HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



CUN 



Cunila. Dittany. The derivation of this word is 

 doubtful; by some botanists it is supposed to 

 be from konox, a cone, and by others from ('- 

 nila, the name of a town. Linn. Diandria-M >,,<>- 

 iji/nia. Nat. Ord. Lamiacece. 

 ' Native hardy herbaceous perennials, common 

 on dry hills from New York to Illinois and south- 

 ward. They produce clusters of small white or j 

 purplish flowers from July to September. Prop- j 

 agated by root division. 



Cunninghamia. In honor of two brothers, J. 

 find A. Cunni mjham, British botanists in Aus- < 

 tralia. Linn. Moncecia-Monadelphia. Nat. Ord. 

 Pitiacece. 



C. Sinensis, the only known species, is a lofty 

 evergreen tree, native of South China. It bears 

 a close resemblance to the Araucarias, the foli- ! 

 age, however, being of a brighter gieen and less I 

 rigid. It is too tender for our climate, but its 

 elegance makes it welcome in any conservatory 

 where there is room for its development. Prop- 

 agated from seed. Introduced in 1804. 



Cupania. Named after Francis Cupani, an Ital- 

 ian monk, who wrote on botany. Linn. Octan- 

 dria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Sapindacece. 



A genus of ornamental green-house evergreen 

 trees, chiefly natives of Mexico and the West j 

 Indies. The species vary in height from six to 

 twenty feet, and produce beautiful white flowers. 

 One species, C. pendula, a native of tropical j 

 Australia, is a lofty-growing tree, and furnishes 

 the beautiful wood known as Tulip wood, so 

 called from its Tulip-like markings. The spe- 

 cies are increased by cuttings. 



Cuphea. From kuptios, curved; referring to the 

 form of the seed-pods. Linn. Dodecandria-Mono- 

 (jijn'm. Nat. Ord. Lythracete. 



An extensive genus of green-house evergreens 

 and half-hardy annuals. With a few exceptions, j 

 such as C'. platycentra, commonly known as 

 " Scgar Plant " and " Fire Cracker Plant," they j 

 are of but little merit. C. platycentra makes a 

 beautiful border and room plant. It is propa- 

 gated readily by cuttings, grows freely, and 

 produces its scarlet and purple tubular flowers 

 in great profusion nearly the whole year. In- ! 

 troduced from Mexico in 18i5. 



Cup Plant. See Silphium. 



Cupressus. Cypress. From kuo, to produce, j 

 and parisos, equal ; in reference to the symmet- 

 rical growth of some of the species. Linn. 

 Monceda-Monadelphia. Nat. Ord. Pinacece. 



An extensive genus of hardy evergreen trees, 

 widely disseminated. C. sempei-virens, the com- 

 mon European Cypress, is a native of Persia, but 

 has for so long a time been generally planted j 

 throughout the East, that it is impossible to as- 

 certain the section where it is indigenous. The 

 timber of this species is highly esteemed for its 

 durability, being considered superior to cedar. 

 The doors of St. Peter's Church at Home, which 

 had been formed of this wood in the time of 

 Constantino, showed no signs of decay when, 

 after the lapse of eleven hundred years, Pope 

 Eugenius IV. took them down to replace them i 

 by gates of brass. In order to preserve the re- 

 mains of their heroes, the Athenians buried i 

 them in coffins of Cypress; and the chests or | 

 coffins in which the Egyptian mummies are ' 

 found are usually of the same material. C. ' 

 thyoides is the White Cedar or Cypress of our 

 Southern States, a graceful and beautiful tree i 

 in its native home, but only thrives in wet j 

 places. There are several species found in j 

 California and Oregon, some of which are mag- 



CYA 



nificent trees; others are graceful and ornament- 

 al shrubs. The beautiful Retinosporas of Japan 

 are nearly related to this genus. 



Curculigo. Derived from curculio, a weevil; the 

 seeds having a process resembling the beak of 

 that animal. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. UypoxidacecK. 



A genus of green-house herbaceous plants, 

 some of which have large, grassy, ribbed leaves 

 beautifully recurved, making them suitable for 

 conservatory decoration. A variety with striped 

 foliage, green and white, of somewhat recent 

 introduction, is one of our most ornamental 

 foliage plants. C. recur vata is a native of Bengal, 

 and was introduced in 1805. They are readily 

 propagated by suckers, and grow freely in a 

 mixture of turfy loam and sand. 



Currant. See Eibes. 



Curcuma. Turmeric. From kurkum, its Arabic 

 name. Linn. Monandria-Monorjynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Zingiberacece . 



An extensive genus of herbaceous perennials, 

 natives of the East Indies, China, and Java. 

 Most of the species possess the same aromatic 

 stimulating properties in the roots, or rhizomes, 

 and seeds, as the common ginger, and are 

 plants of considerable beauty from their colored 

 bracts. C. longa is one of the best known 

 species, the powdered root of which is the Tur- 

 meric of commerce. This powder is used in 

 India as a mild aromatic and for other medici- 

 nal purposes. It also enters into the composi- 

 tion of curry powder, and a sort of arrow-root 

 is made from the young tubers. Turmeric is a 

 dye of a very rich color, but it possesses no 

 durability, nor has there been any combination 

 of mordants found that would give it this qual- 

 ity in a sufficient degree to make it useful. Sev- 

 eral of the species, with yellow or reddish flow- 

 ers, are cultivated in the green -house. 



Curmeria. Derivation of name not given. Linn. 

 Mbnoecia-Heptandria. Nat. Ord. Aracece. 



A small genus of green-house herbaceous per- 

 ennials, natives of Colombia. C. WaMisii is a 

 dwarf-growing species, and of a very ornament- 

 al character. The leaves are spreading, and 

 strongly marked with very irregular dark-green 

 spots or blotches, intermixed with broad patches 

 of very pale yellowish-green. C. pidnratn has 

 broad green leaves, with a broad central band of 

 silvery gray. The plants are of quite recent in- 

 troduction, (1875,) and are highly esteemed in a 

 collection of variegated-leaved plants. Propa- 

 gated by offsets from the roots. 



Cuscuta. Dodder. From kechout, its Arabic 

 name. Linn. Pentandria-Digynia. Nat. Ord. CHS- 

 cutacecK. 



These plants are deserving of attention from 

 their parasitical character, as they will attach 

 themselves to, and grow on, any other plant with- 

 in their reach. Their long twining stems emit 

 an abundance of small fragrant flowers towards 

 the end of summer. Their seeds germinate in 

 the earth, but detach themselves as soon as suf- 

 ficiently grown to take hold of a neighboring 

 plant. They are natives of South America, New 

 Holland, other tropical countries, and the United 

 States. The Cuscuta is becoming troublesome 

 in the Southern States by overrunning other 

 vegetation. It is particularly so to Oleanders, 

 several instances being reported where it has 

 completely destroyed these beautiful shrubs. 



Custard Apple. A popular name of Asimina 

 Iriloba, or American Papaw. 



Cyananthus. From kyinws, blue, and anlhos, a 



