1756 



KOELREUTERIA 



KOHLRABI 



KOELREUTERIA (Joseph G.Koelreuter, 1733-1806, 

 professor of natural history at Karlsruhe). Sapindacese. 

 Ornamental trees, grown for their large panicles of 

 yellow flowers and the handsome compound foliage. 



Deciduous: winter-buds small, with 2 outer scales: 

 Ivs. alternate, petioled, estipulate, pinnate or bipin- 



2042. Koelreuteria paniculate. (XK) 



nate, with serrate Ifts. : fls. in large terminal panicles, 

 yellow, symmetrical; calyx deeply divided into 5 

 unequal lobes; petals 4, turned upward, lanceolate, 

 clawed, the blade cordate at the base with 2 upturned 

 appendages; disk crenate at the upper margins; sta- 

 mens 8, sometimes less, with long filaments; ovary 

 superior, 3-celled, style 3-fid at the apex, shorter than 

 stamens: fr. a bladdery, loculicid caps., with papery 

 walls; seeds usually 1 in each cell, roundish, black. 

 Five species in China and Japan. 



The koelreuterias are medium-sized rather sparingly 

 branched round-headed trees with light green pin- 

 nately divided leaves and small yellow flowers in large 

 terminal panicles appearing in summer and followed 

 by conspicuous bladder-like pods. K. paniculata is 

 hardy as far north as Massachusetts, though occa- 

 sionally killed back in severe winters; as a rule it is a 

 short-lived tree. The other species are more tender. 

 They are not particular as to the soil and prefer sunny 

 positions. Propagation is by seeds, which are usually 

 freely produced and sown in autumn or stratified, also 

 by root-cuttings. 



paniculata, Laxm. (Sapindus chinensis, Linn.). Figs. 

 2042-2044. Tree, to 30 ft.: Ivs. pinnate or sometimes 

 bipinnate, to 14 in. long; Ifts. 7-15, ovate to oblong- 

 ovate, coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate, at the 

 base often incisely lobed, glabrous above, pubescent on 

 the veins below or nearly glabrous, 1-3H in. long: fls. 

 yellow, J^in. long, in broad panicles to 18 in. long; fila- 

 ments hairy: caps, ovate-oblong, gradually narrowed 



into the pointed apex, 1^-2 in. long. July, Aug.; fr. 

 in Sept. China, Korea, Japan. I.T. 4:147. G.C. III. 

 2:561. B.R. 330. Gng. 2:353; 8:219. Gn. 32, p. 378. 

 J.H.S. 27, p. 875. G.W. 5, p. 81; 9, p. 9; 13, p. 529. 

 It is often cult, in the Cent. W., Kans., Mo., and south- 

 ward, as an ornamental tree, as it stands drought and 

 hot winds well. It is there popularly known as "pride 

 of India" or "China tree," but the first name belongs 

 properly to Melia Azedarach and the second to Sapin- 

 dus; it is also sometimes called "varnish tree," but the 

 true varnish tree is Rhus yerniciflua. K. japdnica, 

 Sieb., is scarcely different; it is said to differ in its more 

 deeply serrate Ivs. and smaller fr. 



K . apiculata, Rehd. & Wilson. Closely allied to K. paniculata. 

 Tree, to 35 ft.: Ivs. bipinnate, the pinnae pinnatifid or pinnate at 

 the base, incisely lobed and serrate toward the apex: fr. ovate- 

 oblong, rounded at the apex and apiculate. Cent. China. K. 

 bipinnata, Franch. Tree, to 60 ft.: Ivs. bipinnate with ovate to 

 oblong nearly equally serrate Ifts. 1 J^-4 in. long: fr. globose- 

 ovoid, rounded at the apex. W. China. R.H. 1888, p. 393. Gn. 

 34, p. 305. K. Henryi, Diimmer, from Formosa and K. minor, 

 Hemsl., from S. E. China, are not in cult. ALFRED R EHDER . 



KCENIGA: Koniga. 



KOHLERIA (named for J. M. Kohler, teacher of 

 natural history, Zurich). Isoloma, which see for discus- 

 sion. K. bogotense, Fritsch=7. bogotense, Nichols. K. 

 picta, Hanst.=7. picta, Planch. (Gesneria picta, Hook., 

 not Achimines picta, Benth.). 



KOHLRABI (Brassica oleracea var. Caulo-Rapa). 

 Fig. 2045. As the Latin name indicates, this plant is a 

 member of the cabbage group. This group is interest- 

 ing from a horticultural standpoint because of the 

 great variety in the parts developed to a condition 

 suitable for human food. The kohlrabi is one of the 

 most peculiar of the lot. It is like a turnip produced on 

 a cabbage root, if that were possible. The flesh of the 

 thickened stem resembles that of a turnip, but when 

 well grown it is more delicate, both in texture and 

 flavor. This interesting plant is deserving of a place 

 in every home-garden as well as in the market-garden. 

 In quality it is superior to all other members of the 

 cabbage group save cauliflower. Kohlrabi is naturally 

 a cool- weather plant. To have it at its best it should be 

 grown during the cool days of either spring or autumn 

 and gathered while still young and tender. The soil 

 for kohlrabi should be a rich loam, well drained so 

 as to be available for early planting. Plants may be 

 started in a hotbed and transplanted to the open the 

 same as early cabbage, or the seed may be sown in the 

 open as soon as the season is far enough advanced to 

 sow radish or cabbage seed safely. The rows should be 

 from 15 to 30 inches apart and the young plants planted 

 or thinned to stand 6 to 8 inches apart in the row. The 

 cultivation that would be given early beets will suffice 

 for the plant. The early, quick-maturing sorts should 

 be chosen for table use. The plants should be har- 

 vested as soon as the edible portion can be induced 

 to develop to the size of a baseball. If conditions are 

 such as to retard or delay growth, 

 the product is apt to be tough and 

 strong. Quick growth means quality 

 in this plant. 



To prepare kohlrabi for mar- 

 ket, cut the stem just above the 



2043. Flowers of Koelreu- 

 teria paniculata. (XI, 1 3) 



2044. Pods of Koel- 

 reuteria paniculate, a, 

 end view. (XH) 



