556 



PER 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



PER 



so as to starve whatever plants grow near them : add to this 

 the scattering of the berries, which will fill the ground near 

 them with young plants, and if not weeded out in time, will 

 spoil every thing about them, so that this' sort of fence is 

 seldom planted where a hedge of White Thorn can be had. 

 Elder planted on a bank, the side of which is washed with a 

 river or stream, will make an extraordinary fence, and will 

 preserve the bank from being undermined by the water, 

 because it is continually sending suckers from the roots and 

 lower branches, which is of great advantage where the stream 

 washes away the bank. For middle fences in a garden, the 

 Yew is the most governable and durable plant. For surround- 

 ing wilderness quarters, Elm, Lime, Hornbeam, and Beech, are 

 very proper. For farther particulars, see the article Hedges. 



fennel. See Anethum. 



Fennel Flower. See Nigella. 



Fennel-Giant. See Ferula. 



Fennel, Hog's. See Peucedanum. 



Fenugreek. See Trigonella' 



Fern. See Filix. 



'Fern, Female. See Pteris. 



Fern, Flowering. See Osmunda. 



Fern, Male. See Polypodium Filixmas. 



Fern, Stone. See Osmunda Crispa. 



Fern, Stveet. See Scandir. 



Ferraria ; a genus of the class Monadelphia, order Trian- 

 dria.-.GENERic CHARACTER. Calix : spatha of several in- 

 flated leaves ; perianth none. Corolla : petals six, regular, 

 cohering by their claws, oblong-acuminate, revolute, curled 

 and fringed, alternately smaller. Stamina : filamenta three, 

 sitting on the style; antherse roundish, twin, rough, hairy. 

 Pistil: germen inferior, roundish, three-cornered, obtuse; 

 style simple, erect ; stigmas three, bifid, cowled, fringed and 

 curled. Pericarp : capsule oblong, three-cornered, thicker at 

 top, three-celled, three-valved. Seeds: numerous, roundish. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. One-styled. Spatha: inflated. 

 Petals : six, regular, waved and curled. Stigmas : three, 



cowled. Capsule: three-celled, inferior. The species 



are, 



1. Ferraria Undulata; Cape Ferraria. Border of the 

 corolla thrice as long as the claws; lobes of the anthers 

 close. Root tuberous, roundish, compressed, in shape like 

 that of the Indian Corn-flag, but larger; in the centre of the 

 upper side it has a hollow like a navel, whence comes out 

 the stalk ; the outer skin is of a light brown colour, and the 

 inside white. It lies inactive every other year, and some- 

 times will remain two years without putting out either leaves 

 or fibres. Stem a foot and a half high, taper, and about the 

 thickness of a man's little finger. It has lanceolate leaves 

 the whole length, placed alternately, and embracing; the 

 lower leaves are from four to five inches long, and an inch 

 and a half broad towards their base, ending in obtuse points ; 

 they are a little keel-shaped, and of a light green colour. 

 Flowers axillary, solitary, from the upper part of the stem, 

 vrapped in a double sheath, out of which the flowering bud 

 rises about an inch. The sheath is composed of a double 

 row of keel-shaped loaves, the inner row being shorter than 

 the outer, and situated obliquely to it. The petals are of a 

 pale sky-blue on the inside, and of a dirty white on the out- 

 side. The antherse are situated below the division of the 

 filamenta, and are terminated by small silky hairs. The 

 above described plant is one of the most singular and beau- 

 tiful vegetable productions; and it is much to be resetted 

 that its flowers are only of short duration, opening in the 

 morning, and finally closing in the afternoon of the same 

 ,day; a strong plant, however, will throw out many flowers in 



succession. It flowers from February to May. Native of 

 the Cape. Both this and the third species are propagated 

 by offsets, sent out from the roots, in the same way as the 

 Ixia, and should be cultivated in the same manner as is 

 directed for those and the African Gladiolus, being too ten- 

 der to thrive in the open air in England, nor do they suc- 

 ceed well in a green-house ; therefore the best method is to 

 make a border four feet wide, either in the front of the 

 green-house or stoves, covering it with a proper frame and 

 glasses, so that the plants may enjoy the free air in mild 

 weather, but be protected from frost. In such a frame, most 

 of the African bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants may be 

 brought to great perfection. 



2. Ferraria Pavonia; Mexican Ferraria. Scpe one- 

 flowered ; root bulbous ; leaves sheathing, the lower ones 

 longer and narrower; spathe two-leaved, compressed; co- 

 rolla bell-shaped ; filamenta sheathing the style ; anthcree 

 three, linear ; germen pedicelled , stigmas two-parted, fili- 

 form ; capsule linear. Native of Mexico. 



3. Ferraria Antherosa. Claws of the corolla equal to the 

 border ; lobes of the antherte divaricated. It resembles the 

 first species, but differs in the greater length of the claws of 

 the petals, the shape and greater size of the anthers, and the 

 stigmas being more toothed at their base. Native of the 

 Cape. 



Ferreola ; a genus of the class Dioecia, order Hexandria. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Male. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, a little ventricose, hairy, three-cleft ; clefts ovate, 

 acute, erect, shorter than the tube, the third still shorter and 

 blunter. Corolla : one-petalled, tubular, smooth, somewhat 

 fleshy; border three-cleft; clefts erect, acute, hirsute on the 

 outside, with long white hairs, pressed close, within naked. 

 Stamina : filamenta six, short, inserted round a semiglobose 

 receptacle, upright, much shorter than the tube of the corolla ; 

 antherae oblong, acute, erect, white, longer than the filamenta. 

 Female. Calix and Corolla, as in the male. Pistil: germen 

 oval; style short; stigma flat, three-notched. Pericarp: 

 berry round, smooth, red, pulpy, size of a large pea. Seeds: 

 two, large, on one side flat, on the other round. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Calix : one-leafed, three-cleft. Corolla: one- 

 petalled, three-cleft. Male: filamenta six, inserted into a 

 semiglobose receptacle. Female: germen oval; berry round, 

 smooth, two-seeded. The only known species is, 



1. Ferreola Buxifolia. Trunk irregular, covered with a 

 dark rust-coloured bark, dividing into very numerous irregu- 

 lar branches; leaves alternate, short-petioled, oval, entire, 

 very smooth, shining, firm, about half or three-quarters of an 

 inch long, and half an inch broad. Among the mountains, 

 this grows to a small tree ; but in the low countries it is only 

 a shrub. It flowers during the hot season. The ripe berries 

 are well tasted, and universally eaten. The wood is dark- 

 coloured, remarkably hard and durable, and where its size 

 will admit, is employed for such uses as require the most 

 durable heavy wood. Native of Coromandel. 



Ferula; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Digynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: umbel universal, mani- 

 fold, globular ; partial similar ; involucre universal, cadu* 

 cous ; partial many-leaved, linear, small ; proper perianth, 

 scarcely observable. Corolla: universal uniform; flosculei 

 all fertile ; proper consisting of five oblong straightish 

 petals, nearly equal in size. Stamina : filamenta five, the 

 length of the corolla ; antherce simple. Pistil : germen 

 turbinate, inferior ; styles two, reflex ; stigmas obtuse. Pen- 

 carp : fruit oval, plane-compressed, submarined, marked < 

 on both sides with three raised lines, and bipartile. Seedt: ' 

 two, very large, elliptic, flat on, both sides, and marked 



