IPOMCEA 



IRESINE 



819 



(both as C. panduratus). B.R. 7:588. In some places 

 this species is a very troublesome weed, which is almost 

 impossible to exterminate because of its long tuberous 

 roots. It can easily be kept within bounds in the gar- 

 den with a little care, and makes a very desirable plant 

 for covering an old dead stump or back fence. The 

 chief merit of /. pandtirata as a garden plant is its har- 

 diness; hence it is often sold as the "Hardy" or "Per- 

 ennial Moonflower." If well mulched the roots will stand 

 26 below zero. There is a double-fld. form. 



19. Leari, Paxt. BLUE DAWN FLOWER. Stem a very 

 rapid grower, often 30-40 ft. long, somewhat shrubby at 

 the base: Ivs. 3-6 in. long, cordate, acute, mostly entire 

 or slightly 3-lobed, variable: fls. borne in clusters of 12- 

 30, opening in succession ; corolla 4-5 in. broad, bell- 

 shaped, deep lilac, sometimes dark purple with five 

 lighter plaits. Very beautiful. Aug.-Oct. Tropics of 

 both hemispheres. P.M. 4:267. B.M. 3928 (as Pharbi- 

 tis Leari). B.R. 27:56 (as Pharbitis Leari). A magnif- 

 icent species for the warmhouse, but not usually satis- 

 factory outside, at least in the North. One plant is on 

 record as producing 60,000 fls. at the rate of 300 a day. 

 When grown in the open the fls. are likely to be an un- 

 attractive coppery purple. 



20. Jalapa, Pursh (/. Michauxi, Sweet). Stem 6-8 

 ft. high, branched, slightly rough, springing from an 

 oblong root weighing 4-30 Ibs. : Ivs. 3-5 in. long, ovate- 

 cordate, membranaceous, veiny, repandor deeply lobed, 

 pubescent beneath, variable : fls. 3-4 in. wide, the corolla 

 bowl-shaped, with a narrowtube, rose, whiteorrose-purple. 

 Aug.-Oct. Mex. L. B.C. 6:518 (as Convolvulus Jalapa). 

 B.M. 1572 (as Convolvulus Jalapa). B.R. 4:342; 8:621. 

 A very ornamental warmhouse climber and valuable for 

 the garden if the tubers are started in the greenhouse 

 before being set out ; otherwise the plant seldom 

 blooms much before frost. The "Jalap "of commerce 

 does not come from this plant, but from I. Purga. The 

 roots of /. Jalapa are but slightly purgative. 



21. B6na-n6x, Linn. MOONFLOWER. Fig. 1170. Stem 

 10-20 ft. high: Ivs. 3-8 in. long, cordate to hastate, en- 

 tire, angular or 3-lobed, acute, glabrous: peduncles 2-6 

 in. long, 1-7-fld., equaling the petioles: corolla 3-6 in. 

 long, 4-6 in. wide, trumpet-shaped, piire white, some- 

 times with greenish plaits: fls. fragrant, usually clos- 

 ing in the morning, sometimes remaining open till noon. 

 Aug. -Sept. American and Asiatic tropics. B. M. 752. 

 B.R. 11:889 (as /. latiflora). Gn.21,p.259; 27, p. 473. 

 V. 10 : 359. Known in gardens chiefly as var. grandifldra, 

 Hort. (J. grandifldra, Roxb. and Hort., not Lam.), 

 which does not differ materially from the type. Most of 



the large-fld. and very 

 fragrant forms in culti- 

 vation may be referred 

 here; the smaller forms 

 are probably I. grandi- 

 flora, Lam. Var. grandi- 

 flora is also sold under 

 the following names: /. 

 Childsii, I. noctiphyton, 

 I. noctiflora, I. Mexi- 

 cana grandiflora, I. 

 Mexicana grandiflora 

 alba, I. Mexicana 

 grandiflora vera. These 

 various trade names 

 represent strains of va- 

 rying excellence. A form 

 with variegated Ivs. is 

 offered. The Moonflower 

 is most popular as a gar- 

 den plant, but it also does 

 well trained along the 



1170. Ipomcea Bona-nox (X%). r j * * ^niar^^t *is 

 excellent for cut-flowers in the evening. 



22. grandifldra, Lam. (Calonyction grandiflorum, 

 Chois. /. Bona-n6x, Hort., not Linn.). Differs from 

 /. Bona-nox in having the stem usually covered with 

 short, sharp points: Ivs. smaller, entire: peduncle much 

 shorter (usually 1-2 in.) : fls. not over 3 in. wide; sepals 

 elliptic, obtuse (in /. Bona-nox ovate, mucronate) : seeds 

 shortly villose, with shaggy margins (in /. Bona-nox 



smooth). Cosmop. trop. Some of the inferior strains, 

 passing as /. Bona-nox and its synonyms belong here. 



