HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



113 



KEF 



als from the Cape of Good Hope. The flowers 

 are of various colors, blue, rose, white, and 

 violet, somewhat resembling an Aster; the ray 

 florets curl curiously back after they have been 

 expanded a short time. Their beauty is short- 

 lived, as the flowers are generally all faded and 

 the seeds ripened before the end of July. First 

 introduced in 1819. 



Keferstenia. A synonym of Zygopetalum grami- 

 neum. 



Kenilworth Ivy. See Linarea. 



Xennedya. Named in honor of Mr. Kennedy, of 

 the firm of Lee and Kennedy, celebrated English 

 nurserymen. Linn. Diadelphia-Decandria. Nat. 

 Ord. FabacfCK. 



A genus of free-flowering, evergreen green- 

 house climbers, remarkable for their beautiful 

 racemes of pea-shaped flowers, which are of 

 various colors, scarlet, blue, purple, pink, and 

 variegated. They are highly ornamental, and 

 useful in the green-house for cut flowers. They 

 are increased readily by cuttings of short side 

 shoots, well hardened. Introduced in 1824 

 from New Holland. 



Kentia. In honor of Lieut.-Colonel Kent. TAnn. 

 Moncecia-Hexandria. Nat. Ord. PalmacecK. 



A small genus of Palms, separated from Areca, 

 chiefly on account of the shape and substance 

 of the seed; in all other respects they are ident- 

 ical. K. sapida is the most southern known 

 Palm, being found in New Zealand two or three 

 degrees further south than any representative 

 of the order in either hemisphere. The natives 

 use the young flower spikes as an article of food. 

 K. Canlerburyuna is an exceedingly ornamental 

 plant, useful for decorative purposes. It is 

 called in its native country the " Umbrella 

 Palm." A number of the species are now un- 

 der cultivation. Young plants are obtained 

 from seeds. 



Kentucky Blue Grass. See Poa pratensis. 



Kentucky Coffee Tree. See Gymnocladus. 



Kerria Japonica. An old favorite in the garden, 

 with both single and double flowers, to which 

 has lately been added a very pretty variety with 

 variegated leaves. These have been transferred 

 to the genus Corchorus, which see. 



Kidney Bean. See Phaseolus vulgaris. 



Kinnikinnik. Common name of Cornus sericea. 



Kleinia. Named by Linnaeus in honor of James 

 Henry Klein, a German botanist. Linn. Synge- 

 nesia-jEqualis. Nat. Ord. Asteraeece. 



A small genus of curious succulent plants 

 from Africa. Some are of upright habit, and 

 others trailing or creeping. A few have been 

 introduced into the green-house, and are grown 

 for basket plants. K. articulata, or Candle Plant, 

 is very curious and easily grown. Propagated 

 by cuttings. 



Knight's Star Lily. See IHppeastrum. 



Kniphofia. A synonym of Tritoma, which see. 



Kcelreuteria. Named after Koelreuter, a celebrat- 

 ed German botanist, the father of hybridizing 

 plants. Linn. Octandna-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Sapindacea;. 



K. paniculata, the only species, is a deciduous 

 shrub or low-growing tree, a native of China. 

 It has pinnate foliage with an odd leaflet. The 

 flowers are yellow, disposed in terminal spread- 

 ing clusters, and are succeeded by large blad- 



KRI 



dery capsules, which render the tree conspicuous 

 till late in autumn. This tree is hardy in the 

 vicinity of New York and southward. 



Kohlrabi. See lir(.(*nii'<i. 



Knoxia. Named after Robert Knox, who lived 

 many years in Ceylon. Linn. Telrandria-Mono- 

 gynia. Nat. Ord. UinchonacecK. 



A small genus of rather pretty, low-growing 

 green-house evergreens. The flowers are small, 

 white, or pink. Propagated by cuttings. Intro- 

 duced from Bengal in 1828. 



Koniga. Sweet Alyssum. In honor of CiMrles 

 Konig, F.R.8., L.S., Superintendent of the Nat- 

 ural History Department of the British Mu- 

 seum. Linn. Tetradynanda. Nat. Ord. Brassi- 



K. maritima is a pretty and well-known hardy 

 annual. K. mariiima major has flowers nearly as 

 large as Candytuft. Sow the seed in early 

 spring. It usually sows itself, coming up freely 

 where once sown. A. maritima plena, a double 

 variety, is valuable for cut flowers. K. maritima 

 variegata has variegated leaves, and is a pretty 

 and useful plant. A more recent variety with 

 double flowers has even finer variegation. The 

 last three named are propagated by cuttings, as 

 they do not seed. 



Kopsia. Named after Professor Kops, the author 

 of a Botanical Dictionaiy of reputation. Linn. 

 Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Apocyndvece. 



K fndicosa, the only species, is a native of 

 Pegu, Japan. It is an exceedingly ornamental 

 green-house evergreen shrub, producing flowers 

 similar to the green-house species of Vinca, 

 several times during the season. The color is 

 red and extremely showy. It is increased by 

 cuttings. Introduced in 1818. 

 Krameria. Named after the two Kramers, Ger- 

 man botanists. Linn. Didynamia-Angiospermia. 

 Nat. Ord. Polygalacece. 



A small genus of ornamental green-house 

 evergreen shrubs. K. triandra is remarkable for 

 its entire, obovate, acuminate leaves, covered 

 on both sides with silky hairs. In Peru an ex- 

 tract, which is a mild astringent, is made from 

 it. An infusion of the roots of one of the spe- 

 cies is blood-red, and largely used in adulterat- 

 ing port wine. The species are natives of 

 South America. 



Kuhnia. Dedicated to Dr. Kuhn, of Pennsylva- 

 nia, who brought the living plant to Linnaeus. 

 Linn. Syngenesia-^Equaliti. Nat. Ord. Asteracew. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials, of 

 but little interest except in botanical collec- 

 tions. K. eupatvrioides is common in dry soils 

 from New Jersey to Wisconsin, and southward. 

 Kunthia. Named after C. S. Kunth, a Prussian 

 botanist. Linn. Monoecia-Hexandria. Nat. Ord. 

 Palmacece. 



A rare Palm, of one species only, allied to Are- 

 ca. It is a native of New Grenada. Propa- 

 gated by seed. It grows freely with ordinary 

 green-house treatment. 



Krigia. Dwarf Dandelion. In honor of Mr. Da- 

 rn -vkl Kreig, a German botanist. Linn. Syngeneaia- 

 ^Equalis. Nat. Ord. Astvrucfo: 



A very pretty little annual, with flowers re- 

 sembling miniature Dandelions. It is quite 

 common in dry grounds from New York south- 

 ward. 



