HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



VAN 



by pods about six inches in length and one- 

 fourth of an inch in diameter. The pod con- 

 tains, besides its numerous seeds, a substance 

 which is black, oily, and balsamic; and when 

 recently gathered this is humid, and its odor is 

 said to produce intoxication. The pods are 

 gathered during the last three months of the 

 year, and are carefully dried by exposure to the 

 sun s rays until they are made warm, in which 

 state they are wrapped in woolen cloths to pro- 

 mote and absorb evaporation. When thoroughly 

 cured, they are ready for shipment. The extract 

 is obtained by cutting the pods in small pieces, 

 and pulverizing in a mortar containing about 

 four parts of fine glass to one of Vanilla. It re- 

 quires a great amount of labor to get the Vanilla 

 fine enough for the dilute alcohol to act upon it 

 in a manner that will secure the whole. After 

 the pulverized mass has been in alcohol for 

 several days, it is filtered through paper, and is 

 fit for use. 



Vanilla or Seneca Grass. See Hierochloa borealis. 

 Vanilla Plant. The popular name of Liatris 



odor at is sun a, which see. 

 Variegated Bulrush. See Scirpus. 

 Variegated Laurel. See Aucuba. 

 Vegetable Oyster. See Trayopogon porrifolius. 

 Vegetable Hair. See T'dlandsia usneoides. 

 Vegetable Ivory Nut. See Phytelephos macro- 

 cur pa. 



Vegetable Marrow. See Persea. 

 Vegetable Marrow. An English name for a va- 

 riety of summer Squash. The one usually grown 

 is about nine inches long and four to five in di- 

 ameter. It is used in every stage of its growth, 

 and is particularly tender and sweet. It is 

 grown in all respects like the several varieties 

 of our summer Bush Squashes. 

 Vegetable Mercury. See Franciscea. 

 Veitchia. A name applied by Dr. Lindley to a 

 curious Japanese conifer, since proven to be 

 merely a deformed state of some Abies. 

 Vellozia. Derivation of name unknown. Linn. 

 Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. HcemodoracecK. 

 The Vellozias are like perennial Lilies, and 

 grow from two to ten feet high, having trunks 

 as large as a man's body, branching, and having 

 tufts of leaves on the top like the Yucca. The 

 flowers are large, white, blue, or violet, pro- 

 duced singly or on slender scapes from the tips 

 of the branches. They are showy and attractive 

 features in the mountain regions of Brazil and 

 Australia. 



Veltheimia. Named in honor of F. A. VeUheim, 

 a German botanist. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. LUiacecv. 



Large-growing bulbs from the Cape of Good 

 Hope. The flowers are flesh-color and of but 

 little beauty, though of long duration. The 

 bulbs rest the entire summer, and come into 

 bloom in early winter. They are grown from seed, 

 which they produce freely. The bulbs rarely 

 divide or make offsets. Introduced in 1781. 

 Velvet Grass. See Holcos. 

 Venus's Fly-trap. See Dionwa muscipula.. 

 Venus's Looking-Glass. See Specularia speculum. 

 Venus's Navelwort. See Omphalodes. 

 Venus's Slipper. See Cypripfdium insigne. 

 Veratrum. Hellebore. From vere, truly, and 

 a'.ex, black; in allusion to the color of the roots. 

 Linn. Polygamm-Monoida. Nat. Ord. Melaiithacece. 

 A genus of hardy herbaceous, coarse-growing 

 plants, with large, coarse, fibrous roots, which 

 are very poisonous. V. viride, a species com- 

 mon in swamps and marshy grounds, is popu- 



VER 



larly known as White Hellebore or Indian Poke. 

 The powdered roots of this species are used to 

 destroy Caterpillars, Rose Beetles, and other in- 

 sects. It is the base of some of the so-called 

 Persian Insect Powders, which should there- 

 fore be used with care. 



Verbascum. Mullein. Said to be from barbas- 

 cum, bearded; in allusion to the bearded fila- 

 ments. Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Scrophulariacece. 



An extensive genus of coarse-growing, weedy 

 biennial herbs, common in neglected fields and 

 roadsides. They are natives of Europe, but 

 thoroughly naturalized in most parts of this 

 country. 



Verbena. Vervain. Said to be from its Celtic 

 name, terfaen. Linn. Didynamia-Angiospermia. 

 Nat. Ord. Verbenacece. 



The beauty of this extensive genus is well 

 known, and needs no comment. They are all 

 peculiarly adapted for growing in beds in the 

 flower-garden, and are extensively grown for 

 that purpose. As a garden plant they are, com- 

 paratively, of recent introduction. Our garden 

 varieties have all originated from the following 

 species: V. melindres, a low, creeping plant, 

 with intense scarlet flowers, introduced from 

 Buenos Ayres in 1827. V. Tweediana, of freer 

 growth and more upright habit, umbels larger, 

 and florets more profuse, but of a less vivid 

 color, was introduced in 1834 from Brazil. V. 

 teucrioides, a taller growing species, of much 

 coarser habit, with flowers of pure white, in nar- 

 row-pointed spikes, and very fragrant, was in- 

 troduced from Monte Video in 1837. V. mullifida, 

 with lilac-purple flowers, was introduced from 

 Peru in 1818. The late Robert Buist, Sr., of 

 Philadelphia, was the first to introduce Verbena 

 culture into this country. He received seeds 

 from South America of the species named, and 

 from these have sprung the many thousand 

 named varieties that have from time to time 

 been offered for sale by plant-growers. Several 

 species have been found in the United States, 

 and among them V. montana, a hardy perennial 

 from the Rocky Mountains, a very free-flower- 

 ing species, with flowers of a bright rose, chang- 

 ing to lilac; a decided acquisition to the flower- 

 garden. V. aubletia, with spikes of showy pur- 

 ple flowers, a hardy biennial, is found in Illinois 

 and westward. Verbenas are easily grown from 

 seed, which should be sown in a hot-bed or the 

 green-house in early spring, and at once prick- 

 ed out before planting in the flower-bed. Plants 

 from seed will be more vigorous than from 

 cuttings; but when special colors are wanted 

 seedlings cannot be depended upon. At the 

 low price the plants are now sold in the markets, 

 it is cheaper to buy them than to grow them 

 from seed; but when the amateur is not con- 

 venient to the florist, the supply can be easily 

 kept up from seed. In growing Verbenas, suc- 

 cessive plantings should not be made on the 

 same ground ; the less frequently the better. It 

 is not that they exhaust the soil that renders a 

 change necessary, but when grown more than 

 once on the same spot, they are far more liable 

 to be attacked by the Aphis at the roots, which 

 is fatal to them. The varieties selected by florists 

 in the United States are far superior to those of 

 Europe, so that for the past ten years hardly any 

 importations have been made of either seeds or 

 plants. The plant is better suited to our cli- 

 mate, and is far more extensively cultivated here 

 than in Europe. The Verbena delights in a. 



