72 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger). See Bulbs. 



Chrysalid, Chrysalis. The stage of insect life before the perfect 

 winged butterfly or moth. The study of chrysalids is interesting, 

 as they mimic various things on which they are laid to escape the 

 eyes of birds. Those of recognised garden pests should be destroyed 

 when found. 



Chrysalidocarpus lutescens. The same as Areca lutescens, a 

 handsome warm-house palm, which thrives in a sandy compost of 

 loam and leaf mould. See Palms. 



Chrysanthemum (chrysan-themum, from chrysos, gold, and anthos, 

 flower. Ord. Compositae). Thousands of people who visit Chrys- 

 anthemum shows in autumn are impelled to grow this beautiful 

 flower. It gives us a great range of colours and large, handsome 

 flowers at a period of the year when bloom is getting very scarce. 

 Moreover, it is a good town plant. Some of the most beautiful 

 collections are grown in densely populated districts in East London, 

 in one case Southwark Park close to the Thames, where the 

 atmosphere is never of the purest, and where fogs are not uncommon. 

 Large flowers prevail in the prize competitions, and very remarkable 

 they are, as exhibited by the best growers. Blooms of the Japanese 

 section 10 ins. deep and wide are not rare. Of perfect form, beauti- 

 fully finished, with broad, evenly folded florets, and bright, fresh 

 colours, they are indeed noble examples of floricultural skill. At 

 the same time, the charming single and small double (generally 

 spoken of as " decorative ") varieties have a wide circle of admirers, 

 and we must remember that these play an important part in small 

 houses, and in providing abundance of flowers for cutting. It is 

 mainly from the ranks of the decorative varieties that we draw 

 Chrysanthemums for outdoor culture, and every year the Autumn 

 Queen extends her sway in outside beds and borders. 



History. The history of the Chrysanthemum may be briefly 

 summarised as follows: The species indicum and sinense were 

 natives of China, and the latter was introduced to Great Britain in 

 1764. From them certain varieties were raised. The first double 

 variety was grown at Kew towards the end of the eighteenth century, 

 and within the next 25 years several others appeared. The first 

 show is said to have been held at Norwich in 1829; the first in 

 London was held at Stoke Newington in 1847. The raising of new 

 varieties became active about 1830; the first Incurved appeared 

 about 1836, and the first Japanese in 1860 or 1861. The Pompon 

 Chrysanthemum was raised from a species introduced in 1846. 



Classification. With the introduction of many different types, 

 and the rise in popularity of the flower, a system of classification 

 became desirable, and by slow stages the following system was 

 arrived at: The flowers were classified in 10 groups, namely, 

 Japanese (large flowers with long flat or quilled florets) ; Incurved 

 (smaller flowers, cup-shaped, with quilled florets that curve in 

 towards the centre) ; Japanese Incurved (larger than ordinary In- 

 curved, with long, broad florets) ; Reflexed (small, circular flowers 

 with reflexed florets) ; Japanese Reflexed (like a small Japanese, 

 florets broad and reflexed) ; Large Anemone-flowered (flat ring of 



