FAG 



PAG 



FiGARA, a genus containing plants of the 

 exotic kind for the stove. 



It belongs to the class and order Tefrandria 

 Monogyma, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Dumosee, 



The characters are : that the calyx is a four- 

 cleft perianthium, very small : leaflets concave, 

 permanent : the corolla has four oblongish pe- 

 tals, concave, spreading : the stamina consist 

 cf four filaments (three to eight), longer than 

 the corolla : anthers ovate : the pistillum is an 

 ovate germ: style filiform, length of the corolla: 

 «tigma two-lobed, obtusish (four-cleft) : the 

 pericarpium is a globular capsule, one-celled (or 

 two-celled), two-valved: the seed single, round, 

 and bright. 



The species are: 1. F. Pterota, Lentiscus- 

 leaved Fagara, or Bastard Ironwood; 2. F. Tra- 

 godes, Prickly-leaved Fagara. 



The first is a shrub with wrinkled branches, 

 which, according to Browne, rises by a branch- 

 ed and somewhat prickly stalk frequently to the 

 height of eight or ten feet ; the wood very hard : 

 the leaves alternate, pinnate, with three pairs 

 of leaflets ; and the common petiole margined 

 and jointed. The leaflets obovate, quite entire, 

 emarginate, smooth. The spikes axillary, ses- 

 sile, in pairs. The flower small and white. It 

 is a native of Jamaica. 



The second species is a shrub, branching, 

 almost erect, five feet in height. The prickles 

 in pairs, subulate, recurved, strong, subaxillary, 

 brown, shining; there is one similar, but 

 smaller, on the Dack of each joint of the leaves; 

 these are alternate, sessile, pinnate jointed : 

 leaflets oblong, attenuated at the base, obtuse 

 quite entire, shining, sessile : joints usually six, 

 in every respect similar to the leaflets. The 

 flowers are small, axillary, and aggregate. It is 

 a native of St. Domingo, flowering in Fe- 

 bruary. 



Culture. — These plants may be increased by 

 sowing the seeds in pots in the early spring, 

 and plunging them in the bark -bed of the stove. 

 When the plants have attained some growth they 

 should be removed into other pots, and be re- 

 placed in the hot-bed. 



They may likewise be raised by planting cut- 

 tings of the young shoots in pots, and plunging 

 them in the bark-bed in the stove, due shade 

 and water being given till they have stricken 

 root. They should afterwards be removed into 

 separate pots, and be replaced in the .stove hot- 

 bed. 



These are tender plants, requiring the con- 

 stant protection of the stove, where they afford 

 variety. 



FAGUS, a genus containing plants of the 

 tree kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Monoecia 

 Polyandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 AmentacecB, 



The characters are : that the male flowers 

 are fixed to a common amentaceous recep- 

 tacle: the calyx is a one-leafed perianthium, 

 bell shaped, five-cleft (four-, live-, or six-cleft,) 

 (subsexfid) : there is no corolla: the stamina 

 consist of many filaments, the length of the 

 calyx, setaceous : anthers oblong : the female- 

 flowers in a bud of the same plant: the calyx is a 

 one-leafed,four- toothed, ereet,acute perianthium: 

 there is no corolla: the pistillum is a covered 

 germ with the calyx : styles three, subulate 

 (one-trifid) : stigmas simple, reflex : the peri- 

 carpium is a capsule (which was the calyx) 

 roundish* very large, covered with soft spines, 

 one-celled, two- to four-valved : the seeds are 

 nuts, one or two, ovate, three-cornered, three- 

 valved, acuminate. 



The species cultivated are : 1. F. sylvatica, 

 The Common Beech-tree ; 2. F. castanea, 

 Common Chesnut-tree ; 3. F. pitmila, Dwarf 

 Chesnut-tree, or Chinqua-pine. 



The first grows to a very large size, lofty and 

 spreading; the trunk straight, and covered with 

 a whitish bark. The leaves are smooth and 

 glossy, waved on the edges rather than serrate, 

 or slightly sinuate-toothed, three inches and 

 more in length, and two or upwards in breadth : 

 the petioles reddish, slightly grooved above, 

 four or five lines in length, pubescent, as is 

 also the midrib of the leaf. The stipules reddish- 

 brown, shining, lanceolate, conspicuous. It 

 retains the old leaves through the winter. The 

 male catkins come out in bunches from the ends 

 of the small branches ; are roundish, obtuse, 

 half an inch long, and almost as broad ; on 

 peduncles from half an inch to fourteen lines in 

 length, pendulous, round, and pubescent. The 

 female ainents come out from the same place, a 

 little above the others ; are erect, and on round, 

 whitish, villose peduncles : the common invo- 

 lucre has two flowers, is four-cleft, and covered 

 with soft spines. The fruit is composed of two 

 nuts joined at the base, covered with an almost 

 globular four-valved involucre, with soft spines 

 on the outside, but within very smooth and 

 silky: the nuts, when ripe, are one-ceUed 

 3B 



