HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



41 



CAU 



run through all the shades of white, rose, rosy- 

 lilac, crimson, and carmine, nor is even yellow 

 absent. Where all are beautiful it is scarcely 

 necessary to select. The following, however, 

 should be in every collection : crispa, Harrison- 

 iai, intermedia, labiata, Loddigesii, Mossue and its 

 numerous varieties. All the Cattleyas are in- 

 creased by division. 



Cauliflower. Brassica oleracea cauliflora. The 

 Cauliflower is the most delicate and delicious of 

 the genus Brassica. Its early history is entirely 

 unknown. It is supposed to have originated in 

 Italy. It is mentioned by Gerarde in 1597, 

 then very rare in England, and it was not 

 brought to any degree of perfection, or grown 

 for the market, until about 1700. From that 

 period until the present, there has been a slow, 

 but marked and steady improvement in the size 

 and quality of this vegetable. To the English 

 and Dutch gardeners we are chiefly indebted for 

 the perfection the Cauliflower has attained. 

 Heads of immense size are now grown for the 

 market. It is by no means uncommon to see a 

 head perfectly sound and smooth, fully ten 

 inches in diameter, and, contrary to the usual 

 rule, size is not obtained at the expense of qual- 

 ity, the larger, if differing at all, being more 

 tender and delicious. The varieties of the 

 Cauliflower are numerous. In this work we can 

 not point out the best. Locality and selection 

 cause variations more marked than even the va- 

 rieties. The most popular in the United States 

 at this time are Snowball and Erfurt for early, 

 and Algiers for late. For the perfection of the 

 Cauliflower a deep, rich, loamy soil is required, 

 a low, moist situation being preferable. It will 

 not succeed in dry ground. Where irrigation 

 can be employed, the greatest benefits will be 

 derived ; in fact, a large crop with irrigation 

 will be secured, when without it the result 

 would be total failure. 



Caulophylluml The generic name of the plant 

 commonly known as Blue Cohosh, sometimes 

 called Pappoose-root. 



Cayenne Pepper. See Capsicum. 



Ceanothus. Red Root, New Jersey Tea. An ob- 

 scure name in Theophrastus, probably mis- 

 spelled. Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 



A genus of low-growing shrubs, one of the 

 most conspicuous and best known being C. 

 America-nus, a species common in dry woodlands. 

 This shrub attained considerable notoriety dur- 

 ing the American Revolution, on account of its 

 leaves being dried and used as a substitute for 

 tea, a practice not yet wholly discontinued. The 

 roots are used in dyeing wool of a Nankeen or 

 cinnamon color. There are several species from 

 Mexico and South America, that have lately 

 been introduced into the green-house, and re- 

 garded with favor. Their season of flowering 

 is too short to warrant very general cultivation. 



Cedar. See Juniperus. 



Cedar of Lebanon. See C&lrus. 



Cedrus. The Cedar. Found plentifully on the 

 banks of a brook in Judea, named Kedron ; 

 whence the name. Linn. Monoetia-Monadelphia. 

 Nat. Ord. Pinacece. 



This genus consists of a few species that have 

 been separated from Abies and Juniperus, their 

 characteristics being their evergreen leaves, dis- 

 posed in bundles, or fasicles, and their upright 

 cones. The Cedar of Lebanon is one of the most 

 prominent species, so often mentioned in Sacred 

 History. It is one of the most beautiful ever- 



CEL 



green trees for lawn decoration, though rarely 

 met. There is a noble specimen on the grounds 

 of W. F. D. Monie, at Queens, L. I. It is upward 

 of thirty feet high, with a trunk four and a half 

 feet in circumference. There was a still larger 

 specimen a few years since on the grounds of the 

 late Geo. C. Thorburn, at Astoria, L. I. The spe- 

 cies are natives of Asia and Africa. 

 Celandine. The popular name of the genus Chc- 



tklonium, a common door-yard weed. 

 Celastrus. Staff Tree, Bitter Sweet. From 

 kelas, the latter season ; referring to the fruit 

 hanging on the trees all winter. Linn. Penian- 

 dria-Monoyynia. Nat. Ord. Celaslracece. 



This genus consists of trees, shrubs, and 

 climbers. Our native species, C. scandens, is a 

 handsome twining shrub, remarkable for its 

 orange-colored capsules, and the scarlet coating 

 of the fruit. It is planted as an ornamental 

 climber, and is known by its popular name of 

 Bitter Sweet. Propagated by seed and suckers. 

 Celeriac. See Celery. 



Celery. Apium yraveokns. Celery is a native of 

 England, and is found in its wild state in marshy 

 places and ditches near the coast. It is a bien- 

 nial. There are in its wild state two kinds, the 

 red and the white-stalked, of both of which 

 there are numerous garden varieties, the culti- 

 vation of which is carried on to a very great ex- 

 tent, both here and in Europe. Celeriac, or Tur- 

 nip-rooted Celery, is a distinct variety of the 

 preceding. Its peculiarity consists in the root, 

 which closely resembles that of a turnip, and is 

 the part eaten. It is more hardy than the com- 

 mon Celery, and can be preserved for use much 

 later in the spring. It is but little grown ex- 

 cept in France and Germany, where it is 

 employed as a vegetable and as a salad. It is 

 usually boiled until tender, and then slightly 

 pickled in vinegar. 



Celosia. From kelos, burnt ; in reference to the 

 burnt-like appearance of the flowers of some of 

 the species. Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Amaranihacece. 



These are ornamental or curious plants. Only 

 one or two species, however, are regarded as 

 sufficiently ornamental to be included in ordi- 

 nary collections. One of these, C. cristata, the 

 common Cockscomb, is almost universally 

 grown. To be grown well the seed should be 

 sown in March, in the green-house or hot-bed. 

 As soon as the young plants can be handled 

 safely, they should be placed singly in small 

 pots, filled with the same kind of soil in which 

 they were started. In these they should remain 

 until symptoms of flowering appear, when they 

 may be changed into larger pots or turned out 

 into the border, where they should have a rich 

 soil, such as loam and rotten manure, in equal 

 parts ; then, with a liberal supply of liquid ma- 

 nure, flower-heads of enormous size will be ob- 

 tained. It is on this account that small pots are 

 recommended for the young plants up till the 

 appearance of the flowers ; for if the roots be 

 allowed much space at this period, the stem nat- 

 urally increases in height without a compensat- 

 ing increase in the size of the "comb.' This 

 species was introduced from Asia in 1570, and 

 from it florists have produced a great number of 

 varieties. 



Celtis. Nettle Tree, Hack-berry, Sugar-berry. An 

 ancient name for the Lotus. The fruit of the 

 European Nettle Tree is supposed to have been 

 the food of the Lotophagi. Linn. Polyyamia- 

 Monoecia. Nat. Ord. iMmacece. 



