HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



pret 

 ben 



.etty plant for hanging pots and baskets, its 

 Berries being very attractive. Like all the oth- 

 ers, it is propagated by runners as well as seed. 

 Previous to 1629, the date assigned to the intro- 

 duction of the Scarlet Strawberry from Virginia, 

 the Wood Strawberry is supposed to have been 

 the kind generally gathered for sale in England. 

 The varieties now grown are almost innumer- 

 able, especially in the United States, and they 

 are increasing every year. The improvements 

 effected among us, in quality, size, and produc- 

 tiveness, are very remarkable indeed. Berries 

 have been exhibited in New York that measured 

 fully twelve inches in circumference. 



Franciscea. Named in honor of Francis, Em- 

 peror of Austria. Linn. Dldynamia-Aivjiosper- 

 mia. Nat. Ord. Scrophulariacece. 



A genus of green-house evergreen shrubs, na- 

 tives of Brazil. There are several in cultivation, 

 most of them having very showy salver-shaped 

 purple flowers. The roots, and to some extent 

 the leaves, are employed in medicine. The 

 tincture is bitter, purgative, and emetic, and is 

 poisonous in large doses. From its peculiar 

 properties it is called by the Portuguese Vege- 

 table Mercury. 



Francoa. Named after F. Franco, a Spaniard. 

 Linn. Octandria-Teiragynia. Nat. Ord. Francoa- 



rur. 



A small genus of tender herbaceous peren- 

 nials, natives of Chili. They are found to suc- 

 ceed best when treated as tender annuals, as 

 they can only be increased by seeds, which, if 

 sown early in a hot-bed, make good flowering 

 plants for autumn. The flowers are produced 

 on long spikes, and are quite showy. Colors 

 white or purple. 



Frankenia. Sea Heath. Named after John Frank- 

 enius, a Swedish botanist. Linn. Hexandria-Mo- 

 nogynia. Nat. Ord. Frankeniacece. 



A small genus of hardy and half-hardy ever- 

 green trailers, growing in marshy places through- 

 out Europe and the Canary Islands. Though 

 very pretty, they have received but little atten- 

 tion from florists. Flowers pink, produced in 

 axillary clusters, very small. Propagated by 

 division. 



Frasera. Named after John Fraser, an indefati- 

 gable collector in this country toward the close 

 of the last centurj . Linn. Tetrandria-Honogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Genlianaceoi. 



F. Caro'mensis, the only species, is a tall-grow- 

 ing, showy herbaceous plant. The flowers are 

 about one inch in diameter, of light greenish- 

 yellow color, marked with small brown-purple 

 dots. It is commonly known as American Co- 

 lumbo, and is common in Southwest New York 

 to Wisconsin and southward. 



Fraxinella. Sea Dictmnnus. 



FraxinuB. The Ash. From phraxis, a separa- 

 tion; in reference to the facility with which the 

 wood splits. Linn. Polygamiu-Dioecia. Nat. Ord. 



This genus includes some of the most com- 

 mon forest trees throughout the United State j. 

 They are also common in Europe, Asia, and in 

 the North of Africa. The more common and 

 important of the native species are the follow- 

 ing: The White Ash, F. Americana, is a beautiful 

 tree, with trunk perfectly straight, and usually 

 undivided to the height of thirty to forty 

 feet. In the forest the tree often attains a 

 height of one hundred feet. Solitary trees are 

 often very beautiful, being symmetrical and 

 globular, with dense foliage of a dull bluish- 



FUC 



green color. This species delights in a warm, 

 rich soil, and is rarely found in its natural state 

 in any other. The timber of this species is 

 valuable in the mechanic arts, where strength 

 and durability are required. The Black Ash, 

 F. sambucifolia, is a tree of medium size, usually 

 found in wet or swampy situations. It is of but 

 little value as an ornamental tree, and the tim- 

 ber has little value except to split into rails for 

 fencing. The other native species are of no 

 special interest. The English Ash, F. excelsior, 

 is almost identical with our White Ash. From 

 it several varieties have originated; one of weep- 

 ing habit, F. excelsior pendula, a very beautiful 

 and desirable tree for the lawn. Some of the 

 varieties with golden, and some with variegated 

 foliage, are being extensively planted, and are 

 strongly recommended for suburban grounds. 

 Fremontia. Named in honor of Major-General 

 John C. Fremont, who discovered it in the north- 

 ern part of the Sierra Nevada. Linn. Monadelphia- 

 Pentandria. Nat. Ord. titerculiacea;. 



F. Califomica, the only species, is a deciduous 

 shrub from four to ten feet high, somewhat re- 

 sembling the ordinary Fig-tree. The flowers are 

 very handsome, bright yellow, bell-shaped, and 

 are produced on short, spur-like branches. 

 Propagated by cuttings or from seed. Intro- 

 duced in 1851. 



French Honeysuckle. See Hedysarum. 

 French Marigold. See Tagetes. 

 Frenoh Mulberry. See Callicarpa Americana. 

 Fringe Tree. See Chionanthus. 

 Fritillaria. From frit'dlus, a chess-board; refer- 

 ring to the checkered flowers of some species. 

 Linn. Hexandria-AIonogi/nia. Nat. Ord. LUiacea'. 

 Showy bulbs for the border, mostly attaining 

 a height of from two to three feet, though F. mc- 

 leagris and its varieties are dwarf. This species, 

 and one or two others like it, have had much 

 attention paid them by the continental florists, 

 who have succeeded in obtaining many beautiful 

 varieties by seed, and now these flowers occupy 

 a prominent place in their catalogues. They 

 delight in very rich soil, frequently dug and 

 well pulverized previous to planting. The bulbs 

 may be placed in the ground either in autumn 

 or early spring, covering them with about three 

 inches of earth. In the blooming season, 

 should the weather prove dry, the ground must 

 be frequently well soaked with water, that the 

 growth may be sufficiently vigorous, or the 

 flowers of the following season will be deficient. 

 When the stems begin to decay, the bulbs 

 should be taken up, but not dried to any extent, 

 it being far preferable to preserve them till the 

 following planting season in sand or light and 

 partially dried earth. F. imperialis is the well- 

 known Crown Imperial, a native of Persia, of 

 which there are several varieties. They will be 

 greatly benefited by mulching with leaves to the 

 depth of six inches, just before the ground 

 freezes up. They can remain a number of 

 years without taking up. Propagated by divi- 

 sion of the bulbs. 

 Frog's Bit. See Limnobium. 

 Fuchsia. Named after Leonard Fachs, a celebrated 

 German botanist. Linn. Octandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Onagracea;. 



The best history we have of this interesting 

 genus is from the pen of the Eev. C. A. Johns, 

 in the "Treasury of Botany." Hi says: "A 

 plausible story has often been printed, which 

 attributes the introduction of the Fuchsia into 

 England to a sailor, whose wife or mother was 



