HENDERSON'S 

 HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



ABA 



A baca, a popular name given to one of the 



J\. Musas or Bananas of the Philippine Islands. 



Abele. The White Poplar, Populus alba, of Eu- 

 rope ; a tree that has been extensively planted 

 as an ornamental tree, but discarded because 

 of its tendency to sucker and spread beyond 

 control. 



Abelia. After Dr. Abd, physician to the embas- 

 sage of Lord Amherst to China. Linn. Pen- 

 tandrta-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Caprifdiacece. 



A small genus of green-house shrubs, found in 

 India, China, Mexico, and Japan. They are of a 

 slender branching habit, bearing opposite leaves 

 and terminal bunches of tubular flowers, rose 

 colored or dark crimson. A. rupestris, a native 

 of China, is of dwarf habit, and flowers pro- 

 fusely in autumn or winter. The flowers are in 

 compact clusters, very fragrant. A. floribunda, a 

 Mexican species, has dark-colored flowers, pro- 

 duced from the axils of the leaves. This species 

 is inclined to grow straggly. All the species are 

 increased by cuttings. Introduced in 1844. 



Abies. Spruce, Fir. The classical Latin name. 

 Linn. Monaecia-Monaddphia. Nat. Ord. Pinaceos. 

 An extensive genus of hardy evergreen trees. 

 Most of the species are ornamental, and exten- 

 sively planted for hedges around large grounds* 

 or for single specimens on the lawn. A. excelsa, 

 the Norway Spruce, is the most commonly 

 planted, and one of the best of our native spe- 

 cies. A. alba is the White Spruce ; A. Canadensis, 

 the common Hemlock; A. balsamea, the Balsam 

 Fir; and A. nigra, the Black or Double Spruce. 

 A. Douglassi is a noble species, common west 

 of the Bocky Mountains. It attains a height of 

 two hundred feet, and a diameter of ten feet, 

 and is entitled to a place among the "great trees" 

 of California. 



Abobra. Derivation of name unknown. Linn. 

 llonoRda-Monaddphia. Nat. Ord. Cacurbitacece. 



A. viridiftora is a very pretty climber, suitable 

 for planting out during summer. Foliage dark 

 green and glossy ; flowers insignificant, but the 

 small scarlet fruit makes the plant very effec- 

 tive. Root tuberous; perennial. Keep during 

 winter like the Dahlia. 



A.broma. From a, privative, and broma, food; 

 unfit to be eaten. Linn. Polyaddphia-Decandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Sterculiacece. 



Handsome, free flowering species, of easy cul- 

 ture, growing readily in common loam, and prop- 

 agated by seeds or offsets. The flowers are in 

 terminal or axillary clusters, yellow or purple. 

 The bark of A. augusta, a native of the East 

 Indies, furnishes a very strong white fiber, 

 iised in the manufacture of cordage that is 

 not liable to be weakened by exposure to wet. 

 This plant is rarely met, except in botanical col- 

 lections. 



ACA 



Abronia. From abros, delicate ; referring to the 

 involucrtun. Linn. Pentandria-Mtmogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Nyctaginacece. 



These charming annuals are natives of Cali- 

 fornia. A. umbdlata, introduced in 1826, is a 

 handsome trailing plant, well adapted for rock- 

 work, suspended baskets, or beds, flowering 

 freely during the autumn months. Flowers in 

 trusses, like the Verbena, of a rosy-lilac color, 

 very fragrant. They succeed well also in the 

 garden border. Seed should be sown as soon as 

 the ground is in order. They may with profit be 

 started in a hot-bed or frame, and transplanted 

 to any desired situation. 



Abrus. Wild Liquorice. From abros, soft; in 

 allusion to the delicacy of the leaves. Linn. Dia- 

 ddphia-Decandria. Nat. Ord. Ibbacece. 



A. precatorius, the only species, is found in 

 India, the West Indies, and the Mauritius. It is 

 chiefly remarkable for its small egg-shaped 

 seeds, which are of a brilliant scarlet color, with 

 a black mark, indicating the place where they 

 were attached to the pod. These seeds are 

 much used for necklaces and other ornamental 

 purposes, and are employed in India as a stand- 

 ard of weight, under the name of Bati. The 

 weight of the Koh-i-noor diamond is known to 

 have been ascertained in this way. The specific 

 name is from precatorius, prayer, the seeds being 

 used for rosaries. 



Abutilon. Chinese Bell-flower. Arabic name for 

 a plant like a Mallow. Linn. Monadelphia-Poty- 

 andria. Nat. Ord. MalvacecK. 



A highly interesting genus of hot and green- 

 house plants, widely spread throughout all the 

 warm latitudes. They produce white, rose, yel- 

 low, or orange colored flowers, all except the 

 white being veined or striped with red and 

 crimson. They grow rapidly when planted in 

 sandy loam, and are readily propagated by cut- 

 tings. 



Acacia. From akazo, to sharpen, on account of 

 the prickliness of the species first noticed. Linn. 

 Pdygam'M-MonoBcia. Nat. Ord. Legumlnosce. 



An extensive group of really handsome plants, 

 many of them assuming in their native posi- 

 tions the character of timber trees; but with us 

 are easily accommodated in a good conserva- 

 tory, where their bright yellow flowers, pro- 

 duced in winter and early spring, are highly or- 

 namental. They are for the most part natives of 

 New Holland and adjacent countries, though a 

 few have been found both in the East and West 

 Indies. They succeed best when planted out in 

 the green-house, but may be satisfactorily man- 

 aged in pots, if placed in a sandy loam. Cut- 

 tings may be struck in a gentle heat under 

 glass, though young plants are more easily ob- 

 tained from seed. 



