3340 



THUNIA 



THYMUS 



The culture of the thunias is very simple. They begin 

 growth naturally at the end of February or early in 

 March. As soon as new growth is visible the plants 

 should be given new material, consisting of fibrous peat 

 or fern-root and sphagnum mixed with loam and some 

 sand and potsherds for drainage. In their native home 

 the plants are said to be epiphytic, and when treated as 

 terrestrial orchids the native habit may be imitated 

 by setting them well above the pot, which should not be 

 too large. For the first four to six weeks until the young 

 roots have made good growth, it is necessary to apply 

 water sparingly. Thunias are very rapid-growing 

 orchids and may be liberally supplied with liquid 

 manure until the end of the flowering season, which 

 occurs about the middle of August. Soon after this 

 the leaves fall. The old stems winter in this condition 

 and serve as food reservoirs for the young growth of the 

 next season, but although they remain on the plant 

 two years they form no leaves the second season. Dur- 

 ing the resting-period they should be kept in a rather 



3804. Thunia alba. ( X X) 



dry atmosphere and be given only enough water to 

 prevent the stems (pseudobulbs) from shriveling. 

 This is one of the few orchids which can be profitably 

 propagated by cutting the old stems into lengths of 

 about 6 inches and rooting them in sand or sphagnum. 

 When rooted the young plants may be potted in the 

 usual way. A temperature of 60 to 65 is favorable 

 during the growing season. 



alba, Reichb.f. (Phaius dlbus, Lindl.). Fig. 3804. 

 Suberect, 2-3 ft., clothed with sheathing, oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, striate Ivs. 6 in. long: raceme drooping at the 

 end of the st., 6-12-fld.: fls. white, 3-4 in. across when 

 fully open; sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate; labellum shorter than the segms., not manifestly 

 3-lobed, lateral lobes convolute over the column, apex 

 spreading, wavy and finely crisp; color of labellum 

 white veined with purple in the throat, with 5-9 pur- 

 ple or yellow fringed keels; wings of the column entire. 

 April-Aug. Burma and S. Himalaya region. B.M. 

 3991. B.R. 24:33. P.M. 5:125. F.C. 3:125. R.H. 

 1874:450. Gt. 47, p. 233. G. 31:475. There are sev- 

 eral varieties of this species. The throat of the label- 

 lum is often yellow. 



Bensoniae, Hook. f. (Phaius Bensonise, Benth.). Sts. 

 fascicled, 1-2 ft. high, leafy: Ivs. linear-lanceolate, 8-10 



in. long: fls. like those of T. alba but of a pale purple 

 color; labellum large, 3-lobed, deep purple in front, with 

 a yellow crested disk, with 6-7 rows of fringe-like 

 golden yellow hairs; spur short, slender. India. July- 

 Sept. B.M. 5694. G.M. 31:557. F.W. 1871:161 

 The most showy species of the genus. 



Marshalliana, Reichb. f. (Phaius Mdrshallise, 

 Nichols.). Closely related to T. alba. Sts. somewhat 

 stronger: segms. pure white, acuminate: labellum evi- 

 dently 3-lobed, with the lateral lobes surrounding the 

 column, middle lobe wavy and crisp; color of labellum 

 yellowish white, with 5 orange-fringed keels in the 

 throat; wings of the column toothed. May-Aug. 

 India. R.B. 21:229. S.H. 2, p. 335. Var. ionophlebia, 

 Reichb. f ., has the center of the labellum bright yellow, 

 paler toward the margin. Var. alba, Reichb. f., has 

 white fls. with sulfur-yellow disk to the lip. 



T. Veitchiana=T. Bensoniae X T. Marshalliana. Sepals and 

 petals white, flushed light mauve at tips; front of lip mauve-purple, 

 the ba8e white, purple-lined. H EINRICH HASSELBRING. 



THtTYA: Thuja. 

 THUYOPSIS: Thujopsis. 



THYMEL5JA (Greek, thyme and olive, referring to 

 the thyme-like foliage and the small olive-like fruit). 

 Thymelseaceae. Hardy or half-hardy perennial herbs, 

 subshrubs or small shrubs, which are very much 

 branched: Ivs. sparse, frequently small or narrow: fls. 

 small, sessile and fascicled or solitary at the axils, her- 

 maphrodite or polygamous by abortion; perianth urn- 

 shaped or rarely, especially in male fls., with a slender 

 cylindrical tube; lobes 4, spreading; stamens 8; ovary 

 subsessile, 1-celled: fr. dry. About 20 species, Medit. 

 region, chiefly, also in Canary Isls., and in Asia. T. 

 hirsuta, Endl. (Passenna hirsuta, Linn.). Decumbent 

 greenhouse or half-hardy shrub, 1-2 ft. high: sts. slen- 

 der, fastigiate branched: Ivs. coriaceous, ovate, nearly 

 round or oblong, obtuse, 2-3 lines long, glabrous above, 

 white-tomentose beneath: fls. white, in axillary or 

 terminal few-fld. fascicles, which equal the Ivs. July. 

 Medit region. B.M. 1949. T. Tartonraira, All. (Daphne 

 Tartonraira, Linn. Passenna Tartonraira, Schrad.). 

 Small hardy shrub, wholly silky-canescent, whitish or 

 becoming fulvous: Ivs. coriaceous, obovate or obovate- 

 oblong, 5-10 lines long: fls. white, numerous, 2-5- 

 glomerate in the upper axils. June. S. Eu. 



F. TRACY HUBBARD. 



THYMUS (the 9ld Greek name used by Theophras- 

 tus either for this plant or for savory). Labidtx. 

 THYME. Small shrubs or subshrubs, mostly hardy, and 

 excellent for edging and the rockery. 



Leaves small, entire; floral Ivs. similar or changing to 

 bracts in the spike: floral whorls usually few-fld., some- 

 times all distant and axillary, sometimes gathered in 

 terminal short or lax spikes; bractlets minute: calyx 

 ovoid, 10-13-nerved, 2-lipped, 5-toothed; corolla-tube 

 included or exserted, naked inside, limb somewhat 

 2-lipped; stamens 4, in pairs: nutlets ovoid or oblong, 

 smooth. About 120 species, broadly dispersed in 

 temperate regions, although the greatest number are 

 natives of the Medit. region. 



Thymes are erect or prostrate plants with strong mint- 

 like odor. Most of the species are grown as a ground- 

 cover on banks, in borders, or rockwork. The creeping 

 or prostrate habit, ability to persist in dry places and 

 poor soils, and the colored or woolly foliage of some 

 species make them adaptable to a variety of uses. The 

 common T. Serpyllum is evergreen. T. vulgaris is the 

 thyme of sweet-herb gardens, being prized in cookery. 

 All thymes are easily propagated by means of division, 

 although seedlings may sometimes be used to renew 

 plantations of some of the species, particularly of T. 

 vulgaris. Several names occur in American catalogues, 

 all of which seem to be referable to three species, one of 



