GENTIANA 



GEONOMA 



637 



50. pumila, Jacq. Stem 3-4-angled : calyx lobes linear: 

 corolla lobes ovate, acute. June, July. Tyrolese and 

 Carinthian Alps. 



51. acaulis, Linn. GENTIANELLA. STEMLESS GEN- 

 TIAN. By the botanists of continental Europe this is 

 often split up into the 4 or 5 following species. The 

 plants that Linnaeus had in mind were probably mostly 

 Clusii and Kochiana. For pictures of G. acaulis in its 

 widest sense, see B.M. 52. G.C. III. 15:236. Gn. 48, p. 

 146, and 54, p. 39, and F.S. 23:2421, where a more detailed 

 account of the 4 following species is given. 



52. angustifdlia, Vill., not Michx. Stoloniferous : Ivs. 

 linear-oblong, narrowing towards the base, glistening 

 above : fls. spotted with sprightly green; calyx lobes 

 more or less spreading, oval, abruptly contracted at the 

 base. May, June. Limestone rocks, Alps. Considered 

 by Correvon the handsomest species of the whole genus. 



53. Kochiana, Perr. & Song. Lvs. large, flat, thin, 

 spreading, oval or broadly oblong, light green : calyx 

 lobes oblong, limp, more or less contracted at the base 

 and separated by truncate sinuses ; corolla with 5 black- 

 ish green spots on the throat. May, June. Common in 

 pastures on granitic Alps. Dislikes lime. 



54. Clusii, Perr. and Song. Lvs. lanceolate-acute, 

 leathery : fls. dark blue ; calyx lobes pressed close 

 against corolla, not contracted at base, and separated by 

 acute sinuses. May, June. Limestone rocks, Alps. 



55. alpina, Vill. Stem almost wanting : Ivs. small, 

 glistening, curving inwards and imbricated, forming ro- 

 settes which incurve at about the middle: fls. dark blue. 

 May, June. Granitic Alps. This and G. Kochiana "re- 

 quire a compost of one-third crushed granite, one-third 

 heath soil, and one-third vegetable loam, and should be 

 planted on rockwork half exposed to the sun." 



56. Dinarica, Beck. Lvs. broad, thick, erect: fls. dark 

 blue. Alps of S. and E. Austria. 



The following are trade names abroad of Gentians not suf- 

 ficiently described for insertion above: G. Arvernensis, Hort. 

 Perhaps a var. of Pneumonanthe. Fls. Napoleon blue. See G. 

 C. II. 20:40. G. Charpentteri, Thorn. Naturally hybrid, inter- 

 mediate between lutea and punctata: corolla spotted red: calyx 

 5-cut. Grisebach does not say whether the corolla is not plaited, 

 anthers always free, and style none. Alps, above Engadine. 

 G. Fetisowi, Regel. St. erect, tall: fls. deep blue. China. Gt. 

 1069. G. Hcengsti, Hausm.=G. Kummeriana. G. Eesselringi, 

 Regel. Height about 8 in.: fls. whitish, dotted violet outside. 

 Turkestan. Gt. 1087. G. Kummeriana, Sendt. Hybrid between 

 lutea and Pannonica. Fls. yellowish. G. Wdllichiana. Height 

 8-12 in.: fls. clear blue. G. Walujewi, Regel & Schmalh. Fls. 

 whitish, dotted pale blue. Turkestan. Gt. 1140. w. M. 



GENUS, pi. GENERA (i. e., kind), is a term used in 

 natural history to designate a group of species. As with 

 species, so the Genus is an indefinite conception, varying 

 with the author. The chief value of the conception is 

 its use in aiding us conveniently to arrange and name 

 plants and animals. The name of the Genus is the first 

 of the two words in the name of the plant : thus, in Bras- 

 sica oleracea, Brassica designates the Genus, and 

 oleracea the particular Brassica of which we are speak- 

 ing. It is impossible to trace the origin of the genus- 

 conception in natural history, but it is usually as- 

 cribed to Konrad Gesner (Zurich, 1516-1565). L. H. B. 



GEONOMA (Wittstein gives this ponderous explana- 

 tion: "Greek, geonomos, skilled in agriculture: for this 

 tree puts forth buds at the apex of its stem which be- 

 come new trees"). Palmdcece, tribe Arecece. Slender 

 spineless palms with ringed, reed-like stems : Ivs. termi- 

 nal or alternate; blade entire, 2-lobed at the apex, or 

 more or less pinnatisect: segments acuminate, 1 -nerved, 

 with the margins broadly recurved at the base; rachis 

 acute above, convex on the back; petiole nearly cylin- 

 drical, concave at the base above; sheath tubular; 

 spadices ascending or recurved, simple, forked or panic- 

 ulately branched, slender or stout, often colored ; 

 spathes 2, often deciduous before flowering, or obsolete, 

 the lower one partial, truncate, concave, the upper com- 

 pressed or fusiform: fls. borne in the furrows of the 

 spadix, at length partially exserted, when in 3's the 

 upper one pistillate: cells of the anthers twisted: fr. 

 small, globose, black. Species about 100. Tropical 

 America. For G. Ghiesbreghtiana , see Calyptrogyne. 



JARED G. SMITH. 



Several of the members of this extensive genus of 

 small-growing palms are useful for the greenhouse, 

 though most attractive while in a small state, from the 

 fact that Geonomas soon begin to form a stem, and 

 when aged become rather scantily furnished specimens. 

 These palms are by no means difficult to grow, and do not. 

 require a very high temperature, their natural habitat 

 being the mountains of Central and South America, 

 some of the species being found at an altitude of over 

 4,000 feet above sea level. Geonomas form part of the 

 undergrowth on their native mountains, and are said 

 never to appear in the open country unsheltered by trees 

 of larger growth ; therefore, shade is necessary for them 

 when cult, under glass. 



The old practice of growing Geonomas in a very light, 

 peaty soil does not seem to be the only method, for ex- 

 cellent results have been secured by growing them in a 

 good loam, well manured and well drained, giving an 

 abundance of water and a night temperature of 60. 

 Red spiders and thrips are the most troublesome insects 

 to which these plants are subject, and both of these 

 pests multiply much more rapidly if the plants are kept 

 too warm and dry. 



The most useful species from a commercial point of 

 view is G. Riedeliana (G. gracilis),Vfhich reminds one 

 of Cocos Weddelliana, but has longer leaflets. Those 

 marked thus (*) are cult, under glass in the North ; 

 those marked thus (t) are cult, in S. Calif, only; the 

 others are cult, indoors North and also in S. Calif., ex- 

 cept G. Spixiana, which is cjilt. only in S. Fla. The 

 picture of G. Spixiana below is adapted from Martius* 

 work on palms. 



899. Geonoma Spixiana. 

 A tall palm, as it grows in the tropics. 



A. Lvs. simple, 2-lobed at the apex. 

 B. Cuneate-oblanceolate, rusty, tomentose. 



Spixiana, Mart. Fig. 899. Stem slender, solitary, 6-9 

 ft. high : blades 3 ft. long, bifurcate one-fourth of their 

 length, each lobe lanceolate-acuminate, divergent. 

 Western Brazil. 



BB. Cuneate-ovate, plicate. 



Seemanni, Hort. Low, 1-3 ft. high : Ivs. all alike, the 

 first 2 in. long, the later ones 10 in. long, short-petioled, 

 triangular, with broad, scarious margins ; blade feather- 

 veined Central America. 



