754 



HOMERIA 



HORSE-RADISH 



Homeria differs in the 2 petaloid stigmatose crests at 

 the euds of the style branches. Homeria has 6 nearly 

 equal perianth segments, which at the base are united 

 into a cup. Monogr. by J. G. Baker in Handbook of the 

 Irideae, 1892, and Flora Capensis 6:26 (1896-7). The fol- 

 lowing characters successively delimit H. coUina from 

 the other 5 species: perianth segments not blotched in 

 the middle: fls. large: spathes 2!^-3 in. long: Ivs. not 

 banded down the middle. W. E. Endicott writes that 

 ff. coUiiia does well when treated like Ixia, as described 

 by him in this work. 



coUina, Vent. (Morcea collhia, Thunb.). Corm tuni- 

 cated, irlobose, %-\ in. long: the only long leaf is linear, 

 rigid. ]';-2 ft. long, overtopping the tts. : stem bearing 

 1—4 oiiisliTs of lis.: perianth segments \%-\yi in. long, 

 typi.-ally l.rU'l.t red, as in B.M. 1033; G.C. III. 4: 163. 

 Var. aurantiaea has a slenderer habit and yellow-clawed, 

 bright red segments, which are narrower and more 

 acute than the type. B.M. 1612. Var. ochroleiioa has 

 the habit of the type and pale yellow fls. B.M. 1103. 

 It is probable that var. aurantiaea is the only form in 

 which the .species is cultivated. 



EOMOC£LIIS, a name in the Amer. trade, is a mis- 

 spelling of Homoioceltis. P. .J. Berckmans writes that 

 seeds of Homoceltis Japonica were distributed some 20 

 years ago by Gen. Wm. Browne, then a professor at 

 the Georgia State University. These trees were injured 

 in Georgia by the severe cold of February, 1899. Rea- 

 soner writes that it is a fine, deciduous tree, with the 

 appearance of an elm or hackberry, and makes a dense 

 top. It has not flowered in Florida. 



Homoioceltis aspera, Blume. is Aphananthe axpera 

 (which see), and this is the only Homoioceltis in Japan. 

 Some, at least, of the stock known as H. Japonica (and 

 sometimes called also Ueltis Davidiana) is Aphananthe 

 aspera. In Aphananthe, the secondary veins are straight 

 and end the teeth of the Ivs. ; in Celtis, they are curved 

 and form loops along the margin. 



HONESTY. Lunaria annua. 



HONEY LOCUST. Gleclitschia triacanthos. Honey- 

 suckle, Loiiieera. Honeywort, CeWn/Zif. 



HOOKERA. A part of Brodicea. 



HOP. See nnmulus. 



HOPHOKNBEAM, See O.s-^ii/n. Hop, Wild, B»(/o»m 



dioica . 



HOPLOPHt'TUM. Several Broraeliads have been de- 

 scribed uiiiU'r this name, but the species are now re- 

 ferred to ^Krlniira. Halophijtum of one trade catalogue 

 is apparently an error for Boplophi/tum. 



H6RDEUM (Latin, heavy ; because barley bread is 

 heavy and firm). Gratninece. This genus includes the 

 Barley (H. sativum) and the Squirrel Tail Grass (S. 

 jtibatum), the latter a meadow weed obnoxious in the 

 West, but sometimes cult, for ornament in the East and 

 abroad. Its head of long spreading awns is ornamental, 

 but the spikelets separate too readily to make the grass 

 particularly desirable. Hordeums are erect, annual or 

 perennial grasses, spikelets in 3's, sessile on opposite 

 sides of the notched rachis, empty glumes narrow and 

 long, forming an involucre around the spikelets. In 

 these characters it resembles Elymus and Asprella, but 

 it is separated from them by the fact that each spikelet 

 is but 1-fld., while in the others the spikelets are2-many 

 fld. See Barley. 



jub4tum, Linn. Squirrel-tail Grass. Wild Barley. 

