Z A N 



Z E A 



ZANTIIOXYLUM, a genus containing 

 piiints of the Lardy and tender exotic 

 shrubby kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Diwcia Pen- 

 tandria. 



The characters are : that the male flowers have 

 the calyx a perianthium deeply eut into five oval 

 coloured parts : there is no corolla : the stamina 

 have five awl-shaped erect filaments, with didy- 

 mous, sulcated, roundish antherse : — female 

 flower, calvx as the male: there is no corolla: 

 the pistilhim, a roundish germen, an awl- 

 shaped style, with an obtuse stigma: the peri- 

 carpium, an oblong capsule, formed of two 

 valves and one cell, containing a single smooth 

 roundish seed. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . Z. Clava Her- 

 cuUs, Canada Tooth-aeh Tree, or Hercules's 

 Club; 2. Z. trlfuUutum, Chinese Tooth-acli 

 Tree. 



The first grows to the height of twelve feet, 

 with a rough bark armed with short spines : the 

 leaves are winged, of a dark-green colour, 

 growing irregularly on the branches; each con- 

 sists of four or five pair of sjiear-shaped foliolcs, 

 which are terminated bv an odd one : the flowers 

 come out from the end of the Ijranehes in loose 

 panicles; they are apetalous and have no great 

 appearance, and succeeded by uniioeularcapsulcs, 

 containing the seeds. It is a native of North 

 America. 



There is a variety ; the Ash-leaved Tooth-ach 

 Tree, with oval-oblong folioles, and prickly 

 mid-ribs. 



The second species rises with a woody stem, 

 branching several feet iu height, being set with 

 trifoliate leaves, composed of three egg-oval 

 fblioles. It is a native of China. 



Culhire. — These plants may be increased by 

 seeds and layers. 



The seeds should be sown in the spring, either 

 in an east border, or in pots placed in ihe morn- 

 ing sun all the sunnner, bcnig sheltered in a 

 frame in winter; and in the spring following re- 

 moved to the full air till October, giving proper 

 waterings all the summer; and towards winter 

 be placed again under shelter from frost till 

 March, when the young plants may be potted 

 separately ; and thus continued for a year or 

 two, being sheltered in the winter, when they 

 may be transplanted into the shrubbery, where 

 they are to remain. 



The lavers of the young wood may be laid 

 down in autumn or early spring, and when they 



have stricken good root be taken off and managed 

 as the seedlings. 



They also succeed hy cuttings in spring or 

 sunnner, planted in pots, assisted by a hot-bed, 

 in which they soon strike, when they should be 

 inured to the full air ; and the young plants will 

 be fit for planting out in the autmnn, or the 

 spring following. 



The first is a very ornamental plant in the 

 borders and other dry parts of shrubberies, and 

 the latter among potted plants in the green house 

 collections. 



Z£A, a genus containing a plant pf the hardy 

 herbaceous annual kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Moncecia 

 Triandtia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Grum'inecB. 



The characters are : that male and female 

 flowers are separate on the same plant ; loosely 

 disposed ; the calyx, a bivalve, two-flowered 

 husk : the corolla, two oblong valves, the out- 

 ward one obtuse and bellied, and the interior 

 bidented at top, and are inclosed in the calyx, 

 with a very short, diphyllous nectarium : the 

 stamina, three capillary filaments in the males, 

 with bilid prismatic antherae, opening at top; 

 the female flowers are closely collected in a spike 

 below the males on the same plant : the calyx a 

 single-flowered husk, with two valves; with a 

 corolla, a gkunose husk, and four membrane- 

 ous unequal valves : the pistillum, a very small 

 germen, slender pendulous style, and simple 

 stigma : there is no pericarpium : many com- 

 pressed, roundish seeds, immersed in an ob- 

 long, thick five-angled receptacle, forming to- 

 gether a long, thick, close head of corn. 



The species cultivated is Z Mays, Maize, or 

 fndian Corn. 



It rises with a large, strong, herbaceous stern, 

 ten or twelve feet high, garnished with long, 

 broad, pendulous leaves : male flowers at the 

 upper part of the stalks, in spikes eight or ten 

 inches long; and females arising at the axillas- 

 of the leaves below the males, in long, close, 

 thick sjiikes, covered with thin leaves; and suc- 

 ceeded hy numerous seeds placed round the long 

 receptacle in a compact order. Native of America. 



There are varieties; with yellovv'ish-white 

 seeds, with deep yellow seeds, and with purple- 

 blue seeds. 



Culture. — These plants may he raised by sow- 

 ing seed in the spring, as March or April, in a 

 dry warm situation, where the plants are in- 

 tended to remain, in patches, of two or thiee 



