GERARDIA 



BB. Corolla glabrous outside : perennial. 

 c. Seight 3-6 ft. 

 quercifdlia, Pursh. Stem at first glaucous : lower Ivs. 

 3-5 iu. long, 1-2-pmnatifld : upper Ivs. often entire. 

 Dry woods, N. Am. 



CO. Height 1-2 ft. 

 laevigAta, Raf. Not glaucous : Ivs. lK-4 in. long. 

 Oak barrens, etc., N. Am. 



AA. Fls. rosy purple rarely varying to white. 



B. Height 1 ft. 



tenuildlia, Vahl. Height 1 ft. : branching, paniculate r 



Inflor. racemose : Ivs. mostly narrowly linear: corolla 



y^iu. long. Low or dry ground, N. Am. 



BB. Heicjht 2-3 ft. 

 linifdlia, Nutt. Perennial: Ivs. erect, very narrowly 

 linear, 1 line wide: calyx teeth minute; corolla 1 in. 

 long. Low pine barrens, N. Am. Not cult., l)ut said to 

 be a parent with Pentstemon pulehellus of G. hybrida, 

 Hort. Int. by Haage & Schmidt, 1899. The poor cut in 

 S.H. 2:485 seems nearer Pentstemon than Gerardia. 



W. M. 

 GEEMANDER. See Tencrium. 



GESNfiEIA (Conrad Gesner, Zurich, 1516-1565, cele- 

 brated naturalist, and considered to be the originator of 

 the idea of genus in taxonomy). GesnerAeece. Some- 

 times written Gesnera. More than 50 herbs of tropical 

 America (chiefly Brazilian), with simple, opposite Its. 

 and showy tubular fls. in terminal short panicles or 

 fascicles. Calyx campanulate, 5-parted ; corolla long, 

 straight or curved, more or less ventricose, the base 

 often distinctly swollen or gibbous, the limb mostly 

 shallow-toothed and nearly regular or bilabiate ; sta- 

 mens 4, didynamous (in pairs under the upper lip); 

 style 1, long ; glands on the disk in the fl. Handsome 

 warmhouse plants {mostly tuberous) allied to Achi- 

 menes. Gloxinia, Isoloma and Streptocarpus. Some of 

 the Gesnerias of the trade belong to Nsegelia, which dif- 

 fers, amongst other things, in having an annular or 

 ringed disk rather than a disk of distinct glands. 



L. H. B. 



Gesnerias are tuberous bulbous, or rhizomatous 

 plants. They are natives of tropical S. America and 

 jlexico, and all have aperiod of rest corresponding with 

 the dry season. The stems rise directly from the root- 

 stock. They are clothed with opposite, mostly heart- 

 shaped, sometimes ovate, leaves. They are densely hir- 

 sute ; the hairs often are brightly tinted, giving them a 

 sheen like the plumage of birds, so that they are quite 

 as much adu,iired for their handsome foliage as for the 

 flowers. The inflorescence is generally a branched 

 corymb, and the flowers are tubular-labiate, with the limb 

 rarely flattened, as in Achimenes. Gesnerias are not 

 nearly as ])(>iiular as they once were, probably on ac- 

 count of the transitory character of their corollas, which 

 are continually falling, lasting but a day or two. The 

 roots must be kept in a moderately warm place, such as 

 would suit Gloxinias. They should be kept in the pots 

 in which they have grown, and be watered about once a 

 week during the resting period. It is a mistake to sup- 

 pose the roots can be kept iu dry sand and still retain 

 their vitality. When the roots show a tendency to send 

 up stems is the time to start them, picking out the ad- 

 vanced ones first. In this way a long season can be se- 

 cured. They need a light soil to start with, about equal 

 parts leaf-soil, loam and sand, and should be placed in a 

 moderate temperature. Very little waterwill be required 

 until they are well started. If it is desired to increase 

 stock, smaller bulbs may be boxed off, and cuttings 

 7nade of surplus shoots. Seeds are produced rather 

 freely, and some good hybrids are in cultivation. As 

 they advance in growth, larger pots will be needed, and 

 a little stronger soil. — the mixture divided into four 

 parts, adding well-decayed manure. They will take 

 abundance of water and some liquid manure when com- 

 ing into bloom. If neatly trained they make handsome 

 specimens. Their beaiitiful foliage is liable to be 

 spoiled by impurities or sediment in water, so that we 

 avoid overhead syringing, particularly as they develop. 

 After blooming, a good light place should be given, and 



GEUM 



641 



the plants watered until they show signs of going to 

 rest. As they are naturally an undergrowth, a light 

 shading will be beneficial in the hottest weather. 



Cult, by T. D. Hatfield. 



