598 



GEN 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



GEN 



base. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Cnlix: four-cleft, tubulous. 

 Corolla : four-petal led, rising towards the upper side. Nut: 

 inferior, one-seeded, four-cornered. The species are, 



1. Gaura Biennis; Biennial Gaura. Stem four or five feet 

 high, sending out several branches ;" leaves oblong, smooth, 

 pale green, sitting pretty close ; flowers in close tufts at the 

 ends of the branches, pale rose-coloured, appearing in Sep- 

 tember, and, when the autumn proves favourable, ripening 

 the seeds towards the end of October. Native of Virginia 

 and Pennsylvania. If the seeds be sown on an open border 

 soon after they are ripe, they will more certainly succeed 

 than when they are sown in the spring. When the plants 

 come up, keep them clean from weeds, and thin them if they 

 be too close. In autumn they must be transplanted where 

 they are to stSfid. 



2. Gaura Fruticosa. Stem shrubby; leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late ; stamina and style direct. The flowers of this are not 

 near so large as those of the first species ; nor the corolla so 

 much expanded. Native of South America. 



Gelder Rose. See Viburnum. 



Geniostoma ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth inferior, 

 turbinate, five-cleft, permanent; divisions short, sharp. Co- 

 rolla : one-petalled, funnel-form ; tube widened, longer than 

 the calix ; throat villose, bearded ; border five-parted, spread- 

 ing; divisions ovate, sharpish, the length of the tube. Sta- 

 mina : filamenta five, short, in the throat of the corolla, 

 antheree oblong, standing out. Pistil: germen ovate; style 

 filiform, longer than the tube ; stigma cylindric, blunt, grooved. 

 Pericarp : oblong, two-celled. Seeds : very many, subangular, 

 placed on a filiform receptacle. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Calix : turbinate, five-cleft. Corolla : one-petalled, with a 

 villose throat, and a five-parted border. Capsule: oblong, 

 two-celled, many-seeded. The only known species is, 



1. Geniosloma Rupestris. Stem shrubby, climbing with- 

 out tendrils. Native of the isle of Tanua, in the South 

 Seas. 



Genista; a genus of the class Diadelphia, order Decan- 

 dria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one-leafed, 

 small, tubular, two-lipped ; upper lip two-toothed, more 

 deeply divided, lower three-toothed, nearly equal. Corolla: 

 papilionaceous ; banner oblong, remote from the keel, the 

 whole reflex ; wings oblong, loose, shorter than the others : 

 keel straight, emarginate, longer than the banner. Stamina : 

 filamenta ten, connate, emerging from the keel; antherse 

 simple. Pistil: germen oblong; style simple, rising; stig- 

 ma sharp, rolled in. Pericarp: legume roundish, turgid, 

 one-celled, two-valved. Seeds: several, usually kidney-form. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: two-lipped, two and 

 three toothed. Banner: oblong, reflex downwards from the 

 pistil and stamina. All the shrubs of this genus are pro- 

 pagated by seeds, which, if sown in the autumn, will suc- 

 ceed much better than if sown in the spring, and a year will 

 be thereby saved. As these plants send out long, stringy, 

 tfcugh roots, which run deep into the ground, they do not 

 bear transplanting well, especially if they are not removed 

 young; therefore the best way is, to sow a few seeds in those 

 places where the plants are designed to remain, and to pull 

 up all except the most promising plants, as soon as they are 

 past danger; after this, the plants will require no other cul- 

 ture, but to keep them clean from weeds. But where this 

 cannot be practised, the seeds may be thinly sown upon a 

 bed of light earth, and when the plants come up they must 

 be kept clean from weeds till the following autumn, when 

 they ihould be carefully taken up, and transplanted where 

 they are designed to grow. Such as do not produce 



seeds here, may be increased by layers. The species 



are, 



* Unarmed, or without Thorns. 



1. Genista Canariensis; Canary Genista, or Cytisus. 

 Leaves ternate, pubescent on both sides ; branches angu- 

 lar; calix trifid, the lowest segment three-toothed; flowers 

 in corymbs, five or six together, they are sweet-scented, and 

 appear from May to September. Native of Spain and the 

 Canaries. This, with the third and sixteenth species, require 

 the protection of a green-house. 



2. Genista Candicans ; Hoary Genista, or Montpellier Cy- 

 tisus. Leaves ternate, villose underneath ; peduncles late- 

 ral, leafed, sustaining about five flowers ; legumes hirsute. 

 This species rises to the height of seven or eight feet, send- 

 ing out many slender-growing branches, the upper parts of 

 which, for more than a foot in length, send out small flower- 

 ing branches on their sides, supporting five yellow flowers, 

 which appear in June and July. The seeds ripen in au- 

 tumn ; the flowers are scentless. Native of Spain, Italy, and 

 France. 



3. Genista Linifolia ; Flax-leaved Genista, or Broom. Leave* 

 ternate, sessile, linear, silky underneath. This is a small 

 shrub, with branches that are knotty from indentations left 

 by the fallen leaves ; the branchlets or shoots are leafy, angu 

 lar, upright, and silky; flowers in racemes at the ends of 

 the branches; calix three-parted, the lowest segment trifid. 

 Native of Spain and the Levant. 



4. Genista Triquetra; Triangular Genista, or Broom. 

 Leaves ternate, the upper ones simple ; branches three-sided, 

 procumbent. This is a hardy evergreen trailing shrub, pro- 

 ducing a vast profusion of bloom, which renders it eminently 

 conspicuous in May and June ; it rarely produces seed. 

 When tied up properly, and trained to a stake, it may vie in 

 point of beauty with most of our ornamental shrubs. Native 

 of Spain, Italy, and France. 



5. Genista Sagittalis ; Jointed Genista, or Broom. Branches 

 ancipital, membranaceous, jointed ; leaves ovate-lanceolate. 

 This species sends out several stalks, which spread flat on 

 the ground, and divide into many flat branches, which are 

 jointed, and their two sides are edged like a broad-sword ; 

 they are herbaceous, but perennial ; at each of the joints is 

 placed one small sessile spear-shaped leaf, ending in a point, 

 of a deep green colour, and smooth ; the flowers are pro- 

 duced in close spikes at the ends of the branches, and are 

 succeeded by short hairy pods, which contain three or four 

 kidney-shaped seeds. It flowers in June, sometimes in May, 

 and ripens seeds in September. Native of France, Germany, 

 Switzerland, Savoy, Austria, Carniola, Italy, and Spain. 



6. Genista Tridentata; Three-toothed Genista. Branches 

 three-sided, membranaceous, somewhat jointed ; leaves three- 

 cusped; legumes woolly, white. Native of Portugal. 



7. Genista Tinctoria ; Common Dyer's Genista, or Broom. 

 Leaves lanceolate, smooth ; branches streaked, round, up- 

 right; the roots creep far and wide; stems many, angular, 

 tough, from a foot to eighteen inches or two feet in height, 

 sometimes more; branches subdivided, ending in short spike* 

 of yellow flowers, with stipules between them. When cows 

 feed on it, their milk, and the butter or cheese made from it, 

 are said to be very bitter. A bright yellow colour may b 

 prepared from the flowers ; and for wool that is to be dyed 

 green with woad, the dyers prefer it to all others. A drachm 

 and a half of the powdered seeds operates as a mild purga- 

 tive. A decoction of the plant is sometimes diuretic, and 

 therefore has proved serviceable in dropsical cases. A salt 

 prepared from the ashes, is also recommended in the same 

 disorder. Native of most parts of' Europe, particularly in 



