CHRYSOGONUM 



CHYSIS 



315 



heads being solitary and peduncled in the axils. Lvs. 

 ovate and mostly obtuse, crenate. Prop, by creeping 

 rootstocks and runners. Of little merit horticulturally. 



CHRYSOPHYLLUM (Greek, golden leaf, in reference 

 to the color of the under surface of the handsome leaves) . 

 Sai><>tacece. Many species of trees, with milky juice, 

 widfly distributed in the tropics. Fls. small, solitary at 

 the nodes or in fascicles ; calyx mostly 5-parted ; corolla 

 tubular-campanulate, usually 5-lobed or -parted ; sta- 

 mens 5, standing on the corolla tube : fr. usually fleshy, 

 sometimes edible. C. Cainito, Linn., is the STAR APPLE, 

 Fig. 469. The fruit is the size of an apple, symmetrically 



469. Chrysophyllum Cainito (X 



globular and smooth. A cross-section shows the star- 

 shaped core, whence the common name. It varies from 

 white to purple in color of skin and also of flesh. The 

 pulp is delicious (used uncooked) if the fruit is allowed 

 to remain on the tree until ripe. It has large, pumpkin- 

 like seeds. The tree reaches a height of 25 to 30 ft. It is 

 very impatient of frost. It is native to the W. Indies. 

 I.H. 32: 567. A.G. 11: 405. C. olivif6rme,Lam., is also in 

 the Amer. trade, but as an ornamental plant. It is a 

 smaller West Indian tree, native also in extreme S. Fla. 

 Lvs. like those of the last: stigma 5-crenate (in C. Cai- 

 nito 8-10-crenate) : fr. ovoid-oblong and small, 1-seeded, 

 blackish, insipid. These plants are allied to the Sapodillo. 

 The various species of Chrysophyllum have beautiful 

 broad green leaves, with under surfaces of a silky texture, 

 varying in color from a silvery white, through golden, to 

 a russet brown, and are well worth a place in the con- 

 servatory as ornamental trees. By giving them sufficient 

 room, they will bear fruit in the course of a few years, 

 under glass, which in the case of C. Cainito, the Star 

 Apple of the West Indies, is edible, and well liked even 

 by people of a temperate clime. All species are strictly 

 tropical, and cannot be grown where frosts occur unless 

 properly protected. Propagation is ordinarily effected 

 by seeds, which readily germinate if planted when fresh, 

 and it is stated that all species may be grown from cut- 

 tings of well-ripened shoots placed in strong, moist heat. 

 The soil most suited for their growth is of a sandy char- 

 acter, and if not of a good quality should be well manured, 

 using a considerable proportion of potash in the fertilizer 

 for fruiting specimens. They seem to do well on a 

 great variety of soils, however, that are sufficiently well 

 drained, wet land not agreeing with them. 



E. N. REASONER and L. H. B. 



CHRYSOPOGON (golden beard). Graminece. Very 

 like Andropogon, with which some authors unite it : 

 differs in having spikelets in pairs (or sometimes in 3's), 

 the lateral ones stalked and sterile or often reduced to 

 mere pedicels, only the middle or terminal one fertile. 

 C. nutans, Benth. (Andropdgon avendceus, Michx.), is in 

 the trade. It is native on dry soils in the eastern U. S., 

 growing 2-5 ft. high : perennial : culm unbranched, 

 terete: Ivs. glaucous and narrow, short: panicle narrow, 

 with nodding, shining yellowish spikelets. Useful for 

 the wild border. L. H. B. 



CHEYSOPSIS (golden appearance, 'from the heads). 

 Compdsitce. Allied to Solidago and Erigeron; N. Ameri- 

 can. Heads of medium size and many-fld., usually with 

 numerous yellow rays ; involucre bell-shaped or hemi- 

 spherical, of imbricated bracts : akenes compressed, 

 bearing a pappus of numerous hair-like bristles. C. vil- 

 Idsa, Nutt., is the only species in the trade. It is widely 

 distributed from 111. W., N. and S. : 1-2 ft., grayish 

 pubescent : Ivs. oblong to lanceolate, entire or few- 

 toothed : heads usually at the ends of leafy branches, 

 aster-like in shape. Extremely variable, and has several 

 named forms. Mn. 7:101. Var. Rutteri, Rothr., is larger 

 and later. Of value as a border plant. Cult, the same 

 as Aster. Perennials, but bloom the first year from 

 seed, if sown early. L. jj. B. 



