774 



CIRRILEA 



CIRSIUM 



which are mentioned in horticultural literature. Allied 

 to Gongora; cultured as for Cymbidium; warmhouse. 

 Fls. mostly greenish and red (or purple), on long pendu- 

 lous racemes that arise from base of the pseudobulbs. 



CIRRHOPETALUM (tendril petal, alluding to the 

 narrow lateral sepals). Orchiddcese. Epiphytes, grown 

 in baskets or on blocks in a warmhouse. 



Pseudobulbs from a creeping st.: dorsal sepal free; 

 lateral sepals much longer than the dorsal, cohering 

 excepting at the base; petals much shorter, often 

 ciliate; lip entire, usually recurved; column short, 

 2-winged at the apex; pollinia 4. About 90 species 

 in Trop. Asia, Mascarene Isls., and Australia. 



Being of rambling habit, with creeping rhizomes, cir- 

 rhopetalums should be grown in baskets sufficiently 

 large to afford plenty of growing surface, and suspended 

 from the roof where they will get abundant light and 

 free access of air to the roots, which is equally essential. 

 Liberal allowance must be made for drainage, which 

 should consist of either broken potsherds or charcoal, 

 the latter being preferable, as it is light, durable and 

 contains nothing detrimental. Two-thirds osmundine, 

 or other clean fiber, and one-third chopped live sphag- 

 num moss, well mixed together, afford a good compost; 

 and after this has been carefully tucked in about the 

 roots and interstices, the plant should be held firm 

 with brass or copper wire until reestablished. The 

 compost should be used rather sparingly to prevent 

 over-watering. Many of the smaller-growing species 

 do very well on orchid blocks, firmly attached, with a 

 small quantity of compost beneath them. During the 

 winter months, little or no shade is required. The 

 temperature may range from 58 to 65 F. by night, 

 with about 10 rise through the day, or even a little 

 more, with sun-heat, will do no injury. No artificial 

 heat is necessary in summer, except in extreme cold 

 or wet weather, but a shaded moist location should be 

 chosen, such as is afforded in the cattleya or palm 

 department. When the plants are dormant, light 

 syringing overhead will keep the compost moist and 

 the plants in healthy condition, but as the growing 

 season advances, a liberal quantity of water and copious 

 syringing in bright weather will be necessary. The stock 

 is increased by division, the most judicious method 

 being to cut nearly through the rhizome with a sharp 

 knife, about three pseudobulbs behind the lead, just 

 before growth action, allowing the part to remain 

 until the dormant eyes start to grow, when it may be 

 removed and treated as an established plant. A little 

 extra heat and moisture at this period will prove bene- 

 ficial with the weak plants. All are of moderately easy 

 culture. (Robert M. Grey.) 



Medtlsae, Lindl. Pseudobulbs ovoid, ribbed: Ivs. 

 5-8 in. long, oblong-elliptic: scapes with large sheath- 

 ing bracts; umbel many-fid. ; fls. creamy, yellow-spotted; 

 dorsal sepal lanceolate; lateral sepals with long pendent 

 tails, 4-5 in. long; petals and lip minute. Singapore. 

 B.R. 28:12. B.M. 4977. I.H. 39:154. G.C. III. 21:25. 



picturatum, Lindl. Pseudobulbs ovoid, about 2 in. 

 long, angled: Ivs. 3-5 in. long, linear-oblong: scape with 

 sheaths pale yellowish-green, red-speckled; umbel 

 10-15-fld.; sepals and petals green, the dorsal sepal 

 erect, obtuse, red-spotted, with a thread-like purple- 

 knobbed summit, the lateral sepals linear; petals small, 

 rounded, curved; lip blood-red, obtuse. India. B.M. 

 6802. 



C. Andersonii, Kurz. Dwarf habit: fls. in umbels; lateral sepals 

 whitish, with fine rose dots; dorsal sepal marked with purple 

 lines. Sikkim. C. appendiculatum, Rolfe. Dorsal sepals and 

 petals pale yellow; lip rosy purple. E. Indies. C. bifldrum, J. J. 

 Smith. Sepals purple-spotted, the dorsal elliptic, about 1 ^ in. 

 long, including the seta, the lateral- sepals linear-lanceolate, 3-3 ]/% 

 in. long. Java. B.M. 8321. C. bremscapum, Rolfe. Dorsal sepal 

 oblong-lanceolate, about %in. long, dull purple, the lateral sepals 

 yellow, spotted red-brown, about 1 in. long, the lip rose-purple, 

 broadly cordate, ovate-cuneate, hairy at base. Perak. B.M. 8033. 

