HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



Ill 



JAS 



equally desirable subjects for decorating the 

 hot-house, the green-house, arbors, or other ob- 

 jects in the open air, and combining in every 

 instance freedom and elegance in the general 

 habit of the plants, with all that is desirable in 

 the floral embellishments. The hot-house and 

 green-house species should be frequently fumi- 

 gated through the summer, as they are ex- 

 tremely liable to attacks from aphis and other 

 insects. The hardy kinds grow freely in almost 

 any situation, and only require to be kept 

 trained in the desired form, without, however, 

 reducing them to a rigidly formal outline, to 

 make them most ornamental objects in almost 

 any position. Most of the species are from the 

 East Indies. J. grand'florum is one of our best 

 known winter-flowering plants, and is largely 

 used in cut flower work. Propagated by cut- 

 tings, which root freely in a temperature of 70. 

 Introduced in 1629. 



Jasione. An ancient name used by Theophrastus. 

 Linn. Pentandria - Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Cam- 

 jiamdacece. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials and 

 annuals, mostly natives of Europe and North 

 Africa. All of the species have very pretty blue 

 flowers, though not of sufficient importance to 

 warrant their introduction in the garden. J. 

 niontana is a pretty annual, common in the 

 heathy and moorland districts of Great Britain. 

 It is commonly known as" Sheep's Scabious, 

 from its resemblance to the Scabious, and from 

 its abundance in sheep-walks. 



Jatropha. From iatros, physician, and trophe, 

 food; referring to its medicinal qualities. Linn. 

 Monoecia-Monadelphia. Nat. Ord. Euphorbiacece. 



A genus of evergreen shrubs, natives of Cuba 

 and South America, interesting from the fact of 

 the roots being made into Cassava bread and 

 Tapioca, while the juices of the plant are acrid 

 poison. None of the species are valuable as 

 flowering or ornamental plants. Included in 

 this genus is one species, J. wrens, common on 

 the coast from Virginia southward. It is gen- 

 erally known by its popular names, Tread-Softly 

 and Spurge-Nettle. 



Jeffersonia. Named in honor of Thomas Jeffer- 

 son. Linn. Octandria- Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Ber- 



J. diphyUa, the only species, is a pretty little 

 plant, common in woods from New York to Wis- 

 consin and southward. It is sometimes called 

 Rheumatism Root, from its supposed medicinal 

 properties. 



Jerusalem Artichoke. See Hdianthus. 



Jerusalem Cherry. See Solanum capsicastrum. 



Jerusalem Sage. See Phlomis. 



Jerusalem Thorn. See Parkinsonia. 



Jewel Weed. See Impatiens. 



Jimson Weed. See Datura. 



Job's Tears. See Coix lachryma. 



Joe-Pye Weed. Trumpet Weed. Popular names 

 of Eupa/orium purpureum. 



Jointed Charlock. A name frequently given to 

 the Wild Radish, Raphanus raphanistrum. 



Joint Grass. A common name of one of our na- 

 tive grasses, Prt.?/////i <lix/ichum. 



Jonesia. Named after Sir W. Jones. Linn. //</>- 

 fafidHa-MoHogynia, Nat. Ord. Fabacecn. 



A small genus of shrubs or low-growing trees 

 inhabiting the East Indies. They have bright 

 glossy leaves, about a foot long, made up of three 

 to six pairs of leaflets. The flowers are bright 

 scarlet, in terminal round clusters, resembling 

 the Ixora. Some of the Japanese species have 



JUN 



clusters six to eight inches across. They re- 

 quire to be grown in great heat. Propagated by 

 cuttings. Introduced in 1820. 



Jonquil. See Narcissus. 



Joseph's Coat. See AmartmOma tricolor. 



Jubeea. After Juba, ancient King of Numidia. 

 Linn. Monoida-Polyandrta. Nat. Ord. PalmacecK. 

 J. spectabilis, the only species, is the Cognito 

 Palm of Chili. It has a tall, straight trunk,, 

 bearing a crown of large pinnate leaves, and 

 branching spikes of dark yellow, distinct male 

 and female flowers, inclosed in a double spathe. 

 In Chili, a sweet syrup, or Palm-honey, is pre- 

 pared by boiling the sap of this tree to the con- 

 sistency of molasses, and it forms a considerable 

 article of trade, being much esteemed for domes- 

 tic use as sugar. The- sap is obtained by felling 

 the trees and cutting off the crown of leaves, 

 when it immediately begins to flow, and con- 

 tinues for several months, until the tree is ex- 

 hausted, providing a thin slice is shaved off the 

 top every morning. Each tree yields about ninety 

 gallons. The nuts, trunks, and leaves are used 

 for various economic purposes. They require 

 to be grown in great heat. Young plants are 

 obtained from seeds. 



Judas Tree. See Cercis. 



Juglans. Walnut. From Jovis, the heathen god, 

 and (jlans, a nut. Linn. Monoecia-Enneandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Juglandacece. 



A well-known genus of hardy, deciduous 

 trees. J. regia, the common English Walnut or 

 Madeira Nut tree, is a native of Persia, and was 

 introduced into English gardens in 1562. This 

 species makes a beautiful tree for the lawn as 

 far North as New York, but it rarely ripens fruit. 

 There are several specimens of this tree on the 

 grounds of Mr. Manice, Queens, Long Island, 

 having favorable situations, and they seldom 

 fail of ripening a fair crop of nuts. There is 

 also a long avenue of old trees of this Walnut in 

 West Chester County, N. Y., and the crop seldom 

 fails. J. cinerea is our common Butter-nut, and 

 J. nigra the well-known Black Walnut. 



Jujube. See Zizyphus Jujube. 



Juncus. Rush, Bog-Rush. Linnaeus derived 

 the name fromjungo, to join; in allusion to the 

 first ropes having been made from rushes. Linn. 

 Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Juncacece. 



The Rush is a very extensive, and almost uni- 

 versally distributed genus of marshy plants. 

 Some of the species are very troublesome to the 

 farmer, when once started in moist meadows. 

 The destruction of the grass is certain, unless a 

 constant warfare is kept up. Some of the spe- 

 cies, in their native countries, are of the greatest 

 value. In Holland, the Rush is planted with 

 great care on their sea embankments, to prevent, 

 by its roots, the action of the tides from wash- 

 ing away the earth. When these Rushes have 

 attained their full height, which is in summer, 

 they are cut down, tied into bunches, dried, and 

 taken into market, where they are wrought into 

 baskets and other useful articles. In Japan 

 the manufacture of Rush matting is carried to a 

 great extent. For this purpose, J. conqlomeratus, 

 or hard Rush, is used; and for their best floor- 

 mats, J. eft'nsis, or soft Rush, is employed. These 

 mats, which are at once carpets and the only 

 beds used by the Japanese, are soft, elastic, and 

 often three or four inches thick. They are very 

 closely plaited, and the interstices afterward 

 filled with rice paper. Some law appears to reg- 

 ulate the size of these mats, for, according to 

 Thunberg, they are of precisely the same di- 