 Erect, simple, usually smooth and glabrous, 10 in. to 

 2 ft. high: Ivs. i-H in. long, only the central spikelet in 

 each cluster perfect: awns of empty glumes 1-2/^ in. 

 long, spreading. In dry soil, northern U. S. and Canada. 

 B.B. 1:229. R.H. 1890, p. 488 (poor). 



G. T. Hastings. 



HOREHOUND. See Marrubinm. 



HORMlNUM. See Salvia. 



HORNBEAM. Consult Carpinus. 



HORNED POPPY. Glaucitim. 



HORSE, in combination with other names of plants, 

 usually signifies something large and coarse, not neces- 

 sarily eaten by horses. 



HORSE BALM. ColUnsonia. 



HORSE BEAN. See Vicia Faba. 



HORSE CHESTNUT. See ^sculus 



HORSE MINT. See Monarda. 



HORSE-RADISH (Fig. 1075), the well-known condi- 

 ment used so much with roast beef and oysters, is a 

 member of the natural family Cruciferje, to which belong 

 cabbage, turnip, wallflower, stock, charlock, mustard, 

 and many other vegetables, flowers and weeds. It 

 comes to us from Great Britain, where it is thought to 

 have been naturalized from some more eastern Euro- 

 pean country. It is often found growing wild in moist 

 locations, such as the margins of streams, in cool woods 

 and damp meadows, and, in some places, notably in the 

 state of New York, is troublesome as a weed. For 

 botanical description, see Cochlearia. 



The root is perennial, fleshy, whitish externally, pure 

 white within, conical at the top, cylindrical, and, unlike 

 the tap-roots of parsnips, is abruptly branched below. 

 When bruised, it emits a volatile oil of strong, pungent 

 odor and hot, biting taste. If eaten before this oil 

 evaporates, it "is highly stimulant, exciting the stom- 

 ach when swallowed, and promoting the secretions, es- 

 pecially that of urine. Externally, it is rubefacient. Its 

 chief use is as a condiment to promote appetite and in- 

 vigorate digestion; but it is also occasionally employed 

 in medicine." (U.S. Dispensatory.) As a table relish, 

 the consumption of Horse-radish is increasing, and 

 greater attention is being paid to its cultivation than 

 formerly. Under the old methods, 

 profitable returns were often obtained, 

 but under the new, profits are gener- 

 ally highly satisfactory where enemies 

 are not very troublesome. The sea- 

 son of fresh-grated Horse-radish i"uns 

 almost parallel to that of oysters, with 

 which the root is most frequently eaten 

 in this country. Ungrated roots are, 

 however, kept in cold storage for 

 summer use, since roots dug at that 

 season have an unpleasant taste. 



Horse-radish will do well upon al- 

 most any soil except the lightest sand 

 and the heaviest clay, but a deep loam 

 of medium texture and moderate rich- 

 ness, well supplied with humus and 

 moisture, will produce roots of the best 

 quality and the largest size. In dry 

 soils the roots will be small, woody and 

 deficient in pungency; in wet, small, 

 succulent, strong-tasting. Drainage is 

 essential, and so is a fairly open sub- 

 soil. Hard subsoil induces excessive 

 branching of the root. Applications of 

 nitrogenous manures should be rather 

 light, commercial fertilizers rich in 

 potash being given the preference. 

 Rolfs recommends a mixture contain- 

 ing 10 percent potash, 7 per cent phos- 

 phoric acid, 4 per cent nitrogen, 600 

 pounds drilled in per acre. A heavier 

 application broadcast and deeply 

 plowed under, it is believed, would 

 give better results, since the shaft of 

 the root is less likely to become un- ' 



duly branched when the food is below io75. Good root 

 instead of above and around it, espe- q£ Horse-radish. 

 cially when the sets are placed hori- 

 zontally. A weeder should be used after the harrow 

 periodically until the plants are an inch or so tall. 

 Thorough preparation of the soil is essential. 



Since Horse-radish rarely produces seeds, cuttings 



