224 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



SYM 



Symphytum. Comfrey. From symphyo, to make 

 unite, and phyton, a plant ; in reference to the 

 healing qualities of the plant. Linn. Pentandria- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Boraginacece. . 



A genus of coarse-growing, weedy plants, for- 

 merly esteemed for their medicinal properties, 

 and of the first importance in a collection of 

 herbs. They have become naturalized in this 

 country from Europe, and are common around 

 old gardens and in moist places. S. asperrimum 

 was introduced into this country for use as a 

 forage plant in 1875, but does not as yet seem 

 to be much valued. Propagated by seeds or by 

 roots. 



Symplocarpus. Skunk Cabbage. From symploke, 

 connection, and karpos, fruit; descriptive of the 

 plant. Linn. Tetrandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 OronliacccK. 



A worthless, coarse-growing weed, common in 

 swamps and wet meadows from Virginia to 

 Maine. S.fcetidus, the only known species, is the 

 common Skunk Cabbage, and is readily known 

 by its skunk-like odor when the leaves are 

 bruised. 



Synadenium. A genus of Euphorbiacece, closely 

 allied to Euphorbia, and of which there are but 

 three species known. S. Grantii, an African 

 species, introduced in 1867, is cultivated for its 

 bright crimson flowers, which are showy and 

 attractive. 



Syngonium. From syn, together, and gonu, an 

 angle. Linn. Moncecia-Polyandria. Nat. Ord. 

 Aracece. 



& auritum, the only known species, is a na- 

 tive of South America, and has been a long 

 time under cultivation as Caladium auritum. 



Syringa. The Lilac. From syrinx, a pipe; the 

 branches are long and straight, and filled with 

 medulla; hence the old name of the Lilac, Pipe 

 Tree. The English name of the genus is from 



TAG 



lilac or lUag, the Persian word for the flower. 

 Linn. Diandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Oleacece. 



A genus of well-known deciduous shrubs, 

 with purplish or white flowers, natives of South- 

 eastern Europe, Persia, Northern India, and 

 China. All the species are perfectly hardy, and 

 are easily grown. S. vulg&ris, the common L/ilac, 

 with purple or white flowers, is of doubtful ori- 

 gin, though generally credited to Persia. It 

 has been under cultivation for more than three 

 hundred years, and from the species several va- 

 rieties have been obtained, but without any 

 marked peculiarities. IS. Chinensis is an allied 

 species, differing only in size. It does not grow 

 as high, has narrower leaves, and the inflores- 

 cence is more profuse, and of a reddish- violet 

 hue. S. Persica, Persian Lilac, is a very distinct 

 species, of much smaller size, rarely growing 

 more than six feet high; the branches are slender 

 and straight, the leaves are smaller and nar- 

 rowed at the base. The flowers are produced in 

 looser panicles, and the florets are smaller, giv- 

 ing the whole plant a more graceful appearance. 

 The white Persian Lilac is now forced for winter 

 flowers, which are highly prized for baskets and 

 bouquets. A great variety of well-marked seed- 

 lings has recently been raised by a Canadian 

 nurseryman, some of which promise well. All 

 the species are rapidly increased from layers, or 

 from suckers, the only trouble being, that they 

 increase so fast as to be troublesome. That the 

 Lilac has been cultivated for centuries there is 

 plenty of evidence. We have personally gathered 

 specimens growing with Parsley (Apiumpetroseli- 

 nurri) in the debris of castles in Great Britain that 

 had been in ruins for over three hundred years, 

 showing that the warlike barons, or their wives, 

 had some taste for the ornamental as well as 

 the useful, even in those early days. 

 Syringa. See Philadelphus. 



T. 



rpabernsemontana. Named in honor of James 

 Ji Theodore Taberncemontanus, a celebrated phy- 

 sician and botanist. Linn. Pentandria~Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Apocynacecv. 



This genus is composed of very handsome 

 hot-house shrubs, with deep green foliage and 

 large white or yellow flowers possessing an 

 agreeable fragrance. After blooming they should 

 receive a moderate pruning to keep them bushy 

 and increase the number of flower heads. The 

 large, leathery leaves of this and other similar 

 genera are inducements, in the way of shelter, 

 to many troublesome insects, such as thrips, 

 scale, and mealy bug ; to eradicate these, and 

 keep the plants healthy, they should be frequently 

 washed, each leaf separately, with a sponge and 

 soap and water, or the latter alone, and at inter- 

 vals receive a sprinkling with a syringe to clean 

 them of dust, which in itself is prejudicial to all 

 plants, and gives encouragement to the insects 

 by causing a languid action in the leaves The 

 several species are mostly natives of the East 

 Indies, but a few are distributed throughout 

 the West Indies and South America. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings. Introduced in 1770. 

 Tackamahack, Balsam Poplar. See Populus 

 balsamijera. 



Tacca. The Malay name of the species. Linn. 

 Hexandria-Mbnogynia. Nat. Ord. Tuccacece. 



A genus of East Indian plants, grown by the 

 natives for their bulbs, which resemble new 

 Potatoes, and contain a large amount of starch. 

 The various species grow in the open country. 

 T. pinnatifida is generally found in sandy places 

 near the sea. The leaf-stalks of this spe'cies are 

 plaited into bonnets by the natives of the Socie- 

 ty Islands, but the principal use made of all the 

 species is that of their tubers, which, resembling 

 new Potatoes, contain a great deal of starch, 

 known as South Sea Arrowroot, and far prefera- 

 ble to any other Arrowroot in cases of dysen- 

 tery. The tubers are dug up after the leaves 

 have died away, and are rasped and macerated 

 four or five days in water, when the fecula sep- 

 arates in the same manner as Sago does. It is 

 largely employed as an article of diet through- 

 out the tropics, and is a favorite ingredient for 

 puddings and cakes in the South Seas. The 

 species are rarely seen in plant collections. 



Tacsonia. From Tacso, the name of one of the 

 species in Peru. Linn. Monadelphia-Pentandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Passiftoracea;. 



A genus of very beautiful climbing plants, 

 closely related to Passiftora, having the same 