 C. caudatum, King & Pantl. Dwarf species: dorsal sepals short; 



lateral sepals tail-like, about as long as scape. Himalayas. C. 

 chinense, Lindl. Fls. pale fawn-color, the dorsal sepal hooded, 

 crimson-spotted, the lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, the lip crim- 

 son-spotted. China. B.R. 29:49. C. chryseum, Kranzl. Scape 

 filiform, 1-fld. ; fls. yellow. Philippines. C. Cumingii, Lindl. 

 Umbel 9-12-fld.; fls. purple, the dorsal sepal glandular-ciliate, the 

 lateral sepals 1 in. long, linear-oblong; lip with 2 erect processes. 

 Philippines. B.M. 4996. C. Hodkeri , Duthie. Fls. 1 in. 

 long, yellow, the dorsal sepal about Min. long, obtuse, purple- 

 streaked, the lateral linear-lanceolate, acuminate. Himalayas. 

 B.M. 7869. C. Upidum (Bulbophyllum lepidum, J. J. Smith). 

 Dorsal sepal, erect, ciliate, J^in. long, brownish yellow; lateral 

 sepals united, spreading, bright brownish yellow, somewhat red- 

 flushed, at base, the upper portion pale yellow, marbled with 

 brown-red, about 1 in. long; petals Kin. long, ciliate. Java. 

 C. longissimum, Riddell. Fls. whitish, rosy-streaked, the 

 dorsal sepal lanceolate, %-%iii. long, the lateral sepals linear, 

 8-12 in. long, with slender tails; petals falcate, ciliate. Siam. 

 B.M. 8366. C. Micholitzii, Rolfe. Umbels 8-12 -fld.; lateral 

 sepals deep yellow; dorsal sepal and petals blotched with 

 dark purple on a pale ground. Annam. -C. miniatum, Rolfe. 

 Fls. vermilion-colored with hairs of dorsal sepal and petals 

 yellow; lateral sepals caudate, almost thread-like. Annam. C. 

 papilldsum, Rolfe. Umbels usually 6-fld. ; dorsal sepals and petals 

 lined with dark purple on a pale ground; lateral sepals speckled 

 with red-brown. Siam. C. pulchrum, N. E. Br. I.H. 33:608. 

 O.R. 17:328. A.F. 6:609. C. retusiusculum, Reichb. f. Fls. 

 %in. length; upper sepals dark purple; lower coherent, yellow, 

 marked with dark red. China. C. Roxburghii, Lindl. Small, with 

 ovate reddish green Ivs. and almost globose umbels of cream-white 

 fls. tinged with rose or purple. India. A pretty dwarf species. 

 C. Thoudrsii, Lindl. Umbel of 10-12 fls.; sepals and petals tawny 

 yellow, the dorsal ovate, cuspidate, with purple warts, the lateral 

 lanceolate, acute, stained claret; petals small, ovate-lanceolate, 

 pale yellow, purple-spotted, with a thread-like tail at apex; lip 

 oblong. Madagascar, Java, Philippines, Society Isls. B.R. 24:11. 

 B.M. 4237. C. sinense^C. chinense. GEQRGE y. NASH. 



CIRSIUM (old Greek name, referring to the use of 

 the plant in an ailment). Composite. THISTLE. 

 Prickly-leaved plants (largely biennial) of bold habit 

 and showy purple, pinkish, white or even yellowish 

 heads, sometimes planted in wild gardens. 



The thistles are botanically confused. By some 

 authors, Cirsium is combined with Carduus, but others 

 keep it distinct because of the plumose or feathery 

 pappus (which is most constant on the inner florets); 

 and this disposition is here accepted. The cirsiums are 

 herbs or subshrubs, more or less spiny: Ivs. alternate, 

 sessile, often pinnatifid : fl. -heads large, mostly terminal; 

 involucre ovoid or spherical, with many rows of 

 imbricated often spiny-tipped scales, many-fld.; florets 

 all tubular and alike (seldom more or less dioecious). 

 More than 120 species of annuals, biennials or peren- 

 nials, widely spread in the northern hemisphere. 



Other generic names 

 partaking in the con- 

 fused usage are Car- 

 benia, now a synonym 

 of Cnicus; Chamse- 

 peuce, now a section 

 of Cirsium; and Cnicus 

 (which see), a genus of 

 one species, distin- 

 guished by sterile mar- 

 ginal florets, pappus of 

 ten long bristles and 

 equal numbers of 

 shorter ones and of 

 horny teeth, and achene 

 attached obliquely near 

 the base rather than 

 squarely on the base. 



A number of the this- 

 tles are field and pas- 

 ture weeds. The most 

 penicious of these 

 weeds is the Canada 

 thistle, C. arvense, Scop. 

 (Carduus arvensis, 

 Robs.), Fig. 795. The 

 common bull thistle or 

 pasture thistle (Fig. 

 966) is a stately bien- 

 nial, and very decora- 



966. Head of pasture or 

 bull thistle. ( X 1 A) 



