74. Sweet alyssum (X 



ALYSSUM 



AL^SSUM (classical name). Cruel ferw. Low plants, 

 mostly perennials and used for rockwork. The Sweet 

 Alyssum is one of the commonest annuals, grown both 



in the open and forced 

 in benches, beds or 

 pots. It is of the easi- 

 est culture, either in- 

 doors or out. The com- 

 pact vars. are most 

 prized for pot-culture. 

 Under glass, requires 

 temperature of a car- 

 nation house. It will 

 stand considerable 

 frost in the open, and 

 may be sown early ; it blooms all summer, and until 

 killed by winter. Useful for window gardens and bas- 

 kets. For winter bloom, sow seeds late in Aug. or in 

 Sept. When blooms begin to fail, cut back the plant, and 

 it will bloom again. The perennial species are usually 

 prop, by dividing the roots ; also by cuttings and seeds. 



A. Fls. white. 



maritimum, Lam. (A. odordtum, Hort.). SWEET ALYS- 

 SUM. Fig. 74. A low, spreading, light green annual, with 

 lanceolate or linear entire Ivs., tapering to the base, and 

 small honey-scented fls. in terminal clusters, which be- 

 come long racemes. Eu. Many cult, vars.: Benthami 

 or compactum, a dwarf and compact form, not over 6 in. 

 high ; variegatum, with pale white-edged Ivs. ; gigan- 

 teum, robust, broad-lvd. ; procumbens, of spreading 

 habit : and various horticultural forms with trade names. 



spindsum, Linn. A woody-stemmed little perennial, 

 with lanceolate acute silvery Ivs., spiny fl. branches, 

 and very small numerous fls. Eu. Rockwork; 3-6 in. 



AA. Fls. yellow: perennials. 

 B. Lvs. % in. or less long. 



serpyllifdlium, Desf. (.4. alpe'stre, Linn.?). Dwarf 

 (3-4 in. high), somewhat woody at the base, with rough- 

 hoary Ivs., and pale yellow fls. inracemes. Eu. Int. 1892 



BB. Lvs. 1 in. or more long. 



saxatile, Linn. GOLDEN-TUFT. A foot high, woody at 

 base : Ivs. oblanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, entire or 

 wavy, hoary-tomentose : fls. golden yellow, numerous, 

 in little compact clusters. Eu. B.M. 159. A. F. 5:37. 

 Common in rockwork, making a spreading mat, bloom- 

 ing in early spring. There is a dwarf var. (compdctum , 

 and a pretty variegated variety sold as A. variegatum. 



Gemonense, Linn. Less hardy than the last: Ivs. lan- 

 ceolate, velvety : fls. lemon-yellow : st. usually more 

 woody at base. Eu. 



rostratum, Stev. (A. Wierzbickii, Heuff.). About 20 

 in.: Ivs. 2 in. long, broad-oblong, pointed, hairy: fls. 

 deep yellow, in dense heads, in summer. Asia Minor. 



argenteum, Vitm. Dwarf and dense grower, 15 in. or 

 less: Ivs. oblong-spatulate, silvery beneath: fls. yellow 



in clustered heads, all summer. Eu. 

 AMANlTA. See Mushroom. 



L. H. B. 



AM ARABOTA (native name). Melastomacew. A ge- 

 nus of only three species of tender shrubs from New 

 Grenada, which are showy both in foliage and flower. 

 Lvs. large, opposite, sessile, with three prominent 

 nerves, brownish red beneath: fls. large, cymose; petals 

 usually 6; stamens 12-15. For cult., see Pleroma. Not 

 known to be in American trade. 



A.amdbilis, Linden. Fls. white, margined carmine; stamens 

 white: style red, exserted. I.H. 34: 9. A. princeps, Linden. 

 Fls. cnrmine ; stamens white; styles white. I.H. 34:4. 4. 

 splendida. Linden. Fls. 6% in. across ; petals narrower at the 

 base than in the other species; stamens yellow; style red, ex- 

 serted. I.H. .'{4:r!4. 



