786 



WAG 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



W AL 



WACHENDORFIA; a genus of the class Triandria, 

 order Monogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: none. 

 Corolla : inferior, permanent, withering, irregular, of six 

 obovate-oblong petals ; three upper ones most erect, of which 

 the two lateral ones have each a spur at the base ; the three 

 lowermost widely spreading. Nectary in the spur of each 

 lateral petal, accompanied by a bristle. Stamina: filamenta 

 three, thread-shaped, divaricated, declining, curved upward, 

 shorter than the corolla ; anthers? oblong, incumbent. Pistil : 

 germen superior, roundish, with three furrows ; style thread- 

 shaped, declining; stigma simple, tubular. Pericarp : cap- 

 sule three-lobed, triangular, obtuse, of three compressed 

 cells, and three valves, enveloped in the faded corolla; par- 

 titions from the centre of each valve. Seeds: solitary, 

 rough or hairy, compressed. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Corolla: inferior, irregular, of six petals, two of them spur- 

 red at the base. Capsule: of three cells. Seed: solitary, 

 rough. The plants of this genus produce an agreeable 

 variety among other potted plants of the green-house kind 

 in exotic collections. They may be increased by offsets, 

 taken from the heads of the roots in the beginning of autumn, 

 planting them in pots filled with soft loamy earth, mixed with 

 a little sea-sand, and, when the season proves dry, placing 

 them so as to have only the morning sun, until the offsets 

 have taken new root, when they must be placed in a shelter- 

 ed situation, so as to have the full sun. On the approach of 

 frosts they should be placed in frames, and managed like 

 other tender plants. They may sometimes be propagated by 

 root-suckers, and seeds. The species are, 



1. Wachendorfia Thyrsiflora; Tatt-floweriny Wachendor- 

 Jia. Leaves perennial, smooth, numerous, two-ranked, plaited, 

 many-ribbed, tapering at each end, sheathing, permanent; 

 panicle oblong, close, racemose, erect, a span or more in 

 length, compound, downy, composed of numerous large and 

 handsome, but inodorous and short-lived flowers, of a fine 

 golden yellow, externally downy, with an orange or tawny 

 hue. The lobes of the capsule are much compressed and 

 sharp-edged ; seeds clothed with shaggy chaffy pubescence. 

 The root is perennial, fleshy, saffron-coloured or red, with 

 long simple fibres; stem solitary, simple, erect, leafy, round, 

 or a little compressed, downy, slightly zigzag, about a yard 

 high. It is a native of the Cape, flowering in May and June, 

 and will thrive in our green-houses with little care. 



2. Wachendorfia Paniculata ; Spreading Panided Wachen- 

 dorfia. Leaves annual, smooth, deciduous; panicle spread- 

 ing. Stem a foot high. The knobs of the roots are browner, 

 oblong, and nearly vertical, and the flowers larger and hand- 

 somer, than those of the preceding species ; of a deeper 

 orange at the outside, their three upper petals marked with a 

 transverse green or brownish line, and all nearly equally 

 spreading, though the central one is rather smaller than the 

 other two. Native of the Cape. This species is very im- 

 patient of cold, and seldom flowers in this climate. 



3. Wachendorfia Hirsuta; Narrow-leaved Hairy Wachen- 

 dorfia. Leaves linear-sword-shaped, hairy; panicle some- 

 what oblong. The narrowness of the leaves, and the re- 

 markable length of their long shaggy white hairs, distinguish 

 this species. The stem and panicle are rather more hairy 

 than in the preceding species, and the form of the panicle is 

 more elongated and less corymbose ; flowers large and hand- 

 some, bright yellow, externally tawny ; their central upper- 

 most petal concealed in front by the two next which meet 

 before it : they are all broadish-ovate, and shaggy at the back. 

 Native of the Cape. 



