HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



21 



ASP 



A small genus found in China and Japan, re- i 

 inarkable for producing their flowers under the ; 

 surface of the earth. They are useful house 

 plants. The foliage of A. vari?<jatu (green with 

 broad stripes of white) contrasts finely with or- 

 namental foliaged plants. Propagated by suck- 

 ers. For the production of well-marked plants, 

 the pots in which they are grown should be 

 small, and the soil liberally mixed with sand. 

 Introduced in 1835. 



Aspidium. Shield Fern, Wood Fern. From 

 aspidion, a little buckler ; the shape of the indu- 

 sium. Lhm. Oryptogamia-Filices. Nat. Ord. 

 Potypodiacece. 



An extensive genus of hardy and green-house 

 Ferns. Many of the species are common in j 

 moist, shady places throughout the United 

 States. The green-house varieties are mostly | 

 from the West Indies. All the species are of 

 easy culture. Many of them are deservedly 

 popular in the fern-house or shady border. 

 Asplenium. Spleenwort. From a, privative, 

 and splen, spleen; referring to its supposed 

 medicinal properties. Linn. tiyptoyamia-Filices. \ 

 Nat. Ord. Polypodiacece. 



This genus, as established by Linnaeus, was 

 a very extensive one, and the species exceed- 

 ingly varied. So much confusion existed in re- 

 gard to it, that modern botanists have divided , 

 and sub-divided it; yet it contains a large num- ! 

 ber of hardy and tropical species, many of which j 

 are exceedingly beautiful and interesting, and 

 are commonly found in our green-houses. Some ; 

 of the species have the very singular property of 

 bearing little buds on their surface, from which 

 young plants are formed. It is not an uncom- 

 mon thing to see fifteen or twenty of these young 

 plants, all perfectly developed, from one to two 

 inches high, on a single frond. This species is 

 popularly known as a bulb-bearing Fern. Sev- 

 eral of the species are indigenous throughout 

 the United States, and there is scarcely a coun- 

 try in which some of the species may not be 

 found. 



Aster. From aster, a star. Linn. Synrjenesia-Su- ! 

 pt-rnna. Nat. Ord. Composite!:. 



There are upward of one hundred and fifty 

 species included in this genus, chiefly hardy j 

 herbaceous plants, useful for ornamenting the ; 

 flower borders in the autumn ; generally attain- | 

 ing a height of from two to four feet, and pro- j 

 ducing white, red or blue flowers. They are 

 easily increased by separating the old stools. 

 The well-known German and China Asters are \ 

 now classed under Callistephus. 

 Astilbe. From o, privative, and stilbe, bright- , 

 ness ; flowers not very striking. Linn. Decan- -, 

 dria-Dlgynia. Nat. Ord. Saxifragacece. 



A. barbfda, commonly called A. Japonica, j 

 ^pii-fna Japonica, and Jloteia Japonica, is a native i 

 of Japan, and a perfectly hardy herbaceous 

 plant. The dark green cut leaves form a hand- j 

 some tuft, from which arise numerous crowded > 

 panicles of feathery white flowers. Excellent 

 for forcing in pots, and fine for cutting. There j 

 i.s a variety with variegated foliage, green and j 

 yellow, not so vigorous in habit, but in all other 

 respects similar. Propagated by division of ' 

 roots. 



Astragalus. Milk Vetch. The ancient Greek j 

 name for some leguminous plant. Linn. D'm- 

 delphia-Dceandria. Nat. Ord. Falxicur. 



An extensive genus of hardy annuals, peren- 

 nials, and deciduous trees and shrubs. Many j 

 of the species are beautiful plants for the flower ! 



ATT 



garden. They are vigorous growers, and suc- 

 ceed in a well-drained, sandy soil. The gonus 

 is widely distributed, there being scarcely a 

 country where it is not indigenous. The flow- 

 ers are pea-shaped, and mostly yellow ov pur- 

 ple. Several of our native species produce a 

 fruit resembling green plums, that are edible. 

 On the prairies they are called Ground Plums. 

 A. mottissimus, popularly known as "Loco, "or 

 " Crazy Weed," is the notorious cattle-poisoning 

 weed of Colorado and California. Cattle and 

 horses eating it show many of the symptoms of 

 drunkenness, and under certain circumstances 

 the results are fatal. The gum-like substance 

 called Tragacanth is the produce of several 



rcies growing in Persia, Asia Minor, and Kur- 

 tan. The gum exudes naturally from the 

 bark in the same way that gum exudes from the 

 bark of Cherry or Plum trees . While many of the 

 species are useful or ornamental, by far the 

 larger number are troublesome weeds. 



Astrocaryum. From astron, a star, and karyon, 

 a nut; referring to the distribution of the fruit. 

 Linn. Mon&cia-Hexandria. Nat. Ord. PalmacecK. 

 A small genus of Palms allied to Cocos, chiefly 

 natives of the Upper Amazon. They have large 

 pinnate leaves, and are armed with spines, some- 

 times a foot long, and exceedingly sharp. The 

 fruit of some of the species furnishes food for 

 cattle and swine. The young leaves of A. vulgare 

 yield a fine thread, from which the best ham- 

 mocks are woven. 



Ataccia. Malay name. Linn. Hexandria-Mono- 

 gynia. Nat. Ord. Taccacece. 



A division of the genus Tacca. " There are 

 few more remarkable-looking plants than A. 

 cristata, sometimes met in the gardens under 

 the incorrect name of Tacca iniegrifolia. It hajs 

 a short, conical, underground caudex, or rhi- 

 zome, and produces from this caudex three or 

 four large, oblong, acuminate, purplish-green 

 stalked leaves. The scape is about as long as 

 the leaves, erect, stout, angled, dark purple, 

 terminated by a large four-leaved involucre, of 

 which the two outer leaflets are dark purple, 

 and the two inner much larger, placed side by 

 side, green with a deep purple base and otalk. " 

 The species are remarkable for their curious 

 structure, but are of no value as flowering 

 plants, or for economic purposes. 



Atamasco Lily. See Zephyranlhes. 



Athyrium. A small genus of Ferns, until re- 

 cently included in Asplenium. A. Goringianum 

 pictum is a beautiful half-hardy deciduous va- 

 riety from Japan. 



Atriplex. Orache, Mountain Spinach. From 

 atcr, black, and plexus, woven together; on ac- 

 count of the dark color and habit of some of 

 the species. Linn. Polygamia-Moncecia. Nat. 

 Ord. Okenapodiacece. 



A. horiensis, the only species of interest, is 

 a tall-growing, hardy plant, annual, known in 

 pur gardens as Orache. It is but little grown 

 in this country, but very popular in France. It 

 is a native of Tartary, introduced into France in 

 1548. It grows freely with ordinary garden cul- 

 ture. Seeds are sown in both spring and full to 

 secure a succession. 



Attalea. From attains, magnificent; in reference 

 to the beauty of these Palms. Linn. Moncecia- 

 Polyandria. Nat. Ord. Palmacea?. 



A genus of very beautiful Palms allied to 

 Cocos. With one or two exceptions, they are 

 natives of Brazil. A. funifera yields a black 

 fiber resembling whalebone, an article of con- 