AMARANTHS (Greek, unfading). Amarantdcece. 

 AMARANTH Coarse annual plants, grown for foliage and 

 the showy fl. -clusters. Related to the Cockscomb. The 

 Amaranths are usually treated as open-air annuals. 

 They thrive best in a hot and sunny situation. In very 

 rich soil the Ivs. become very large but usually lack in 



AMARANTHS 55 



bright coloring. Seeds may be sown in the open or in 

 frames. The dwarf arid compact vars., which often have 

 beautifully variegated foliage, may be grown in pots or 

 used for bedding. Give plenty of room. 



A. Lvs. linear-lanceolate, long and drooping. 



salicifdlius, Veitch. Graceful pyramidal habit, 3ft.: 

 Ivs. 5-8 in. long and %in. wide, wavy, bronze-green, 

 changing to orange-red. Philippines. G.C.I. 1871:1550. 

 F.S. 19:1929. 



AA. Lvs. broad, mostly orate. 

 B. Spikes drooping. 



caudatus, Linn. LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING. Fig. 75. Tall 

 and diffuse (3-5 ft.) : Ivs. ovate to ovate-oblong, stalked, 

 green : spikes red, long and slender, naked, in a long 

 and drooping panicle, the terminal one forming a long, 

 cord-like tail. Also vars. with yellowish and whitish 

 panicles. India. G.W. 6:709. Common, and an old 

 favorite. 



atropurpureus, Hort. Foliage blood-red. Probably a 

 form of A. caudatus. Perhaps the same as Roxburgh's 

 A. atropurpureus from India. 



BB. Spikes erect. 



hypochondriacus, Linn. PRINCE'S FEATHER. Tall and 

 glabrous: Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, acute: spikes blunt, 

 aggregated into a thick, lumpy terminal panicle, of which 

 the central part is elongated: bracts long-awned. An 

 old garden plant, with the heavy heads variously col- 

 ored, but mostly purple. Lvs. mostly purple or purple- 

 green. Probably Asian. Cult, also as A.crue'ntus and 

 A. atropurpureus. Sometimes a weed in cult, grounds. 



paniculatus, Linn. St. usually pubescent : Ivs. usu- 

 ally broader than in the last, and spikes acute or acutish, 

 and in an open, more graceful terminal panicle: bracts 

 awn-pointed. Common, and sometimes a weed. Lvs. 

 usually green, but often blotched or bright purple. A 

 showy form is A. speciosus, Sims, B.M. 2227. Cult, 

 also as A.sanguineus. Probably originally Asian. 



Gangeticus, Linn. ( A. melanch6licus , Linn.). Usually 

 a lower plant, 3 ft>. or less and often only 1 ft., with thin, 

 ovate-pointed Ivs., and fls. in short, glomerate, inter- 

 rupted spikes, both terminal and axillary. Very varia- 

 ble. Cult, by Amer. Chinese (Fig. 76) as a pot-herb 

 under the name of Hon-toi-moi, with green Ivs. (Bailey, 

 Bull. 67, Cornell Exp. Sta.). A form used for bedding, 

 with foliage red, yellow and green, is JOSEPH'S COAT, or 

 A tricolor (G.W. 6: 709). A form with fiery red Ivs. is 

 known as A . bicolor. Various dwarf and compact bed- 

 ding forms. Used more for foliage than for fl. panicles. 

 Asian. 



Other garden Amaranthuses are A. Abyssinicus, 

 dark red; A.gibbdsus, Hort., a form of A . paniculatus ; 

 A. Htnderi, probably a hybrid with A. salicifolius, or a 



75. Amarantus 

 caudatus 



var. of it, with long-drooping, orown Ivs., and tall, pyra- 

 midal stature ; A. G6rdoni, or Sunrise, with bronzy 

 banded Ivs. and brilliant scarlet Ivs. on top; A.superbus, 

 int. 1893. Other Amaranthuses are common weeds: A. 



