212 



ACROSPIHA 



ACTINIDIA 



ACROSPIRA t.ii!Uiu" of junbijiiious apiilioatiim) Lili- 

 (ifc.r. One sptx-ios. .4. (i.s/i/ioi/c/o'K/ti-, Wclw., from Tro|). 

 Afr., with the habit. of Erenuiruti, and white fls. in 

 spikes; has Ihhmi offered in Eu. 



ACROSTICHUM (derivation uncertain). Poti/- 

 podiocar. As pmiierly dehniiled, a small genus of 

 «>arse tropical swamp ferns, sometimes grown under 

 pla-ss. 



t^tem stout, erect: Ivs. clustered, erect, once-pinnate, 

 3-S ft. high: sporangia completely covering the backs 

 of some or all the pinnic of the fertile Ivs. 



atlreum, Linn. Fig. 114. Three to S ft. long, withpinna? 

 6-11) in, long, short-stalked, coriaceous: .sporangia only 

 on upper pinna^ of fertile Ivs. Fla. to Brazil and in the 

 tropics of the Old World. S. 1:187. — Strong-growing. 

 One of the best. .Should be treated as an aquatic. 



excelsum, Maxon (.1. l<mHirioi<k)>, Jenman). Similar 

 in size to preceding: sterile Ivs. al.so similar. Distin- 

 guished by ha\ing sporangia on all the pinnse of the 

 fertile Ivs. Fla. to Brazil. 



Acrosticlium has been considered to include a much 

 larger array of species, including, as in the previous 

 editions of the Cyclopedia of Horticulture, ferns of 

 very diverse form and habit of growth. Fern students, 

 liowever, are now united in distributing the species of 

 Aerostiehum as formerly understood among several 

 genera. Thus the species included in Aerostiehum in 

 the former Cyclopedia are here grouped in several genera 

 as follows: Aerostiehum: (as above). 

 Elaphoglossum : con forme, crinitum, 

 flaccidiim, gorgoncitm, muscosiim, pilo- 

 sum, rcliculatum, simplex, scpuimosioii, 

 ficosum, villosum; Leptochilus: alie- 

 )( urn, nicotianiefolium ; Olfersia : cirviiin; 

 Polybotrya : osmund/icen ; Rhipidop- 

 teris: peltata; Stenoehlaena : scandens, 

 sorbifolia. r, C. Benedict. 



ACT.^A (ancient name of the elder, 

 transferred by Linna-us). Ramincu- 

 laeex. Actea. Baneberry. Cohosh. 

 Native hard>- herbacous perennials. 

 Sometimes offered in collections of 

 hardy border plants. Not to be con- 

 founded with blue cohosh, which is 

 Caulophyllum. 



I-/eaflets of the twice- or thrice-ter- 

 nate Ivs. ovate, sharply cleft, and cut- 

 toothed: fls. small, white, in tenninal 

 racemes; sepals 4 or 5, falling early; 

 petals 4-10, clawed; stamens many: fr. a many-seeded 

 berry. 



Acteas are grown chiefly for the showy spikes of 

 small white flowers in spring, and handsome clusters of 

 berries in autumn. I'seful for rockery and wild gar- 

 den, or for clumps and borders. They thrive in rich 

 woods and shade. 



Propagation Ls by seeds sown in late fall to germinate 

 the next spring or sown in spring. Old seed is said not 

 to germinate well. A more satisfactory means of propa- 

 gation is by ro<jt-division in spring. 



alba, Mill. (A. riilrra, Bigel.). White Banehekry. 

 Height 1-13^ ft.: much Uke A. spicala, but the Ifts. 

 more cut, teeth and points sharper; plant smoother: 

 Bs. white, in an oblong raceme, and a week or two later: 

 pedicels in fr. very thick^ turning red; berries white, 

 ovate-oblong, often purplish at the end. N. states. 



spic^kta, Linn. Cohosh. Hehb-Christoi'her. Plant 

 1-2 ft.: Ivs. bi- or triternate, serrated: fls. white or 

 bluish, in ovate racemes in Apr. to June: berries pur- 

 plish black, oblong. Eu., Japan. — Less cult, than the 

 red-fniited variety. Figured as A.rnremosa in (l.W. .'1:4 

 and 14:5()7. Figured as A. jnpordca in G.M. 50:28 

 and G.W. 5:3 and 15:173. 



