ALYSSUM 



AMARANTUS 



269 



bens, of spreading habit; and various horticultural 

 forms with trade names. 



2. spinosum, Linn. A woody-stemmed little peren- 

 nial, with lanceolate acute silvery Ivs., spiny H. branches, 

 and very small numerous fls. Eu. — Rockwork; 3-6 in. 

 A rose-colored form is re- 

 ported. 



3. pyrenaicum, Lapeyr. 

 Dwarf, shrubby, not spiny: 

 Ivs. obovate, tomentose: fls. 

 wliite with brown anthers. 



I Pyrenees. Perennial. 



4. podolicum, Bess. (Schiv- 

 ereckia podolica, Andrz. & 

 Bess. ) . Dwarf : Ivs. in rosette, 

 lanceolate, 2-toothed on mar- 

 gins: fls. white, short-pedi- 

 celled; petals entire. Early 

 spring. S. Russia. Perennial. 



AA. Fls. yellow or orange: 



perennials. 

 B. Lvs. join, or less long. 



5. serpylUfdlium, Desf. (A. 

 alpe.itre, Linn.?). Dwarf (3-4 

 in. high), somewhat woody 

 at the base, with rough-hoary 

 lvs., and pale yellow fls. in 



racemes. Eu. Intro. 

 1892. 



182. Alyssum saxatile. 



BB. Lvs. mostly 1 in. or 

 more long. 

 6. saxatile, Linn. 



Golden - tuft. Fig. 

 ^) 182. A foot high, 



wood J- at base: lvs. 

 oblanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, entire or wavy, 

 hoarv-tomentose: fls. golden vellow, numerous, in little 

 compact clusters. Eu. B.M'. 159. A.F. 5:37.— Com- 

 mon in rockwork, making a spreading mat, blooming 

 in early spring. There are man},' forms of this standard 

 rock plant. Var. compactum, Hort., dwarf. Var. flore- 

 pleno, Hort., double-fld. Var. variegatum Hort. (A. 

 vnriegatum, Hort.), has parti-colored foliage, very 

 attractive. 



7. gemonense, Linn. Less hardy than the last: lvs. 

 lanceolate, grayish, velvety: fls. lemon-yellow: st. woody 

 at base. Eu. 



8. rostratum, Stev. (A. Wierzbickii, Heuff.). About 

 20 in.: Ivs. 2 in. long, broad-oblong, pointed, hairy: fls. 

 deep yellow, in dense heads, in summer. Asia Minor. 



9. argenteum, Vitm. Fig. 183. Dwarf and dense 

 grower, 15 in. or so: Ivs. oblong or spatulate, silvery 

 beneath, some of the tufted fls. yellow, in clustered 

 heads, all summer, beginning later than those of A. 

 saxatile. Eu. 



10. montanum, Linn. Tufted alpine, 2-3 in. high, 

 more or less herbaceous, pubescent: Ivs. obovate: fls. 

 yellow, fragrant, in a simple raceme. Eu. 



11. Moellendorfianum, Asch. Sts. ascending: lvs. 

 with stellate hairs on both sides, from spatulate to sub- 

 ovate, obtuse: fls. yellow, in elongated many-fld. 

 racemes, the pedicels nearly horizontal and bractless: 

 fr. nearly orbicular. Bosnia. 



Many other species of alyssum are likely to be found in choice 

 rock-garden collections. .4. alp^stre, Linn. 3 in., grayish: Ba. yellow, 

 in simple raceme. — .4. atlAnticum, Desf.^A. montanum. — .4. 

 Bertholdnii. Desv.=.\. argenteum. — A. cuneifdlium, Tenore^.\. 

 montanum. — A daaycdrpum, Steph. Annual: fls. yellow. — A. 

 diffiisum, Tenore=A. montanum. — A. macrordrpum, DC. Shrubby, 

 somewhat spiny, 8 in.: Ivs. oblong, silvery: fls. white. — .4. orien- 

 tnle, Ard. 1 ft.: Ivs. lanceolate, toothed, downy: fls. yellow, in 

 corymbs. — A. lorludsum. Rupr. 6 in., st. twisted; lvs. narrow, 

 hoary: fls. yellow, in corymbs. T TT H 



ALEXIA: Gynopogon. 



AMAGLYPT0S; Hemiraphis. 

 AMANITA: Mushroom. 



AMARABOYA (native name). Melastomacese. A 

 genus of onlj- 3 species of tender shrubs from Colombia, 

 which are showy both in foliage and flower. Lvs. large, 

 opposite, sessile, with 3 prominent nerves, brownish 

 red beneath: fls. large, cymose; petals usually 6; sta- 

 mens 12-15. For cult., see Pleroma. Not known to be 

 in American trade. Considered by some as a section of 

 the much larger genus Blakea. 



A. amdbilis. Linden. Lvs. 10-12 in. long, 8 in. broad: fis. white, 

 margined carmine: stamens white; style red, exserted. I.H. 34:9. 

 — .4. prlnceps, Linden. Fls. carmine; stamen.s white; styles white. 

 LH. 34:4. — .4. splindida. Linden. Fls. 6.'iin. across; petals 

 narrower at the base than in the other species; stamens yellow; 

 style red, exserted. I.H. 34:34. — Perhaps the showiest of all the 

 Melastomacese. ^^ TAYLOR.t 



AMARANTUS (Greek, unfading, in aUusion to the 

 lasting character of the calyx and floral bracts). 

 Amarantaces. Amaranth. Coarse aimual plants, grown 

 for colored foliage and the showy flower-clusters; 

 related to the cockscomb. 



Plants tall and erect or spreading or even prostrate: 

 lvs. alternate, entire, petioled: fls. very small con- 

 gested in terminal or axiUary spikes or glomerules, each 

 fl. subtended by 3 chaffy bracts; petals 0; sepals 3-5, 

 persistent; stamens 2-5: fr. a small 1-seeded utricle.— 

 Some 45-.50 species, mostly weedy plants, widely dis- 

 tributed. Some of the pigweeds are of this genus, as 

 A. retroflexus, sometimes known as beet-root and red- 

 root; A. hyhriflus; A. gra^cizans (A. albiis), one of the 

 tumble-weeds; A. spinosus; A. blitoides and .4. Palmeri, 

 spreading eastward along railroads. 



The amarantlis are usually planted as open-air 

 annuals, and they require no special treatment. They 

 thrive best in a hot and sunny place. In very rich soil 

 the leaves become 

 very large but usu- 

 ally lack in bright 

 coloring. Seeds may 

 be sown in the open 

 or in frames. The 

 dwarf and compact 

 varieties, which 

 often have beauti- 

 fully variegated 

 fohage, may be 

 grown in pots or 

 used for bedding. 

 Give plenty of 

 room. 



A. Lvs. linear - lan- 

 ceolate, long and 

 drooping. 

 sa li cif olius, 



Veitch. Graceful 



pyramidal habit, 3 



ft.: lvs. 5-8 in. long 



and J^in. wide, 



wavy, bronze-green, 



changing to orange- 

 red. Philippines. 



G.C.I. 1871 :1550. 



F.S. 19:1929. 



AA. Lvs. broad, 



mostly ovate. 



B. Spikes drooping. 



caudatus, Linn. 

 Love - lies - bleed- 

 ing. Fig. 184. Tall, 

 robust and diffuse 

 (3-5 ft.): lvs. ovate 



to ovate - oblong, 183. Alyssum argenteum. (Plant X ^) 



