HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



41 



CHL 



Chlorophytum. From cMoro.s, green, andphyton, 

 a plant ; referring to the appearance of the plants. 

 Linn. Hexandrin-Monogynia. Nat. Orel. Liliace<r. 

 A small genus of herbaceous plants, mostly 

 with inconspicuous flowers. C. datum is in 

 cultivation, and is a pretty, free-flowering 

 plant, with a tall scape, and terminal racemes of 

 white, star-like flowers. It is a native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and allied to Anthericum. 



Chocolate. See Theobr<>n<'i. 



Choisya. Named after M. Choiay, a botanist of 

 Geneva. Linn. Decan<lri<t-3fono<jynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Rutacece. 



C. ternata, the only species, is a handsome 

 white-flowered shrub, growing about six feet 

 high. It is a native of Mexico, an evergreen, 

 and will succeed well with ordinary green-house 

 treatment. It is increased by cuttings. Intro- 

 duced in 1825. 



Choke-Berry. The popular name of the fruit of 

 the Pyrus arbutifolia, a common shrub from two 

 to ten feet high, found in damp thickets. 



Choke Cherry. See Om.sv. 



Chondrilla. From chomlros, a lump ; the plants 

 bear lumps of gummy matter on the stems. 

 Linn. Syiifjenesia-jEqwdis. Nat. Ord. Asterwcn'. 

 A genus of mostly uninteresting plants allied 

 to Lactuca, (Lettuce.) C. jimcen, a native of 

 Southern Europe, has escaped from the garden 

 and become naturalized in some of the Southern 

 States. It is a straggling, many-branched plant, 

 and almost destitute of leaves when in flower. 

 There are more than twenty species included in 

 this genus, mostly weedy plants. 



Choretis. From choros, to unite in chorus ; this 

 genus being an intermediate link between Hy- 

 menocalHs and Ismene. Linn. Hex(indria-3I<>n>.- 

 <jynia. Nat. Ord. ArnaryUidacecK. 



An interesting genus of half-hardy bulbs from 

 Texas and Mexico, requiring a rest from Novem- 

 ber until May. They grow freely in a light, 

 sandy soil in the open border, or they may be 

 grown in pots in the green-house, and for this 

 purpose they should be started in March in a 

 cool house, heat and water to be increased with 

 their growth. The flowers are very beautiful, 

 pure white, with a green eye and a greenish 

 stripe. Propagated by division of bulbs. 



Chorozema. Linn. Decandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. FabacecK. 



This interesting green-house plant was first 

 discovered in Western Australia by Labillar- 

 diere. This botanist was attached to the expe- 

 dition sent by the French Government in 

 search of the lost La Perouse, and on one of his 

 excursions suffered much, with his party, for 

 the want of water. At last they met with springs 

 that furnished an ample supply, near which ho 

 found this plant, which he named Chorozemfi, 

 from choros, a dance, and zemn, a drink ; in allu- 

 sion to the joyful feelings of the party on meet- 

 ing with a supply of water. Of this really beau- 

 tiful genus there are many species ; the one 

 most commonly met is C. varia, a rapid-growing 

 and free-flowering kind. The flowers are of a 

 bright orange-red color, in long terminal ra- 

 cemes, flowering through the winter months. 

 It is readily propagated by cuttings, which 

 should be taken in February, and grown in 

 small pots until the weather is suitable for 

 planting out, as they should be grown in the 

 border during summer. Before there is danger 

 from frost, take up and pot in five-inch pots, in 

 good rich loam and sand. Cut well back, and 

 give it a warm, sunny situation, with liberal 



CHR 



watering as soon as the new growth commences. 

 It will begin to bloom in eigbt to ten weeks. 

 Christmas Rose. See HeUf-borns nljer. 

 | Chrysanthemum. From chrysos, gold, and an- 

 ttfix, a flower ; alluding to the color of some of 

 the flowers being yellow. Linn. Synyenegia-Su- 

 perflua. Nat. Ord. Asteracece. 



The value of the Chinese Chrysanthemum, C. 

 Sinense, as an ornament of the flower-garden, the 

 green -house, or the conservatory, in the autum- 

 nal months, is well known and duly appreciated. 

 From the almost numberless varieties now cul- 

 tivated it is easy to form a selection at once rich, 

 and varied. The first object in the culture of 

 these plants is to obtain dwarf specimens, and 

 to preserve all the foliage near the base of the 

 stems. To effect this, the cuttings should be 

 taken from the old stools in May. They are 

 rooted readily in a green-house or a frame. As 

 soon as rooted, the young plants should be pot- 

 ted singly in small pots filled with sandy loam, 

 to in duce them to emit an abundance of roots. 

 A cool, airy situation out of doors should be se- 

 lected for them, and constant attention be given 

 to the supply of water. After standing about a 

 month in this position, they should be shifted 

 into the large pots they are intended to bloom 

 in, using a mixture of equal parts of loam and 

 rotten manure, and at the same time the top of 

 the plant should be cut off, which will cause it 

 to send out branches, and these again may be 

 stopped if they grow strongly, and it can be 

 done before the end of August. During the 

 whole of the time the plants are out of doors, 

 which will be till the approach of frost, they 

 should stand at some distance from each other, 

 that each one may have the full influence of the 

 air. Being carefully watered every day with 

 pure water, and occasionally with diluted liquid 

 manure, the new growth will be vigorously de- 

 veloped, and the flowers better and larger. If 

 the points of the shoots which are taken off last 

 can be induced to root quickly, they make pretty 

 little plants of a few inches in height, sur- 

 mounted with flowers equally fine with those on 

 the larger specimens, and are useful for the 

 fronts of shelves or to stand before the largo 

 pots. On the removal of the plants to the green- 

 house, crowding should be avoided, and a full 

 supply of both air and water given daily until 

 the flowering season is past, when they may be 

 removed to a shed or put in a cold frame until 

 spring, when they may be separated and planted 

 out, or started for cuttings. There has been re- 

 cently introduced from Japan quite a distinct 

 and unique class of Chrysanthemums, with very 

 large flowers of various colors. There are sev- 

 eral annual Chrysanthemums with white, yel- 

 low, and purple flowers, which easily grow from 

 seed, and well deserve a place in the flower 

 garden. C. frutescens is the "Marguerite" of the 

 Paris gardens, and has for the past few years 

 been somewhat extensively used in bouquets, 

 etc., by the florists of New York and other larg.> 

 cities; but as the flower is simply a Daisy tho 

 fashion is not likely to be long continued. Leu- 

 canikemum ri'/;/<m>, (<'liri/mn>th'-iitHm leiicantfiemxni, 

 L.,) the Ox-eye Daisy of the fields, has also been 

 used for the same purpose. There is now a yel- 

 low-flowered variety of C. frutescens, called the 

 " Golden Marguerite." 



Chrysobactron. From clrysns, gold, and bnk- 

 tron, a wand ; alluding to the magnificent ra- 

 cemes of C. Rossii. Linn. Hexandria-Mvnoyynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Liliacea: 