CHRYSOSPLENIUM AMERICANUM, Schw. (name 

 from golden and spleen, referring to some old medicinal 

 tradition). Saxifragacew. A native plant creeping 

 in mud, which is sold for bog-planting. Stems fork- 

 ing, bearing roundish or cordate small mostly opposite 

 Ivs., with very small, nearly sessile, greenish, incon- 

 spicuous fls. Scarcely known in cult. 



CHRYStTRUS CYNOSUROlDES. See Lamarckia. 



CHUFA. The edible subterranean tubers of Cyperus 

 esculentus, Linn., much prized in the S. They are eaten 

 raw or baked, or used for the making of coffee. The plant 

 is sometimes cult, in the N., but it will not withstand the 

 winter. The tubers are oblong, ^-% in. long, cylindri- 

 cal, hard. The plant is grass-like, and in the N. does 

 not flower. Nuts are planted in the spring, and the new 

 crop is ready for digging in the fall. 



CHYSIS (Greek for melting, alluding to the pollen 

 masses). Orchiddcece, tribe Vdndew. A genus of or- 

 chids found in Trop. Amer., pendulous from trees. 

 Pseudobulbs usually spindle-shaped, attenuate toward 

 the base, leafy upwards : Ivs. broadly-lanceolate, plicate, 

 conspicuously nerved, bases sheathing: fls. fleshy, few 

 to many, in lateral racemes from the young growths ; 

 lateral sepals adnate to base of column ; labellum 3- 

 lobed, with 5 whitish callosities near the base. The 

 species bloom in spring and early summer. Handsome 

 orchids, requiring tropical treatment ; not largely 

 grown in American collections. Remove to a lower or 

 intermediate temperature when resting. Grown in pots 

 or baskets, in peat and moss. 



aurea, Lindl. About 1 ft. high: Ivs. about 5, 10-15 in. 

 long: fls. 2 in. in diam. ; petals and sepals oval-oblong, 

 reddish yellow, pale yellow at the base: lateral lobes of 

 labellum incurved, midlobe roundish, spotted with red 

 and yellow. S. Amer. B.M. 3617. There is a var. 

 maculata. 



bractescens, Lindl. Sepals and petals cuneate-oblong, 

 concave ; labellum white outside, yellow, streaked and 

 stained with red inside: fls. 3 in. in diam. From Mex., 

 found at an altitude of 1,500 ft. B.M. 5186. R.H. 1859, 

 pp. 294, 295. I.H. 27:398. J.H. III. 28:263.-One of the 

 most showy orchids. 



Isevis, Lindl. More robust than the preceding: Ivs. 

 shorter than the pseudobulbs : racemes 9-10-fld., from 

 among sheathing scales of new growth ; fls. 2% in. in 

 diam. ; sepals bright yellow, upper one linear-oblong, 

 lateral ones acuminate, about 1 in. long; petals yellow, 

 falcate ; labellum yellow with streaks and dots of 

 orange. Mex., 1840. 



Limminghei, Lind. & Reichb. f . Stems short : ra- 

 cemes about 5-fld. ; sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, 

 blush-white tipped with rosy mauve ; lateral lobes of 

 labellum obtuse, yellow streaked with crimson, mid- 

 lobe large, pink-lilac striped with rose-mauve. From 

 Mex., near the sea-coast. B.M. 5265. 



Chelsoni, Hort. (C. bractescens x C. Icevis). Pseudo- 

 bulbs narrow : raceme 6 in. long and curved, with 5-6 

 yellow and purple-blotched fls. 



Sedeni, Hort. (C. Limminghei x C. bractescens). Fls. 

 much like those of C. bractescens but smaller, white, 

 petals with mauve streaks; lip more like that of~<7, 

 Limminghei, yellow or whitish. OAKES AMES. 



