396 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



SCORIAS. A synonym of Carya. 

 SCORODONIA. Included under Teucrium (which 



see). 



SCORPIOID. "A form of unilateral inflorescence 

 which is circinately coiled in the bud ; in the stricter 

 sense, a form with the flowers two-ranked, these being 

 thrown alternately to the right and left " (Asa Gray). 



SCORPION GRASS. A common name for Myosotis. 



SCORPIURUS (from scorpios, a scorpion, and oura, 

 a tail; alluding to the twisted form of the legumes). 

 Caterpillar Plant. OBD. Leguminosce. A genus com- 

 prising about half-a-dozen species of hardy, nearly stem- 

 less or decumbent herbs, natives of South Europe, North 

 Africa as far as the Canary Isles, and Western Asia. 

 Flowers yellow, often small, solitary or umbellate on 

 axillary peduncles, nodding. Pods sub-terete, tubercled 

 or muricated, circinate-involute. Leaves simple, entire, 

 continuous with the petioles. The species are not very 

 beautiful, and are rarely cultivated in this country. 

 S. vermiculata is a trailing annual. Seeds should be 

 sown in the open border, during spring, and the young 

 plants treated as other hardy annuals. 



FIG. 459. FRumNG BRANCHLET AND DETACHED POD OP 



SCORPIURUS VERMICULATA. 



S. vermlonlata (worm-shaped-podded), fl. solitary on the pe- 

 duncles; standard streaked with red. June and July. Pods 

 thick, glabrous, with the inner ribs almost obsolete, but the ten 

 outer ones bear crowded stipitate tubercles, which are obtusely 

 Fi lat 459 at aPeX ' *' topenng into the P^les. 1621. See 



SCORZONERA (from old French scorzon, Catalonian 

 scurzon, a serpent ; in allusion to the cooling, anti-febrile 

 effects of 8. hispanica, which was formerly employed in 

 Spain, on account of these properties, for the cure of 

 serpent bites). Viper's Grass. Including Podospermum. 

 OBD. Composites. A large genus of hardy, glabrous, 

 floccose-woolly, or hairy, perennial or rarely biennial or 

 annual herbs. About 120 species have been described; 

 but probably the number entitled to that rank is less 

 than 100; they inhabit Europe, North Africa, and 

 Central and Western Asia. Flower -heads yellow or 

 purple, often rather large, on long peduncles; involucre 

 cylindrical or campannlate, with imbricated, acute or 

 acuminate bracts in many series; receptacle naked or 



Scorzonera continued. 



foveolate ; florets lignlate, truncately five - toothed at 

 apex; achenes linear, sub-terete, or the outer ones an- 

 gular, glabrous or villous. Leaves alternate, sometimes 

 entire and grass-like or broader, sometimes more or less 

 pinnately lobed or dissected. 8. hispanica is culti- 

 vated in gardens for the use of its long, tapering roots, 

 which are cooked in a similar way to those of Salsafy. 

 Their outside skin is black ; but the inside flesh is white. 

 Seeds should be sown at the end of March, or any time 

 during April, in drills 1ft. apart, and the plants, when 

 large enough, thinned to 6in. or Sin. asunder. An open 

 situation is preferable, and deep soil, which should not be 

 newly manured for the crop. The roots will be ready for 

 use in November, and on through the winter. Some 

 should be lifted before frost sets in, and stored in sand, in 

 a cool shed, to be ready for use whenever required. All 

 the other species may be grown from seeds, sown in the 

 open border, in spring, and the seedlings afterwards 

 thinned out. The perennials may be increased by 

 division of rootstocks, either in autumn or just when 

 growth begins in spring. 



The species best known to cultivation are described 

 below; except where otherwise stated, they are 

 perennials. 



S. coronopifolia (Buckhorn -leaved), fl.-heads yellow, one to a 

 stem ; involucral scales mucronate, the outer ones ovate. June 

 and July. I. lanceolate, mostly pinnatifld ; lobes linear, unequal. 

 Stems erect, nearly simple, leafy at base. h. 1ft. North Africa, 

 1818. 



FIG. 460. SCORZONERA HISPANICA. 



S. hispanica . 

 yellow ; involucre 



Common Viper's Grass. Jl-heads 



the scales slightly glabrous, acu- 

 minated. June to September. 1. amplexicaul, lanceolate, un- 

 dulated or slightly toothed, glabrous or somewhat pubescent. 

 Stem branched ; branches naked, one-headed at apex. Root 

 nearly the shape of a carrot, but smaller and da vk -coloured, 