23. chryseides, Ker. Stem slightly woody, much twin- 

 ing, smooth or branches slightly hairy : Ivs. 1-2 in. long, 

 ovate-cordate to subhastate, acute, entire or toothed, 3- 

 angled, 3-lobed and repand : peduncles 1-7-fld., longer 

 than the petioles: corolla %-% in. wide, funnel-shaped. 

 July-Oct. Trop. Asia and Africa. B.R. 4:270. -It can 

 be grown out-of-doors, but is tardy in blooming. Best 

 treated as a warmhouse evergreen climber. /. chryseides 

 is advertised abroad. I. chrysdntha, Hort., described in 

 American catalogues as having rich, glossy foliage and 

 golden yellow fls., may belong here. 



24. Pes-caprae, Roth (7. maritima, R. Br.). Stem 

 creeping, seldom twining, 20-60 ft. : roots often 12 ft. 

 long and 2 in. thick: Ivs. 1-4 in. long, fleshy, roundish, 

 often broader than long, with 2 glands at the base and 

 prominently pinnate-veined: peduncles usually few-fld., 

 equaling the petioles : corolla nearly 2 in. long, bell- 

 shaped, margin scarcely lobed. Aug.-Oct. Trop. coasts 

 of both hemispheres; drifting sands of coast, Ga. to 

 Tex. B.R. 4:319. 



25. Batatas, Poir. (Batatas tdulis, Chois.). SWEET PO- 

 TATO. Lvs. ovate- cordate, usually angular or lobed, 

 variable, petioled: peduncles equaling or exceeding the 

 petioles, several-fld. : corolla 1-2 in. wide. Origin un- 

 known, unless it be from /. fastigiata of tropical 

 America. Largely cultivated in many varieties for its 

 edible tubers. See Siveet Potato. 



26. Purga, Hayne. Lvs. sagittate -cord ate, smooth : 

 peduncles generally 1-fld., longer than the petioles: fls. 

 rose-purple ; corolla long-tubular, with a flat limb. 

 Sept.-Oct. Trop. Amer. B.R. 33:49 (as Exogonium 

 Purga). The "Jalap "of commerce is an active purga- 

 tive made by grinding to a powder dried slices of the 

 tuberous roots of this species. It was principally col- 

 lected nearXalapa, Mex., of which Jalap is a corruption. 



27. Wolcottiana, Rose. Tree, 25-30 ft. high, often 1 ft. 

 through, with slender, slightly drooping branches: Ivs. 

 ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 in. long, smooth: fls. nu- 

 merous, in short racemes or corymbs ; corolla about 

 2% in. broad, white, broadly bell-shaped. Mex. G.F. 

 7 : 365. Seeds do not germinate readily. 



I. atfcrea. Kellogg. Lvs.trifoliolate or quinate.the leaflets rhom- 

 bic, entire, sub-repand: fls. 2-4 in. across, funnelform, with a. 

 widely expanded limb, golden yellow. Cal. After No. 12 in key. 



S. W. FLETCHER. 



IRESINE (Greek name for a harvest garland wound 

 with wool : the flowers and seeds of these plants are 

 woolly). Amarantacece. ACHYRANTHES. From 20 to 25 

 species of herbs or subshrubs, in tropical and sub- 

 tropical Amer. Lvs. stalked, opposite, the margins not 

 toothed in the domestic species : fls. very small, bracte- 

 ate, in axillary or terminal panicles, perfect or imperfect 

 (plants sometimes dioecious), the perianth of one series 

 terete, 5-parted, with ovate-oblong segments ; stamens 

 5 ; style short or none, the stigmas 2 or 3 : fr. a utricu- 

 lus. Two or three species are in common cultivation as 

 bedding plants, because of their highly colored Ivs. and 

 stems. The first of these to be introduced was described 

 before the fls. were known and it was referred to Achy- 

 ranthes (A. Verschaffeltii ) , but in that genus the anthers 

 are 2-loculed, whereas in Iresine they are 1-loculed. To 

 gardeners they are still known as Achyranthes. 



Because of ease of propagation, ability to withstand 

 sun and shearing, and the bright colors, the Iresines are 

 amongst the most popular bedding plants. Few. plants, 

 are easier to grow. Stock plants are kept overwinter in 

 a cool temperature (as in a carnation house), and in Feb- 

 ruary and March they are given more heat and moisture, 

 and cut back, to get cutting wood. Cuttings root quickly 

 in any good cutting-bed. For mass bedding, plants are 

 usually set 6-10 in. apart. They will not withstand frost. 



Herbstii, Hook. f.( Achyranthes Verschaffeltii, Lem.). 

 Lvs. broadly ovate or orbicular, obtuse and notched at 

 the apex, purple-red, with prominent arched veins, or 

 in the commoner variety green or green-red with yellow 

 veins (var. aitreo-reticulata). S. Amer. B.M. 5499. 

 This was described and figured in August, 1864, by Le- 

 mairesis Achyranthes (?) Verschaffeltii (I.H. 11:409), and 

 later by Van Houtte as Iresine Verschaffeltii (F.S. 



