HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



TAG 



general appearance, and the same structure of 

 stamens, pistils, and fruit, but differing in the 

 usually long, cylindrical tube of the calyx, 

 which is furnished with two crowns, one at the 

 throat, and the other near its base. In T. mani- 

 cata, however, a very handsome species, the 

 tube scarcely exceeds in length that of a Passion 

 Flower. The species are natives of Central 

 America and the West Indies. The fruits of 

 several of them, as T. mollissima, T. Iripartila, and 

 T. speciosa, are edible. T." Buchanuni is now 

 Passiflora racemosa, and is one of the most beau- 

 tiful plants of the order. (See Passiflora.) It 

 was raised from seed by Mr. Isaac Buchanan of 

 New York. The Tacsonias are all beautiful 

 plants, and worthy of a place in any collection. 

 They require the same general treatment as 

 Passiflora, and are propagated in the same way. 

 Introduced in 1815. 



Tagetes. Marigold. From the beauty of its 

 flowers, this genus was named after Tages, a 

 Tuscan divinity. Linn. Syngenesia-Superftua. 

 Nat. Ord. Asteracece. 



Marigolds are old favorites in our gardens, 

 particularly those known as African and French 

 Marigolds. The former (T. ereclft) have uni- 

 formly large yellow or orange-colored flowers, 

 and usually attain a couple of feet in height; 

 the latter ( T. patula) are more dwarf, and have 

 their flowers striped of a deep brown purple and 

 yellow. They are all showy, especially in mass- 

 es, and are effective for distant groups. There 

 is, however, another species, T. tenuifolia or T. 

 signaki, preferable for bedding; it ia more com- 

 pact in habit; and though its flowers do not 

 boast the vivid coloring of the French Marigolds, 

 (being entirely yellow,) yet they are produced 

 in such long succession as to amply compen- 

 sate for the deficiency; besides which, the scent 

 so frequently complained of in the others is in 

 this so much reduced as to be no longer un- 

 pleasant. The pheasant-eyed variety of T. 

 daucioides is also occasionally grown in gardens, 

 and is very showy. These comprise all that 

 are worth cultivating as ornamental plants, and 

 require precisely the same treatment as other 

 hardy annuals. 



Talinum. Supposed to be from thalia, a green 

 branch ; referring to its durable verdure. Linn. 

 Dodecandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Portulacacece. 

 A genus of annual and biennial succulent 

 plants, inhabiting the warmer parts of both 

 hemispheres, but chiefly confined to sub-tropi- 

 cal America. T. patens, with its variety with 

 variegated foliage, a native of Brazil, is a desir- 

 able plant for the border, or as a basket or vase 

 plant, being well adapted to stand hot, dry 

 weather, and does not suffer badly if neglected. 

 The variegated variety is often used as a white 

 line for ril/bon borders. This species is used in 

 Brazil as a pot-herb. They are readily propa- 

 gated by seeds or cuttings. Introduced in 1776. 



Tallow Tree. See Xtillingia. 



Tamarack. American or Black Larch, Hack- 

 matack. See Larix Americana. 



Tamarind. See Tamarindus. 



Tamarindus. Tamarind Tree. Tamar, in Arabic, 

 is the name of the Date, and Indus, Indian, In- 

 dian Date. Linn. Monadelphia-Decandria. Nat. 

 Ord. PapilionacecK. 



The tree that furnishes the Tamarinds for pre- 

 serves is a native of the East Indies, West 

 Indies, Egypt, and Arabia. It is a large, spread- 

 ing, and beautiful tree, and its graceful pinnat- 

 ed foliage, and racemes of fragrant flowers, 



TAB 



which are yellow striped with red, with purple 

 stamens, give it an elegant appearance. T. In- 

 dica is the only known species, and this varies 

 but little in the different countries in which it 

 abounds. Propagated from cuttings and by 

 seeds. Introduced in 1633. 



Tamarisk. See Tamarix. 



Tamarix. Tamarisk. From Tamaris, now Tam- 

 bro, the name of a river where it grows, on the 

 borders of the Pyrenees. Linn. Pentaiidria-Tri- 

 rjynia. Nat. Ord. Tamaricacecn. 



Tall-growing shrubs, mostly natives of Eu- 

 rope. A great many species are enumerated, but 

 two only are usually met in collections of orna- 

 mental shrubs. These are T. Gallica, the French 

 Tamarisk, and T. Gennanica, the German 

 Tamarisk. The French Tamarisk is far the 

 handsomest, and will thrive in almost any soil 

 or situation ; in bleak exposed places on the sea- 

 shore, in the poorest sandy soils, it never fails 

 to succeed, and produce its long, terminal, 

 graceful spikes of pinkish flowers. It will do 

 equally well in city yards, that are exposed to 

 sun, soot, and smoke. It is, in short, one of 

 our most valuable ornamental shrubs. The 

 Manna of Mount Sinai is produced by a variety 

 of T. Gallica; it consists wholly of pure, mucilag- 

 inous sugar. T. Africana is quite commonly 

 grown. The plants are increased by cuttings 

 taken off in the fall and put out in nursery rows. 



Tampico Fiber. See Leopoldinia. 



Tanacetum. Tansy. Derivation of name un- 

 known. Said to be altered from Athanasia. 

 Linn. Syngenesia-Superftua. Nat. Ord. AsteracecK. 

 All the species that compose this genus are 

 hardy herbaceous plants, or what might properly 

 be called weeds. T. vulgare is the common 

 Tansy of the old gardens and roadsides. It 

 was formerly introduced as a garden plant, and 

 took a prominent position among domestic 

 medicines, but is now pretty generally discard- 

 ed. It has escaped from the gardens, and has 

 long been naturalized in the United States. It 

 is a native of Europe. 



Tansy. See Tanacetum. 



Tape Grass. See VaUisneria. 



Tapioca. See Jatropha. 



Taraxicum. Dandelion. Name supposed to be 

 from the Greek taraxo, to disquiet or disorder; 

 in allusion to the medicinal effects of the plant. 

 Linn. Syngenesia-^Efjualis. Nat. Ord. Asteraceai. 



The common Dandelion, T. Dens-leonis, is a 

 native of Europe, but has become so thoroughly 

 naturalized as to be a very troublesome weed. 

 The roots have powerful medicinal properties, 

 and are held in high esteem by the Eclectic 

 practitioners. .The leaves are used as a pot-herb, 

 for which purpose the plants are grown in frames 

 by the market gardeners of nearly all large 

 cities. It is also used as an early spring 

 "greens," and is cultivated for this purpose in 

 both private and market gardens. This was one 

 of the plants selected by Linnaeus for his floral 

 clock, as the flowers open and close at a regular 

 hour, morning and evening. Propagated by 



Tare. See Vicea sativa. 



Tarragon. (Artemisia Dracunculus.) This, like 

 many garden plants that have been under culti- 

 vation for at least 400 years, is of unknown origin. 

 Opinions are divided as to whether it is a na- 

 tive of Siberia or the south of Europe. It is a 

 hardy herbaceous perennial, cultivated for its 

 leaves and young shoots, both of which are used 

 as an ingredient in salads, soups, stews, pickles, 