Var. ribra, Ait. (A.rfilmt, Willd.). Red BA.\EBERRy. 

 Uather taller than ,1. alba: Ivs. bi- or triternate, ser- 

 rated: fl. -cluster white, larger than in A. spicata: ber- 

 ries bright red, very handsome. Northern states. 



\ar. argfita, Torr. Sts. rather taller than var. rubra: 

 Ifts. very deeply incised: racemes elongated in age: 

 berries either rei.1 or white. Neb., W., and N. W. 



K. C. Davis. 



ACTINELLA (Greek, sm(dl-myed). Tetraneuris, 

 Greene. Comp6sitse. Hardy perennials from W. N. 

 Amer., for cult, in alpine gardens and the open bor- 

 der. Height 0-12 in.: fls. tubular and radiate, yellow; 

 bracts of the involucre appressed; rays 3-toothed. — Of 

 easy culture in light soil. Prop, by division of the 

 roots in spring, or by seeds. 



grandifl6ra, Torr. & Gray {Rydbergia grandiflbra, 

 Greene). Plant densely woolly: lower Ivs. pinnately or 

 bipinnatcly parted, with margined petioles from broad, 

 scarious bases; upper cauline Ivs. simple or sparingly 

 divided: fls. 2-3 in. wide; summer. — A pretty alpine 



plant. 



.^j scaposa, Nutt. Plant 

 ;,■ ' \ illous: Ivs. radical, linear- 

 .spatulate, 2-3 in. long, 

 punctate, entire: fls. 1 in. 

 wide; scapes single, leaf- 

 less, 1-fld., 3-9 in. long. 



.4. hinata, Purah^Eriophyl- 

 luin cjpspitosum. — A. lanala, 

 Nutt. .Short, densely hairy Ws. 

 with acape 5-9 in. long. Sum- 



""• N. TATLOE.t 



ACTINIDIA (oktis, ray; referring to the 



114. Aerostiehum 

 aureum. (XK) 



radiate styles). Dilleniacete . Climbing shrubs 

 ' ' " ' ""^ ^on 



cultivated for their handsome foliage which is 

 beautifully variegated in some species, and a few 

 also for their edible fruit. 



Twining shrubs: winter-buds inclosed in the 

 swollen base of the petiole: Ivs. alternate, long-stalked, 

 serrate or sometimes entire: fls. in axillary cymes 

 sometimes solitary, dicecious or polygamous, cup- 

 shaped, H-2 in. across, white or rarely reddish; sepals 

 5, imbricate; petals 5, convolute; stamens numerous; 

 ovary superior, many-celled ; styles numerous, ray-like 

 spreading: fr. a berry, with numerous small seeds. — 

 More than 20 species, chiefly in E. Asia from Saghalin 

 to Java, also on the Himalayas. A revision of the 

 genus has been published by Dunn in Jour. Linn. Soc. 

 Hot. 39:394-410(1911). 



About 7 species are in cultivation; of these A. Kolo- 

 mikta is the hardiest, growing as far north as eastern 

 Canafla; A . argula and A. polygama are hardy in Massa- 

 chusetts, while A. chinensis, which is the most beauti- 

 ful of all, and A. coriacea, are hardy only south of 

 Washington, but may be grown farther north if taken 

 down in autumn and covered wit h leaves. A . argula is 

 excellent for covering arbors, trellises, walls and the 

 like and is remarkably free from insects and fungi. A. 

 Kotomikta and A . polygama show a very striking silvery 

 white or pinkish variegation of the foliage, which is 

 more pronoimced in the staminate plant. A. argula 

 and A. chiiienah are al.so worth cultivating for their 

 etlible fruits, particularly the latter, which hiis fruits 

 up tf) 2 inches long, of a gooseberry-like flavor; to 

 obtain fruit, it is necessary to plant both sexes or a 

 plant with polygamous flowers. A. polygama, and, in 

 a lesser degree, A. Kolomikla, attract cats and are 

 often destroyed by them if not protected by screens. 



The actinidias prefer somewhat moist and rich soil 

 and grow as well in a sunny as in a half-shady position. 



Propagation is by seeds, which are .sf)wn in spring and 

 germinate readily; al.so by cuttings, of half-ripened wood 

 in summer or by hardwood cuttings under glass, and 

 also bv lavers. 



