AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



359 



Sapota continued. 



S. Achras (Achras\ Bully-tree ; Sapodilla or Sapotilla Plum. 

 jl. whitish, rather large, pedicellate in the axils ; calyx segments 

 six, in two distinct series ; corolla broadly sub-urceolate, six- 

 lobed. May. fr. very luscious, resembling an apple in shape. 

 2. petiolate, clustered at the; tips of the branches, 3in. to 4in. 

 long, elliptic-oblong, acute, glabrous ; primary veins thick ; 

 petioles downy. Branches numerous, forming a spreading top. 

 h. 10ft to 50ft. West Indies and Central America, 1731. (B. M. 

 3111, 3112.) The correct name of this tree is Achras Sapota. 



SAFOTA (in part), of A. de Candolle, E. Brown, &o. 

 Synonymous with Sideroxylon (which see). 



SAFOTACE2E. A natural order of trees or shrubs, 

 with milky juice, inhabiting tropical and sub-tropical 

 regions. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, or very rarely 

 polygamous by abortion, not large, glomerate or fascicled 

 at the nodes or in the axils, rarely solitary or fascicled ; 

 calyx inferior, persistent or deciduous ; corolla gamopeta- 

 lous, the tube campanulate or urceolate, or rarely 

 elongated, the limb equal, the lobes equalling in number, 

 or twice or four times as many as, the sepals ; stamens 

 affixed to the tube of the corolla, in one or two series, 

 the filaments erect ; anthers two-celled ; pedicels minutely 

 bracteate or ebracteate. Berry indehiscent, usually two 

 to many-celled. Leaves alternate, very rarely sub-opposite, 

 coriaceous or rarely membranous, entire, penniveined, 

 exstipulate, or rarely with small, caducous stipules. 

 "Several species of this order are useful to man. The 

 fruits of Lucuma mammosa (the Marmalade of the West 

 Indies) are a very agreeable food, as are those of Achras 

 Sapota and various species of Chrysophyllum, which 

 are much sought after in the Antilles ; those of Bassia 



and Imbricaria, Asiatic genera, are also edible 



Other Sapotacece, both Asiatic and African (Sideroxylon, 

 Argania), are employed for building purposes, on account 

 of the hardness of the wood, whence the name of Iron- 

 wood" (Le Maout and Decaisne). Dichopsis gutta, a 

 Malayan tree, furnishes Gutta Percha. The order com- 

 prises about two dozen genera, and 320 species. Examples : 

 Chrysophyllum, Lucuma, Sideroxylon. 



SAFOTA, WHITE. A common name for Casimiroa 

 edulis. 



SAFFAN-WOOD. A common name for Ccesalpinia 

 Sappan. 



SAF WOOD. The new wood of an exogenous stem. 



SARACA (said to be from Sarac, the native American 

 name of the plant). STN. Jonesia. ORD. Leguminosce. 

 A genus consisting of four or five closely-related species 

 of unarmed, stove trees (or tall, climbing shrubs ?), natives 

 of tropical America. Flowers yellow, rose, or scarlet, 

 racemose ; calyx segments four, petaloid, closely imbricated ; 

 petals absent ; stamens three to nine, free ; racemes dis- 

 posed in short, much-branched, often lateral panicles; 

 bracts small, deciduous. Pods oblong or elongated, two- 

 valved. Leaves abruptly pinnate ; leaflets coriaceous, 

 often few-jugate ; stipules small, caducous. The best- 

 known species are described below. For culture, see 

 Brownia. 

 S. inclinata (curved downwards), fl. yellowish-orange, disposed 



in fascicled panicles. I. pinnate, with six to eight pairs of oblong 



leaflets, which assume, when young, a beautiful reddish tint. 



Java and Sumatra. A very elegant species, closely allied to 



S. indica. 

 S. indica (Indian), fl. very rich orange, with much -exserted 



crimson stamens. Summer. I. opposite, abruptly pinnate, with 



three to five pairs of oblong, shining, firm leaflets. India, 1/96. 



(B. M. 3018, under name of Jonenia Asoea.) 



SARACHA (named in honour of Isidore Saracha, a 

 Benedictine monk, much attached to botany ; he enriched 

 the Eoyal Gardens at Madrid with many rare plants). 

 STNS. Bellinia, Jaltomata. ORD. Solanacea>. A genus 

 consisting of about a dozen species of diffuse or sub-erect, 

 greenhouse or hardy herbs, natives of Western America, 

 from Bolivia to Mexico. Calyx broadly campanulate, 

 shortly five-fid; corolla sub-rotate or very broadly cam- 

 panulate, with a deeply five-fid limb; stamens nvej 



Saracha continued. 



peduncles short. Leaves entire or broadly sinuate- 



toothed. The two species mentioned below are hardy 



annuals, thriving in ordinary garden soil. Seeds should 



be sown in the open border, during spring. 



S. stapelioides (Stapelia-like). fl. pale yellow, with five reddish- 



brown, yellow-veined blotches ; corolla rotate, the lobes rounded 



and apiculate ; peduncles axillary, solitary or rarely twin, one- 



flowered. Summer. I. slightly cordate or rounded at base, ovate, 



scarcely acuminate, entire or sinuate-toothed, scattered, the lower 



ones solitary, the upper ones twin. Stem erect, herbaceous or 



suffruticose at base. h. lift. 1865. Greenhouse. (R. G. 465.) 