A. Jjvs. green. 



cardin&lis, Lem. {G.macrdntha, Sort.). Stem 6-12 in. 

 high, stout and hairy : Ivs. large, cordate-ovate, cre- 

 nate-dentate, petioled : fls. red, tubular, hairy, slender 

 (2-3 in. long), the upper lip projecting and the lower 

 one ahnost wanting, borne in a terminal, more or less 

 flatcluster. Nativity unknown. Gn. 42:874. — O. Duvali, 

 Hort., is evidently only a slender form of this species. 



H^ndersoni, Hort. Lvs. velvety green : fls. 3 in. long, 

 brilliant scarlet, in a large truss. Probably of garden 

 origin. 



longifldra, Hort., is a small-leaved species, with droop- 

 ing, long-tubed nicotiana-like white fls. Gn. 33:644.— 

 The botanical position of this plant is in doubt. It is 

 not the G. longiflora, HBK., which is purple-fld., nor 

 G. longiflora, DC, which is Achimenes longiflora. By 

 some it has been confounded with Isoloma longifoliumr 

 Decne. 



AA. Lvs. richly colored, at least underneath. 



LSopoIdi, Scheidw. Compact: stem erect from the 

 large, depressed tuber, thinly hairy: lvs. verticillate in 

 4's, broadly ovate-acuminate, more or less unequal at 

 base, dentate, green above and purple beneath : fls. long- 

 tubular, thinly hairy, the lobes nearly equal; light scar- 

 let, in a rather loose, umbel-like cluster. Nativity not 

 recorded. F.S. 7:704-5. Gn. 53:1176. 



Donkelseriina, Lem. (G. Ddnkelarii, Sook.). Stem 

 often 2 ft. tall : lvs. large, cordate-ovate, crenate, hairy, 

 green and purple-tinged above and purple beneath : fls. 

 tubular-campanulate, the rounded lobes nearly equal, 

 dull red, 2 in. long, hanging from long pedicels in a 

 large panicle. Variable. Colombia. B.M. 5070. R.B. 

 21:117. F. 1853:241. 



Exoni^nsis, Hort. Hybrid : lvs. velvety, with red and 

 purple hairs : fls. bright orange-red, in close clusters. 



refiilgens, Hort. Hybrid: lvs. cordate-oval, red-hairy: 

 fls. deep red or vermilion. — One of the best. 



0. cimmharhm, Lind., is a Ntegelia.— (?. Ouatemalinsis, 

 Hort.. "a free grower and bloomer, fls. orange," was once of- 

 fered hy Sau\.~6.jasminifldra, Hort., "fls. of the purest white, 

 freely produced, beautiful," once offered by Said.- 6. obldnga, 

 Hort., fls. orange, offered once by Said.- G. robusta, Hort., 

 "vermilion, beautifully spotted and tigered," offered once by 

 Saul.— (?. zebrina, Paxt., see Nsegelia. The Gesnerias are much 

 confused by hybridizing and breeding. jj_ jj^ b_ 



GfiTJM (Greek, geno, to have a taste ; referring to the 

 roots). MosAcece. This genus includes some fine hardy 

 border and rock plants, some of which are valued for 

 their bright red fls. ; some for their pure yellow fls. ; 

 others for their long plumy fruits. Herbs, with a per- 

 ennial rhizome, sometimes stoloniferous : root-lvs. 

 crowded, odd-pinnate, the alternate lobes often smaller, 

 terminal ones largest ; stem-Ivs. few, mostly of 3 Ifts. 

 or bract-like: fls. 1-2 in. across, solitary or corymbose. 

 More than 30 species, mostly in temperate and frigid 

 regions. 



The plumy kinds are all contained in the subgenus 

 Sieversia. G. Chiloense is the best species, and in the 

 gardens is commonly seen in double forms. A gardener 

 writes that " inferior forms show scarcely any duplicity." 

 Geums are of easy culture, and are prop, by division or 

 seed. It is said that they hybridize freely if grown 

 together. The dwarf kinds are suited only to the rock- 

 ery. Correvon, of Geneva, Switz., writes tliat G. reptans 

 is one of the best of the rockery kinds, and needs full 

 sunlight. For G. triflorum he advises half exposure to 

 sun and a light, moist soil. G. rivale grows naturally in 

 marshy places. 



A. Plumy Geums: style in fruit long and plumose. 



B. Pis. yellow. 



c. Plants spreadiny hy runners. 

 reptans, Linn. Root-lvs. interruptedly piunatifid : 

 iipper lvs. 3-lobed : fls. erect ; petals obcordate. Eu 

 Gn. 45:956, — The purple styles are pretty. 



