176 



ABRONIA 



ABUTILON 



ereonish and (tlabrous: Ivs. lons-stalkoil, in opposite 

 pairs. Wiush., Ore. B.M..-_>S7S). Intro. ISiU. 



frdgrans, Nutt. Erect perennial: Iv.s. ovate or 

 elliptical, i,ialer beneath than above: Hs. night-bloom- 

 ing, '4-I in. Ion;;, the tube greenish, the white lobes 

 bifid. Columbia K. to New Mex. U.M. 5.544. 



A. puM^/Ai. Nichols. Erect. 6 in.: fla. pinkish rose. — A. Crux- 

 mditsr. KclloK. the handsomest of all the species is, Tripterocalyx 

 Cnii-niiUtffi, which see. j^ TayLOR t 



63 Abronia umbeUata. (X'X; &.X1) 



ABROPH'iXLUM (Greek combination signifyiiig deli- 

 caie-taue't I . Saxifragacese. An endemic monotj-pic genus 

 of New 8. Wales : tall, handsome shrub : Ivs. alternate, 

 elliptic or ovate-lanceolate and acuminate, to 9 in. long, 

 somewhat toothed: fls. small, yellowish, in dichotomous 

 con-mbose panicles terminating the shoots or arising from 

 the upper axils; [letals, stamens and calyx-lobes 5: fr. a 

 5-cellcd ovoid berr>'. A. 6mans, Hook, f., was intro. to 

 Calif, in 1911 by Franceschi. 



ABRUS (from abros, delicate, referring to leaves). 

 Leguminbsx. Deciduous greenhouse climber, or used 

 South outdoors for screens. Roots a poor substitute 

 for licorice, and the seeds are violently poisonous. Needs 

 strong heat for indoor culture. Propagation is by seeds 

 or by cuttings under gla-ss in sand. 



The genus consists of usually creeping or climbing 

 woody herbs with primately compound Ivs.: fls. small, 

 in dense racemes on axillary peduncles or short 

 branches; calyx bell-shaped, the teeth very short; 

 corolla pea-like, much exserted; stamens 9, in a tube. 



precatdrius, Linn. Crab's-eye Vine. Weather- 

 Pla.s-t. Fig. 54. Height 10-12 ft.; frequently traihng 

 over the ground S.: Ifts. oblong, in numerous pairs: fls. 

 var>'ing from rose to white: seeds bright scarlet, with a 

 black spot, used by Buddhists for rosaries, in India as 

 standards of weight, and in the W. Indies in bead 

 work. Seeds irritant; also used as ati abortive in U. S. 

 A variety with a cream-colored bean is offered by 

 Reasoner Bros.: Tropica generally. — The claims made 

 for its weather-foretelling properties are exposed by 

 Oliver in Kew Bull. .Jan., 1890. It does, however, "go 

 to sleep" during storms, but this is a feature of other 

 legumes. Sometimes confounded with Rhynchosia 



Chaeeoloidea (R. precatoria), which has similar seeds, 

 ut is a very different plant with large, 3-foliolate, 

 bean-like Ivs. N. Tayixjk. i 



•ABSINTH, ABSINTHE fab'sinth). A liquor made 

 from plants of the wormwood group, particularly from the 

 absinthium (Artemisia Absinthium). 'Hifse are aromatic 

 or bit t<:r herbs. A. Absinthium yields a bluish or gr(«n 

 volatile oil r^^jntaining absinthol and other principles. 

 Abeinth is a/idnl to water as a beverage, and in exceas 

 produces peculiar intoxication, and may even prove fatal. 



ABUT A ("native name). Menispermacese. Greenhouse 

 evergrof-n climUfr: plant dioecious, fasciclefl or panicled: 

 staminate Be. with 3 exterior and 3 interior larger sepals. 



and fi atiuncns; pi.stillate (Is. with 6 .staminodia and 3 

 carpels: fr. a drupe; 14 species in S. Amer. Prop, by cut- 

 tings under ghuss with bottom he;it, and grown in peaty 

 loiun. A. rufescens, Aubl. Lvs. brotui-ovate or suborbi- 

 cular, coriaceous, brown or tawny beneath, 3-nerved: fls. 

 small, iliu-k purple within, the 3 large sepals obtuse. 

 Little known in cult. 



ABUTILON (name of Arabic origin for a malvaceous 

 plant). Malvacea>. Flowering Maple. .Attractive 

 coolhouse shrubs and window-plants, and 

 some kinds used for bedding. Sometimes 

 calletl Chinese Bellflower. Fig. 65. 



Leaves long-stalked, often maple-like: 

 fls. mostly pendulous, with naked 5-cleft 

 calyx, 5 separate obovate petals, many 

 stamens united in a column about the 

 many-branched style, the anthers borne at 

 the top of the column: fr. a collection or 

 aggregate of 2-valved often beaked carpels 

 that are deciduous from the central axis 

 at maturity. — Natives of warm regions in 

 both hemispheres, comprising herbs, shrubs 

 and trees; about 80 species. 



The abutilons oftenest seen in Ameri- 

 can gardens and conservatories are ap- 

 parently hybrids and derivatives of pure 

 species. The colors are mostly yellow, white and 

 pink, with attractive vcining. Well-known forms are: 

 Arthur Belsham, red, shaded gold. Boulc de Neige, 

 pure white, very free. California, a group of free bloom- 

 ers. Eclipse, foliage marbled green, and yellow fls. of 

 fair size; sepals scarlet; petals orange-buff; suited for 

 baskets and vases; a form of A. megapolamicum (another 

 Eclipse is known). Erecta, pink, orange-veined, erect fls. 

 Golden Bell, deep yellow, free-flowering. Goldeii Fleece, 

 pure yellow, free-flowering. Royal Scarlet, rich, shi- 

 ning scarlet. Santana, deep red. Savitzii, dwarf, with 

 white-edged foliage; useful for bedding. Snowstorm, 

 semi-dwarf, pure white. Souvenir de Bonn, lvs. large, 

 deep green, not mottled, but edged with a broad white 

 margin; distinct and striking; a useful bedding plant. 

 Splendens, bright red. 



64. Abrus precatorius. {Xi4) 



