HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Escal- 

 loniacece. 



A. glandulosa, the only species introduced into 

 our green-houses, is a very beautiful shrub, re- 

 markable for its large, handsome leaves, and 

 axillary panicles or spikes of small white and 

 pink now ers . Introduced from Van Diemen's 

 Land in 184G. Propagated by cuttings. 

 Ansellia. In honor of Mr. Ansell, the botanical 

 collector who accompanied the ill-fated Niger 

 expedition. Linn. Gynandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. (Jrcludacea: 



A small genus of epiphyte! Orchids. A. Afri- 

 cana is a very beautiful plant, found growing on 

 oil-palm trees in the island of Fernando Po. It 

 has a tall stem resembling the sugar cane ; broad, 

 strap-shaped leaves, and large, drooping panicles 

 of greenish flowers, blotched with purple. The 

 plant flowers in January, and keeps in perfec- 

 tion for several months. Propagated by divis- 

 ion. Introduced in 1844. 



Antliemis. Chatnomile. From anlhemon, a flow- 

 er; in reference to the great number of flowers 

 produced. Linn. Syngenesia-Siiperflua. Nat. Ord. 

 Asteracerr. 



The A. Pyreihrum, the Pellitory of Spain, is a 

 pretty little perennial, with large white flowers, 

 stained with lilac on the back. It is a suitable 

 plant for rock-work, or boxes in a balcony, as it 

 requires a warm, dry situation. Miller raised 

 this plant in rather a curious way in 1732, find- 

 ing its seeds among some Malaga raisins to 

 which they had adhered. The root was for- 

 merly considered a cure for the toothache. 

 Anthericum. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Liliacece. 



A. liliaslrum is a very pretty hardy herbaceous 

 plant, has broadish grassy leaves, flower stalk 

 one and a half to two feet high, bearing several 

 large, pure white, sweet-scented flowers, marked 

 on each segment with a green dot. This is com- 

 monly called St. Bruno's Lily. A. vitiatum 

 variegation, a species of recent introduction, from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, has foliage of a bright 

 grassy green color, beautifully striped and mar- 

 gined with creamy white. In variegation and 

 habit it closely resembles Pandanus Vcitchii, 

 but is of more rapid growth and easy of cultiva- 

 tion. It has a hardy constitution, not as against 

 cold, but as against the dry atmosphere and gases 

 of the drawing-room, which makes it a valuable 

 plant for the conservatory or for filling in bas- 

 kets, jardinieres, or rustic designs. The method 

 of propagating this species is both interesting 

 and peculiar. Buds or short shoots are formed on 

 the flokver stems, which, put in as cuttings in 

 the ordinary way, root rapidly. It is propagat- 

 ed by seed or division of root. Introduced from 

 the Cape of Good Hope in 1824. 

 Antholyza. From anthos, a flower, and lyssa, 

 rage ; in reference to the opening of the flower 

 like the mouth of an enraged animal. Linn. Tri- 

 andria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Iridacea;. 



A pretty genus of Cape bulbs, like the Ano- 

 matheca, but of stronger habit. They should be 

 grown in light, rich earth, and have the protec- 

 tion of a frame, or some other covering, in win- 

 ter, to exclude frost. Scarlet and orange are the 

 prevailing colors of the flowers. Introduced 

 from the Cape of Good Hope in 1759. Propagated 

 by offsets. 



Anthurium. From anthos, a flower, and aura, a 

 tail; referring to the spadix or floriferous flower- 

 spike. Linn. Tetrandria-Monogynia.. Nat. Ord. 

 Orontu 



AOT 



This singular plant is a native of Brazil. Can 

 only be grown in a strong, moist heat, that of a hot- 

 house being necessary. A. Scherzerianum, a na- 

 tive of Guatemala and Costa Rica, is one of the 

 most brilliant, showy, and valuable plants of re- 

 cent introduction. Tho singular form and in- 

 tense coloring of the flower, together with the 

 gracefully-curved foliage and long duration of 

 the flowers, (for several weeks, ) render it a most 

 valuable plant. This species is a true epiphyte, 

 and requires to be grown in the same manner as 

 the tropical Orchids. 



Antiaris. Upas Tree. From antja, its Java name. 

 Linn. Moncscia-Tetradynamia. Nat. Ord. Atrocar- 

 pacece. 



A. toxicaria is the fabled Upas Tree of Java, 

 which furnishes a deadly poison in the form of 

 a milky juice that exudes when slightly bruised 

 or cut. The exaggerated accounts, that no other 

 plants, or animals, or birds, could live near the 

 tree; that the death penalty was satisfied if the 

 criminal would cut from the tree a branch, or 

 collect some of its juices, were effectually dis- 

 pelled by Mr. Davidson, author of Trade and 

 Travel in the Far East, who, with a number of 

 friends, climbed up into the tree, took lunch, 

 smoked their cigars, and enjoyed a few hours 

 socially in its branches. The Upas has undoubt- 

 edly derived its evil reputation chiefly from its 

 having been found growing in the celebrated 

 valley of Java, where, through volcanic agency, 

 there is a constant evolution of carbonic acid 

 gas, fatal to air-breathing animals, and where 

 both man and beast frequently fall victims to 

 this invisible danger. "As if to prove the say- 

 ing that reality is more strange than fiction, at 

 least in botany, the very nearest plant in affinity 

 to this deadly-poisonous tree is the Cow Tree of 

 South America, whose milky juice is as whole- 

 some as that of an 'Alderney,' and that the 

 Bread Fruit Tree is also closely allied to the 

 Upas." 



Antirrhinum. Snapdragon. Derived from anti, 

 similar, and rhm, nose. The flowers of most of 

 the species resemble the snout of some animal. 

 Linn. Tetradynamia-Angiospermia. Nat. Ord. 

 ScrophulariactcK. 



Annual and perennial plants, natives of the 

 middle and south of Europe, and of which one 

 species, A. mnjus, the common Snapdragon, is in 

 every garden. There are many varieties of this 

 species, the finest of which, A. m. caryophyUoides, 

 has the flowers striped like those of a flaked Car- 

 nation. All the species of Snapdragon grow in 

 any soil that is tolerably dry, and they are read- 

 ily increased by cuttings; for though they pro- 

 duce abundance of seeds, yet the varieties can 

 only be perpetuated with certainty by the for- 

 mer mode of propagation. The beautiful carna- 

 tion-like variety will, indeed, very seldom pro- 

 duce striped flowers two years in succession 

 from the same root; and thus a person who has 

 purchased a plant with beautifully-striped flow- 

 ers will generally have the mortification, the 

 second year, of finding it produce nothing but 

 flowers of the common Snapdragon, unless cut- 

 tings hnve been made from the young shoots of 

 the plant, and the old root thrown away. As 

 this plant, in its wild state, is very commonly 

 found growing on the tops of old walls, it may 

 be considered as one of the most ornamental 

 plants for placing in such a situation. 



Aotus. From a, not, and ous, ear; the ear-like 

 appendages to the calyx are wanting. Linn. 

 Decandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



