854 



KALMIA 



KANSAS 



decorative, contrasting well with the red and yellowish 

 branches. The species is also easily forced and makes 

 a very handsome pot-plant. The other species are 

 pretty border plants for evergreen shrubberies. The 

 Kalmias thrive well in a sandy, peaty or loamy soil, 

 but dislike clay and limestone. They grow almost as 

 well in swamps as in drier locations and prefer partly 

 shaded situations, but thrive also well in sunny places, 

 provided there be sufficient moisture. They require gen- 

 erally almost the same treatment as the hardy Rhodo- 

 dendroni but are less particular about soil and position. 

 Transplanting, if carefully done either early in fall or in 

 spring, is not difficult; a mulching the first season after 

 planting will be of much advantage to keep the roots 

 from drying in summer and from frost in winter. Prop, 

 usually by seeds sown in sandy, peaty soil in pans or 

 boxes in early spring and kept in a cool frame or green- 

 house. The seedlings should be pricked off as soon as 

 they can be handled, and after they are again established 

 gradually hardened off and the following year trans- 

 planted in frames or beds outdoors. Vars. of K. lati- 

 folia are usually increased by side-grafting on seedlings 

 in the greenhouse or by layers, since it grows less 

 readily from cuttings, while the other species may be 

 prop, by cuttings of half-ripened wood under glass. 

 Six species in N. Amer. and Cuba, allied to Rhododen- 

 dron : fls. in terminal or lateral corymbs or umbels, 

 rarely solitary ; calyx 5-parted; corolla saucer-shaped 

 or broadly companulate, 5-lobed; stamens 10, with slen- 

 der filaments, the anthers held back in little pouches of 

 the corolla, springing up suddenly and discharging the 

 pollen if touched : ovary 5-celled, superior ; capsule 



1205. Kalmia latifolia (X%). 



globular, parting into 5 valves, with numerous minute 

 seeds. The Ivs. of the Kalmias are said to be poisonous 

 to animals, especially those of K. angustifolia. The 

 flower of Kalmia is one of those proposed as a national 

 flower emblem, especially on account of the exquisite 

 symmetrical beauty of the single flower. It is a purely 

 American genus, but unfortunately it is popularly known 

 only in the eastern states. 



A. Fls. in umbels or corymbs. 



B. Lvs. evergreen. 

 C. Branchlets terete: Ivs. pale green beneath. 



latifolia, Linn. MOUNTAIN or AMERICAN LAUREL 

 CALICO BUSH. Fig. 1205. Shrub, 4-10 ft. high, rarely tree 

 to 30 ft., with dense, round-topped head: Ivs. petioled 

 alternate or irregularly whorled, oblong or elliptic-lan- 

 ceolate, acute at both ends, dark green above, yellowish 

 green below, 3-4 in. long : fls. in large, terminal com- 

 pound corymbs on viscid peduncles ; corolla rose-colored 

 to white, with purple markings within, about % in. across. 

 May, June. New Brunswick to Fla., west to Ohio 

 Tennessee. B.M. 175. Em. 443. 8.8.5:236-237. AJ 

 13:32. Gng. 3:1; 7:289. Gn. 22:343; 27, p. 549 & 33, 

 607. Var. alba, Hort. Fls. almost white. Var. moi_ 

 struosa, Mouillef. (var. polypetala, Arb. Kew. ). Coroll 

 divided into 5 narrow petals. G. F. 3:453. Var. mj 

 fdlia, Rand (var. nana or minor, Hort.). Lvs. small 

 1-2 in. long, deep green, of slow growth, forming a lo\ 

 dense bush. Var. rubra, C. Koch (var. Pavdrti, Andre" ) 

 Fls. deep pink. R.H. 1888:540. 



angustifdlia, Linn. SHEEP-LAUREL. LAMBKILI 

 WICKY. Shrub, to 3 ft. : Ivs. usually in pairs or 

 petioled, usually oblong, obtuse, light green above, pal 

 beneath, 1-2% in. long: corymb lateral, many-fld., cc 

 pound or simple : fls. %-% in. across, purple or c 

 son. June, July. From Newfoundland and Hudson baj 

 toGa. B M. 331. Em. 445. There are vars. with ligl 

 purple fls., var. rosea, Hort.; with crimson fls., var. 

 bra, Hort. ; with ovate or oval Ivs., var. ovata, Pursh, i 

 of dwarf habit, var. nana, Hort. 



cc. Branchlets 2-edged : Ivs. glaucous-white beneat) 



all opposite or in 8's. 

 polifdlia, Wangh. (K. glauca, Ait.). Low, straggling 

 shrub, to 2 ft. : Ivs. almost sessile, oval to linear-oblong, 

 obtuse, revolute at the margins, K-1K in. long: fls. in 

 simple terminal umbels, slender-pedicelled, %-% in. 

 across, rose-colored or purplish. May, June. Newfound- 

 land to Pa. and in the Rocky Mts. from Sitka to Calif 

 B.M. 177. L.B.C. 16:1508. Em. 441. G.W.F.A. 18.- 

 Var. microphylla is the alpine form of the Rocky Mts 

 growing only a few inches high and with very small Ivs., 

 y<i in. or less long: Var. rosmarinifolia has narrow, 

 oblong-linear, strongly revolute Ivs. 



BB. Lvs. deciduous, alternate. 

 cuneata, Michx. Erect shrub, with slender, straggling 

 stems, to 3 ft. : Ivs. petioled, cuneate, obovate-oblong 

 acute or obtuse, pubescent beneath when young, %-l; 

 in. long: fls. slender-pedicelled, in few-fld. lateral ui 

 bels, creamy white with a red band within, K-/ 

 across. June. N. C. and 8. C. G.F. 8:435. 



AA. Fls. solitary, axillary: plant hirsute. 

 hirsuta, Walt. Low shrub, with many erect or ascend- 

 ing stems, to 1 ft. : Ivs. almost sessile, oblong to lance 

 late, )^->2 in. long: fls. slender-pedicelled, % in. across, 

 rose-purple ; sepals oblong-lanceolate, hirsute, lonj 

 than the capsule. June. 8. Va. to Fla. B.M. 138. L.B.( 

 11:1058 - ALFRED REHDER. 



KALOPANAX. See AcantJiopanax. 



KANSAS, HORTICULTURE IN. Fig. 1206. In If 

 when Congress passed a law opening this territory fc 

 settlement, it was considered as part of the gret 

 American desert, and it was almost universally thought 

 to be fit only for grazing purposes. As to fruit-grow- 

 ing, such a possibility was not considered. This im- 

 pression did much to retard tree-planting. Anoth( 

 great drawback was the fact that every settler planting 

 fruit trees must have the favorite varieties of hisformei 

 home grown. This resulted in the planting of ovei 

 2,000 kinds of apples alone. Few of these could be made 

 to succeed, and, in time, so many failed that the impres- 

 sion was deepened that Kansas could not grow fruit 

 But amid these losses occasionally a man would succ 

 with some variety, and his success was heralded ov 

 the state until eventually the worthless kinds wei 

 weeded out and the road to success was perceivt 

 Eventually the people could plant trees with some 



