HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



FER 



some creeping, others bushy and dwarf, and all 

 are graceful and interesting. Many of the gen- 

 era are described in their proper order. 



Ferraria. Named after Ferrari, an Italian botan- 

 ist. Linn. Monaddphia-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Iridacece. 



A genus of dwarf bulbs from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, producing very curious, oddly-colored 

 flowers, perhaps more singular than beautiful. 

 They are of easy culture, requiring to be kept dry 

 during winter. They should be started in the 

 green-house in February, in small pots. As 

 soon as they commence growth, give them plenty 

 of air, sunlight, and water, and they will come 

 into flower in April. They will grow finely in a 

 col frame if carefully protected from water 

 during winter. They are increased freely by 

 offsets. Introduced in 1800. 



Ferula. Giant Fennel. From /mo, to strike ; 

 stems used as rods. Linn. Pentandria-Digynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Apiacece. 



A genus of coarse-growing, herbaceous peren- 

 nials from the Mediterranean and Persian re- 

 gions. They are of but little interest, except F. 

 Persica, the juice of which furnishes very much 

 of the Asafoetida of commerce. 



Fescue Grass. See Festuca. 



Festuca. A genus of grasses, containing some of 

 the best pasture grasses. F. glauca is a very 

 handsome ornamental grass, which, though 

 hardy, is very suitable for the green-house and 

 the sitting-room. 



Fetid Horehound. See Ballota. 



Fever Bush. A local name of the Lindera; given 

 for the supposed medicinal properties of the 

 shrub. 



Feverfew. See Pyretlirum. 



Ficaria. Fromficus, a fig; in reference to the 

 fig-shaped little tubers of the root. Linn. Poly- 

 andria-Polygynia. Nat. Ord. Raminwlacece. 



A hardy herbaceous perennial, with bright 

 yellow flowers, closely resembling the Ranuncu- 

 lus, to which it is allied, the only difference be- 

 ing in the shape of the petals. It is one of the 

 earliest spring flowers in the English woods or 

 waste places. 



Ficus. Fig-tree. The Fig-tree has nearly the 

 same name in all the European languages, and is 

 supposed to be derived from the Hebrew name 

 feg. Linn. Polygamia-Dioecia. Nat. Ord. Jfora- 

 cecK. 



A genus of trees, some of which require to be 

 grown in the hot-house. It contains several 

 valuable species, especially the India Rubber 

 tree, (F. dasticu,) and the Banyan tree, (F. Indi- 

 ca;) the foliage of all of them is very impos- 

 ing, and their culture is of the easiest descrip- 

 tion, requiring heat and plenty of water in their 

 growing season. F. dastica, if cultivated in a 

 humid atmosphere, such as that of an Orchid- 

 house, will emit roots from its stem and branches, 

 and attach itself to any contiguous object, such 

 as a wall, in the manner of an epiphyte. This 

 is the India Rubber tree of commerce. It is 

 much valued as a decorative plant for rooms. 

 This species grows to an immense size in Cen- 

 tral and South America. F. Gariai, the culti- 

 vated Fig, is supposed to be a native of Caria in 

 Asia. It has, however, been so long under cul- 

 tivation throughout Southern Europe that its 

 nativity is lost sight of. The fruit can be grown 

 here without artificial heat, an ordinary pit 

 alone being sufficient protection in winter; or 

 the plants can be laid down and covered up with 

 six inches of soil in November and uncovered 



FRA 



in April, and will thus withstand our severest 

 Northern winters. The Fig is generally hardy 

 south of Washington. Propagated by cuttings 

 or layers. 



Fiddle- Wood. See Citharejcyhtm. 



Fig Marigold. See Mesembryanthemum. 



Filbert. See Corylus. 



Fir. See Abies. 



Fire Cracker Plant. See Cuphea. 



Fire Pink. A local name of ti'dene Virginica. 



Fire Tree. See Nuytsia. 



Fire- Weed. A name given to Erechites hieracifdia, 

 because of its appearance on new grounds, when 

 brush has been burned. It is a coarse, worth- 

 less weed, though not apt to be troublesome. 



Fish-Tail Palm. See Caryota. 



Fittonia. See Gymnostachyum. 



Five-finger. See Potentilla. 



Flame Flower. One of the popular names of 

 Tritoma. 



Flame Lily. See Pyrolirwn. 



Flame Tree. See tiuytsia. 



Flame Tree, or Tree of Fire. See Brachychiton. 



Flamingo Plant. See Anthurium. 



Flax. See Linum. 



Fleabane. See Erigeron. 



Fleur-de-Luce. See Iris. 



Florida Bean. See Entada. 



Florida Moss. See Ttilandsia. 



Flower of the Holy Spirit. See Peristeria. 



Flowering Bush. See Butomus. 



Flower-de-Luce. See Iris. 



Flowering Fern. See Osmunda. 



Fool's Parsley. See jEihusa. 



Forget-me-not. See Myosotis. 



Forsythia. In honor of Mr. Forsyth, royal gar- 

 dener at Kensington, Eng. Linn. Diandria- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Oleacece. 



A small genus of ornamental deciduous, hardy 

 shrubs, introduced from the north of China in 

 1845. F. vmdissitna is one of the earliest of 

 spring flowering shrubs, being completely cov- 

 ered in early spring with tufts of rather large, 

 pendulous, bright yellow flowers, which grow 

 two or three together from all parts of the rod- 

 like branches. It is easily increased by cut- 

 tings or layers. 



Fourcroya. Named after M. Fourcroy, a cele- 

 brated chemist. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynui. 

 Nat. Ord. Amaryttidacece. 



A genus closely allied to Agaw. There are but 

 three species, all natives of Mexico. F. longceva 

 (long lived) throws up a magnificent flower stem 

 forty feet high. It is branching and pyramidal, 

 like the Yucca, though more graceful. The lower 

 branches of the terminal pyramid are from ten 

 to twelve feet long, and are covered with innu- 

 merable white flowers. From their great size 

 they are rarely met in collections! 



Four O'Clock. See Mirabilis. 



Fox Glove. See Digitalis. 



Fragaria. The Strawberry. From fragrans, fra- 

 grant ; in reference to the perfumed fruit. Linn. 

 Icosawlria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Rosacece. 



According to Sir Joseph Banks and others, 

 the common name of Strawberry was given on 

 account of straw having been laid between the 

 plants to prevent the fruit from getting soiled 

 in wet weather. There are several species of 

 Strawberries, the principal of which are, F. Vir- 

 </iii!iina, the Virginian or Scarlet, the well-known 

 native species; F. grnndiftara, the Pine; F. ChUi- 

 en.vi.s-, the Chilian; F. vnoa, the Wood and Al- 

 pine; F. datior, the Hautbois; F. viridis, the 

 green ; F. Indica, the Indian, not edible, but n 



