit and 

 detached Single Flower. 



C. argyrostigma (silver-spotted), fl. white or cream-colour, 

 spotted with red; racemes erect, from the axils of the upper 

 leaves, glanduloso-hirsute, longer than the leaves. Summer. 

 I. opposite, elliptical, obtuse, downy, deep rich velvety-green, 

 with scattered, rounded, white spots. Stem short, branched. 

 A. 1ft. Tropical America, 1845. See Fig. 362. (B. M. 4175, 

 under name of Achimenes argyrostigma.) 



