ALYSSUM 



AMARANTUS 



269 



bens, of spreading habit; and various horticultural 

 forms with trade names. 



2. spindsum, Linn. A woody-stemmed little peren- 

 nial, with lanceolate acute silvery Ivs., spiny fl. branches, 

 and very small numerous fls. Eu. Rock work; 3^-6 in. 

 A rose-colored form is re- 

 ported. 



3. pyrenaicum, Lapeyr. 

 Dwarf, shrubby, not spiny: 

 Ivs. obovate, tomentose: fls. 

 white with brown anthers. 



Pyrenees. Perennial. 



4. pod61icum, Bess. (Schiv- 

 ereckia poddlica, Andrz. & 

 Bess.). Dwarf: Ivs. in rosette, 

 lanceolate, 2-tpothed on mar- 

 gins: fls. white, short-pedi- 

 celled; petals entire. Early 

 spring. S. Russia. Perennial. 



AA. Fls. yellow or orange: 



perennials. 

 B. Lvs. Yiin. or less long. 



5. serpylliffilium, Desf. (A. 

 aZp&fre, Linn.?). Dwarf (3-4 

 in. high), somewhat woody 

 at the base, with rough-hoary 

 Ivs., and pale yellow fls. in 



racemes. Eu. Intro. 

 1892. 



BB. Lvs. mostly 1 in. or 



more long. 

 6. saxatile, Linn. 



GOLDEN - TUFT. Fig. 

 182. Alyssum saxatUe. (XM) 182. A foot high, 



woody at base: Ivs. 



oblanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, entire or wavy, 

 hoary-tomentose: fls. golden yellow, numerous, in little 

 compact clusters. Eu. B.M. 159. A.F. 5:37. Com- 

 mon in rockwork, making a spreading mat, blooming 

 in early spring. There are many forms of this standard 

 rock plant. Var. compactum, Hort., dwarf. Var. flore- 

 pleno, Hort., double-fld. Var. variegatum Hort. (A. 

 variegatum, Hort.), has parti-colored foliage, very 

 attractive. 



7. gemonense, Linn. Less hardy than the last: Ivs. 

 lanceolate, grayish, velvety : fls. lemon-yellow: st. woody 

 at base. Eu. 



8. rostra turn, Stev. (A. Wierzbickii, Heuff.). About 

 20 in.: Ivs. 2 in. long, broad-oblong, pointed, hairy: fls. 

 deep yellow, in dense heads, in summer. Asia Minor. 



9. argenteum, Vitm. Fig. 183. Dwarf and dense 

 grower, 15 in. or so: Ivs. oblong or spatulate, silvery 

 beneath, some of the tufted fls. yellow, in clustered 

 heads, all summer, beginning later than those of A. 

 saxatile. Eu. 



10. montanum, Linn. Tufted alpine, 2-3 in. high, 

 more or less herbaceous, pubescent: Ivs. obovate: fls. 

 yellow, fragrant, in a simple raceme. Eu. 



11. Mcellendorfianum, Asch. Sts. ascending: Ivs. 

 with stellate hairs on both sides, from spatulate to sub- 

 ovate, obtuse: fls. yellow, in elongated many-fld. 

 racemes, the pedicels nearly horizontal and bractless: 

 fr. nearly orbicular. Bosnia. 



Many other species of alyssum are likely to be found in choice 

 rock-garden collections. A. alptstre. Linn. 3 in., grayish: fls. yellow, 

 in simple raceme. A. atldnticum, Desf.=A. montanum. .A. 

 Bertholdnii, De9V.=A, argenteum. A. cuneiftilium, Tenore^A. 

 montanum. A dasycdrpum, Steph. Annual: fls. yellow. A. 

 diffilsum, Tenore=A. montanum. A. macrordrpttm, DC. Shrubby, 

 somewhat spiny, 8 in.: Ivs. oblong, silvery: fls. white. A. orien- 

 CAU t Ard. 1 ft.: Ivs. lanceolate, toothed, downy: fls. yellow, in 

 corymbs. A. tortufoum, Hupr. 6 in., St. twisted: Ivs. narrow, 

 hoary: fls. yellow, in corymbs. 



AL i XIA : (tynopogon. 



L. H. B 



AMAGLfPTUS: Hemiraphis. 

 AMANlTA: Muthroam. 



AMARABOYA (native name). Melastomacex. A 

 genus of only 3 species of tender shrubs from Colombia, 

 which are showy both in foliage and flower. Lvs. large, 

 opposite, sessile, with 3 prominent nerves, brownish 

 red beneath: fls. large, cymose; petals usually 6; sta- 

 mens 12-15. For cult., see Pleroma. Not known to be 

 in American trade. Considered by some as a section of 

 the much larger genus Blakea. 



A. amdbilia. Linden. Lvs. 10-12 in. long, 8 in. broad: fls. white, 

 margined carmine; stamens white; style red, exserted. I.H. 34:9. 

 A prfnceps, Linden. Fls. carmine; stamens white; styles white. 

 I.H. 34:4. A. spUndida, Linden. Fls. 6Min. across; petals 

 narrower at the base than in the other species; stamens yellow; 

 style red, exserted. I.H. 34:34. Perhaps the showiest of all the 

 Melastomaceaj. JJ. TAYLOR.f 



AMARANTUS (Greek, unfading, in allusion to the 

 lasting character of the calyx and floral bracts). 

 Amarantacex. AMARANTH. Coarse annual plants, grown 

 for colored foliage and the showy flower-clusters; 

 related to the cockscomb. 



Plants tall and erect or spreading or even prostrate: 

 Ivs. alternate, entire, petioled: fls. very small con- 



tested in terminal or axillary spikes or glomerules, each 

 subtended by 3 chaffy bracts; petals 0; sepals 3-5, 

 persistent; stamens 2-5: fr. a small 1-seeded utricle. 

 Some 45-50 species, mostly weedy plants, widely dis- 

 tributed. Some of the pigweeds are of this genus, as 

 A. relroflexus, sometimes known as beet-root and red- 

 root; A. hybridus; A. grxcizans (A. albus), one of the 

 tumble-weeds; A. spinosus; A. blitoides and A. Palmeri, 

 spreading eastward along railroads. 



The amaranths are usually planted as open-air 

 annuals, and they require no special treatment. They 

 thrive best in a hot and sunny place. In very rich soil 

 the leaves become 

 very large but usu- 

 ally lack in bright 

 coloring. Seeds may 

 be sown in the open 

 or in frames. The 

 dwarf and compact 

 varieties, which 

 often have beauti- 

 fully variegated 

 foliage, may be 

 grown in pots or 

 used for bedding. 

 Give plenty of 

 room. 



A. Lvs. linear -lan- 

 ceolate, long and 

 drooping. 

 salicif dlius, 



Veitch. Graceful 



pyramidal habit, 3 



ft.: Ivs. 5-8 in. long 



and Vi m - wide, 



wavy,bronze-green, 



changing to orange- 

 red. Philippines. 



G.C.I. 1871:1550. 



F.S. 19:1929. 



AA. Lvs. broad, 



mostly ovate. 

 B. Spikes drooping. 

 caudatus, Linn. 



LOVE - LIES - BLEED- 

 ING. Fig. 184. Tall, 

 robust and diffuse 

 (3-5 ft.): Ivs. ovate 

 to ovate - oblong, 183. Alyssum argenteum. (Plant XK) 



