116 



ASTILBE 



ASTROCARYUM 



when fumigation is necessary. Aphis, spider or thrips 

 never trouble Astjlbe. As a border plant, Astilbe is one 

 of the hardiest of our hardy herbaceous plants ; but the 

 feathery plume obtained in the greenhouse is much 

 shorter, more compact, and lacks the pure whiteness of 

 the outdoor-grown specimens. WILLIAM SCOTT. 



A. Fls. opening white or yellowish. 

 decandra, T>on(A.bitemata,ftritt.). Somewhat pubes- 

 cent, 3-6 ft. : Ivs. 2-ternate, the Ifts. ovate and cordate or 

 abrupt at base, sharp-ser- 

 rate : fls. yellowish white, 

 in a large (10-12 in. long) 

 racemose panicle ; sta- 

 mens 10. Woods, Va. and 

 S. Often conf ounde.d with 

 Aruncus Sylvester. 



Japdnica, Gray (Hotela 

 Japdnica, Morr. & Decne. 

 ff.barbata, Morr. & Decne. 

 Spircea Japdnica, Hort.). 



169. Astilbe Japonica. 



Fig. 169. Erect, 1-3 ft., 

 hairy on the petioles 

 and nodes : Ivs. 3-2-ter- 

 nate, petiole reddish ; Ifts. 

 ovate-acute,tapering to the 

 base, serrate : fls. white, 

 in a pubescent racemose 

 panicle; stamens 10. Ja- 

 pan. B.M. 3821. Gn. 48, 

 p. 366. Mn. 5:174.- Com- 

 monly known as a spring 

 glasshouse plant in this 

 country, but hardy in the 

 open. There are various 

 cult, forms, as var. gran- 

 difldra, Hort., with larger 

 and denser panicle ; var. 

 compacta, Hort., the pani- 

 cle more compact ; var. 

 multifldra, Hort. ; var. va- 

 riegata, Hort., with varie- 



geted Ivs.; var. purpurea, Hort., with purple-shaded 

 foliage. Astilbe Japonica is often confused with Arun- 

 cus astilboides; Figs. 169 and 170 will aid in distin- 

 guishing them. 



Lemdinei, Hort. Foliage graceful, standing 1 %ft. high, 

 with Ifts. broad-oval, dentate and crimped, satiny green, 

 hairy : fls. with white petals and 10 pink stamens, very 

 numerous, in plume-like clusters disposed in panicles 

 iKft.long. Gn. 48, p. 355. R.H.1895,p.567. A.F. 11:459. 

 Garden plant, supposed to be a hybrid of A. Japonica 

 and Aruncus astilboides. Hardy, and forces well. 



rivul^ris, Hamilt. Rhizome creeping: st. 3-5 ft.: Ivs. 

 2-ternate, the Ifts. ovate, dentate, the petioles tawny- 

 hairy: fls, yellowish white, changing to reddish, in large 



170. Aruncus astilboides. 



For comparison with 



Astilbe. 



spikes, which are disposed in panicles; stamens 8 or 10, 

 pure white. Nepal. Gn. 48, p. 355. Attractive border 

 species, blooming late. Probably needs protection. 



Thunbergii, Miq. Silky-hairy, 1-2 ft. : Ivs. pinnate, the 

 Ifts. oval, serrate, yellowish green: fls. white, on reddish 

 stalks, changing to pink, in clusters on the fl. -branches. 

 Japan. R.H. 1895, p. 565. A graceful plant. Forces well. 



AA. Fls. opening pink or red. 



Chinensis, Franch. & Sav. Plant l%-2 ft., graceful : 

 Ivs. 3-ternate, the Ifts. serrate : fls. in a branchy, rather 

 compact panicle, with purplish or pink reflection, but 

 the petals whitish. China. Possibly a form of the pre- 

 ceding. Yet rare in Amer. 



rubra, Hook. & Thorn. St. simple, 4-6 ft., long-hairy: 

 Ivs. 2-ternate ; Ifts. oblique-ovate, more or less cordate, 

 sharp-serrate : fls. numerous, rose-red, in compact, ro- 

 bust panicles ; stamens 10, shorter than petals. India. 

 B.M. 4959. Needs protection. Little known in Amer. 



L. H. B. 



ASTRAGALUS (ancient Greek name of some shrub). 

 Leguminosce. MILK VETCH. 

 A genus of over 1,000 spe- 

 cies of hardy herbs or 

 subshrubs. Lvs. mostly 

 odd-pinnate: fls. in spikes 

 or racemes, yellow, purple 

 or white. They prefer a 

 light, porous soil and no 

 shade. The dwarfer kinds 

 may be placed in the front 

 of the border or in the 

 rockery. Prop, ciiiefly by 

 seeds, which germinate 

 slowly, or slowly by careful 

 division in early spring. 

 Many kinds are likely to 

 die if divided or trans- 

 planted. Many kinds are 

 cultivated in the Old 

 World, but the four de- 

 scribed below are the only 

 kinds commonly sold in 

 America. Of the many na- 

 tive kinds, mostly known 

 as rattle-weeds, the following are ad- 

 vertised at present: A. Canadensis = 

 A. Carolinianus , A. caryocarpus, A. 

 Drummondii, A. flexuosus, A. Lax- 

 manni, A. Parry i, A. racemosus, A. 

 JRobbinsii, A. Shortianus. The Loco- 

 weed of the prairies, which is said to 

 poison cattle, is A. mollissimus. For 

 these and many others the student is 

 referred to Britton and Brown's Illus- 

 trated Flora, and Coulter's Manual of 

 Rocky Mountain Botany. 



A. Fls. yellow. 



alopecuroides, Linn. St. erect, strict : 

 height 2-5 ft. : Ifts. ovate-lanceolate, pu- 

 bescent. Siberia. B.M. 3193. 



AA. Fls. not yellow. 

 Monspessulanus, Linn. St. trailing : 

 height 9 in.: fls. purple, purplish or 

 white, in smaller and looser heads than 

 the above. Eu. B.M. 375. 



hypogldttis, Linn. Height 3-24 in. : Ifts. 17-25 : fls. 

 violet-purple, 6-10 lines long, in dense heads : pods 4-5 

 lines long, 2-celled, densely villous, with white hairs. 

 Eu., Asia, and from Kansas W. to Nev. and N. to Alaska. 

 Also a white var., excellent for pots. 



alpinus, Linn. Height 6-15 in. : Ifts. 13-25: fls. violet, 

 keel darker : pods 1-celled, black-pubescent. Northern 

 and Arctic regions round the world. 



J. B. KELLER and W. M. 



ASTROCARYUM (Greek, astron, star, and karyon, 

 nut; referring to star-like arrangement of the fruits). 

 Palmacece, tribe Cocoinece. Spiny palms, stemless or 

 with a short caudex, or with a tall, ringed, spiny cau 