S. umbellata (umbel-flowered), fl. cream-coloured or greenish- 



white ; corolla plicate ; umbels pedunculate, seven to ten-flowered, 



axillary, solitary. June and July. I. ovate, wrinkled, entire, 



shining, acute, scabrous ; floral ones twin. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Peru, 



1822. (S. B. F. G. 85.) 



SARCANTHUS (from sarx, sarkos, flesh, and anthos, 

 a flower ; referring to the substance of the flowers). 

 ORD. Orchidece. A genus including about a score species 

 of stove, epiphytal orchids, inhabiting the East Indies, 

 South China, and the Malayan Archipelago. Flowers often 

 yellowish-green, purplish within, small, shortly pedicellate ; 

 sepals and petals free, sub-equal, spreading, slightly 

 fleshy; lip affixed to the base of the column, spreading, 

 spurred at base, the lateral lobes short, ear-like, or 

 oblique, the middle one ovate, oblong, or lanceolate; 

 column oblong, sub-terete ; pollen masses four ; bracts 

 small; peduncles Literal, often slender, simple or pani- 

 culately branched. Leaves distichous, coriaceous or 

 fleshy, flat or terete. Stem leafy, not pseudo-bulbous. 

 These plants should be grown in teak-baskets suspended 

 near the glass in a moist stove. They thrive best in 

 peat fibre and sphagnum, with a few lumps of char- 

 coal about their roots. The species best known in gardens 

 are here described. 



S. arletinns (ram's-head). /. greenish, with a rosy lip, having the 

 medial lobe triangular and yellowi.-.h, and the side lobes purplish, 

 numerous. I. straight, terete, as thick as a quill. Atsaui, 1869. 

 A remarkably odd, stiff-looking plant. 



S. belophorus (hammer-bearing). fl. of an ochreous colour, with 

 two longitudinal, purple-brown stripes on the sepals, petals, and 

 lip, small. I. ligulate, equally bilobed, undulated. 1883. A small 

 species. 



S. chrysomelas (dark-golden), fl. yellowish, having the disk of 

 the sepals and petals blackish-purple, borne in a large panicle. 

 1. broad, lorate, unequally bilobed. Moulmein, 1869. 

 S. erinaceus (hedgehog-like), fl. white, with a prettily rose- 

 tinted lip, numerous ; spikes pendent, axillary, the rachis red and 

 hairy, as are also the ovaries. Moulmein, 1867. (B. M. 5630.) 

 SYNS. Aerides dasypogon, A. rubrum. 



S. filiformis (thread-like). JL very small; sepals and petals 

 chocolate-coloured, reflexed ; lip pale yellow, tipped with pink ; 

 raceme seven or eight-flowered. I. filiform. East Indies, 1842. 

 Allied to S. Uretifoliu*. (B. M. 4639.) 



S. flexus (zigzag panicled). /., sepals yellowish-brown, tipped 

 outside with reddish-brown ; petals yellowish-brown ; spur of 

 the lip whitish-yellow, the Made at first of the same colour, 

 afterwards yellow; panicle zigzag. I. short, ligulate, bilobed. 

 Borneo, 1881. A robust plant. 



S. gnttatus (spotted). A synonym of Rhynchostylis retusa. 

 S. Hincksianns (Hincks'). fl. smaller ; sepals and petals green, 

 with three equal, red stripes : side lobes of lip blunt, and callus 

 with medium angles ; spur longer and more attenuated. Other- 

 wise, this plant resembles S. teretifolius, but is more slender than 

 that species. Native country uncertain. 187& 

 S laxus (loose), fl. dirty-white, somewhat fleshy ; sepals oblong 

 blunt acute ; petals linear-ligulate, blunt acute ; lateral laciniw 

 of lip erect, oblong, lobed, the middle one triangular, apiculate, 

 hollowed out; spur conical; raceme long, many-flowered, lax, 

 hairless. I. close together, few, short, very thick, oblong, bluntly 

 bilobed or bidentate, keel 

 purple spots. Stems very short. 



. . , , , 



bilobed or bidentate, keeled on the under side, and with numerous 

 Moulmein, 1865. (Ref. B. 109.) 



S. Lendyanus (Lendy's). JL borne in a small, loose panicle; 

 sepals and petals greenish, with a purple disk ; lateral lobes of 

 the lip orange, with two purple lines, roundish, with introrse 

 angles; middle lobe white, wfth purple spots, oblong; spur as 

 long as the purple ovary. I. linear, blunt, bilobed. Saigon, 

 1884. 



S. macrodon (long - toothed). JL yellowish, streaked with 

 purple; sepals and petals oblong, nearly straight ; lip tnnd ; 

 bracts very minute; raceme elongated, loosely many-flowered. 

 L abbreviated, oblong-ligulate, toothed at apex. India, 1872. A 

 small and not particularly ornamental species. 



8. mirabilis (wonderful), fl. yellowish, with a purplish spur, 