4. Wachendorfia Brevifolia ; Short-leaved Hairy Wachen- 

 dorfia. Leaves elliptic-sword-shaped, hairy; panicle spread 



ing. The shortness of the leaves, compared with their great 

 breadth, distinguishes this species ; and the two lateral upper 

 petals nearly conceal the central one seen in front. It flowers 

 in March or April. Native of the Cape. 



5. Wachendorfia Tenella; Linear Smooth-leaved Wachen- 

 dorfia. Leaves linear, three-ribbed, smooth ; panicle spread- 

 ing, somewhat compound. Native of the Cape. 



6. Wachendorfia Graminea; Grass-leaved Wachendorfia, 

 Leaves sword-shaped, channelled, smooth ; panicle spread- 

 ing, compound. The inflorescence is hairy ; the branches of 

 the panicle racemose, and somewhat zigzag ; flowers yellow, 

 tawny on the outside ; germen very hairy. The hairiness of 

 the germen is common in a greater or less degree to the 

 whole genus. Native of the Cape. 



Wake Robin. See Arum. 



Waldsteinia ; 'a genus of the class Icosandria, order Digy- 

 nia. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: in ten segments, 

 the alternate ones smaller. Petals: five. Styles: club- 

 shaped, deciduous. Seeds: two, obovate, without awns. 



The only species is, 



1. Waldsteinia Geoides; Avens-like Waldsteinia. Stem 

 ascending, round, striated, rather hairy, the length of the 

 radical leaves, which are stalked, five-lobed, ribbed, some- 

 what hairy ; their lobes obtuse, slightly three-cleft, toothed ; 

 stem-leaves three-lobed, deeply toothed ; stipules oblong, 

 acute, entire ; flower-stalks two or three, terminal, thread- 

 shaped, very long; flowers yellow. It is distinguished by 

 the small number of pistils and the club-shaped deciduous 

 styles, from Geum, to which it is allied ; and differs in number 

 of pistils, form of styles, and habit, from Potentilla. It ig a 

 hardy perennial, flowering in June and July. Native of the 

 umbrageous forests of Hungary. 



Walks, Gravel, and Grass. The former is a dry firm walk 

 in the garden or pleasure-ground, formed of different mate- 

 rials, such as gravel, sand, &c. and, where these cannot be 

 procured, with powdered coal, sea-coal ashes, and powdered 

 brick, but sand or gravel is always preferred. Sea-coal 

 ashes are better than powdered coal or brick, as they bind 

 very hard, and never stick to the feet in frosty weather: and 

 they are better than most other substances for wilderness 

 walks. In forming these walks, when they have been marked 

 out, the earth should be taken away to a certain depth, that 

 the bottoms may be filled with lime-rubbish, coarse gravel, 

 flint-stones, or other rocky materials, to prevent weeds from 

 growing through the gravel, as well as to keep away worm- 

 casts. It should be laid ten inches or a foot thick, over 

 which the coat of gravel should be six or eight inches, which 

 should be very fine, but not riddled, the larger stones only 

 being taken out. When the gravel has been laid to this 

 thickness, they must be exactly levelled, and raked true 

 from all great drips, as well as little holes: by this means 

 most of the stones will be raked under the feet, which may 

 either be evenly sprinkled back over the last length that is 

 raked, or buried in the bottom. Sometimes the surface of 

 the walk is so much rounded that it lessens the effect of their 

 breadth, and renders the walking upon them unpleasant. 

 The usual allowance for a walk of five feet breadth, is about 

 an inch rise in the crown : consequently, if twenty feet wide, 

 it will be four inches higher in the middle than on each side ; 

 and for twenty-five feet, five inches ; for thirty feet, six 

 inches; and so on in the same proportion. When the walk 

 has been carefully laid, trodden down, and raked, either in 

 lengths, or the whole together, it should be rolled well both 

 in length. and crossways ; the person who rolls, wearing shoes 

 with flat heels, that may not make holes, as when they are 

 once made in a new walk it is not easy to roll them out 



