MIRABILIS 



MISSISSIPPI 



1021 



4 of which are cultivated for their pretty or showy fls 

 The fls. have no corolla, but the calyx is colored and tu- 

 bular and exactly like a corolla in appearance. The fls. 

 are surrounded by a leafy involucre, and sometimes (as 

 in M. Jalapa) only one flower is borne in an involucre 

 simulating a corolla in a 5-cleft calyx. The stamens are 5 

 or 6, as long as the perianth, their filaments united at 

 the base. Style 1, with a capitate stigma. Fruit har- 

 dened, capsule-like and indehiscent. They are peren- 

 nial herbs, although grown as annuals from seeds, with 

 Ivs. petioled and opposite, and fls. solitary or panicu- 

 late and nearly or quite sessile in the involucres. 



A. Involucre containing only one flower: plant gla- 

 brous or very nearly so. 



Jalapa, Linn. FOUR-O'CLOCK. MARVEL OF PERU. 

 Fig. 1406. Erect-bushy, quick-growing herb, germinat- 

 ing readily from the large, conical-oblong fruits, 2-3 ft. 

 high, bearing profusely in late summer and fall long- 

 tubed funnelform fls. in white and shades of red and 

 vellow, and striped, opening in cloudy weather or late 

 In the afternoon (whence the common name Four- 

 O'Clock), and closing in the morning. Lvs. ovate-lanceo- 

 late, short-petioled, acuminate, entire : fls. in clusters 

 amongst the Ivs.; stamens not exserted. Tropical 

 Amer. B M. 371. Cultivated from early times, and 

 always a favorite. In tropics it has tuberous roots, and 

 these were once supposed to be the source of Jalap, 

 whence the name Jalapa. There are dwarf and compact 

 varieties ; also forms with variegated foliage. The 

 Four-O'Clock is an "old-fashioned flower." It is treated 

 as a tender annual. Thrives in any garden soil. A use- 

 ful plant for growing in a hedge (plants 1 ft. apart) at 

 the rear of the flower-garden. It sometimes comes up 

 in the spring from self-sown seeds. Even as far north 

 as New York, it often produces tuberous roots large 

 enough to be lifted and stored like dahlias. 



AA. Involucre containing 1-3 fls.: plant viscid-pubes- 

 cent. 



Calif6rnica, Gray. Plant 1-3 ft. tall, yellowish green,' 

 the many stems ascending from a somewhat woody base : 

 Ivs. thick or almost fleshy, ovate-oblong to round-ovate, 

 short-stalked: involucres 5-cleft, short-peduncled, con- 

 taining 1-3 rose-purple fls. a half-inch long, with sta- 

 mens sometimes protruded. S. Calif, to Utah and S. 

 Little known in cultivation. 



AAA. Involucre containing 3 or more long-tubed fls. 



multifldra, Gray. Stout and tall (2-3 ft.), much- 

 branched, somewhat pubescent or sometimes glabrous : 

 Ivs. rather thin, gray-green, lance-ovate to broad-ovate, 

 more or less cordate, short-stalked, acute or acuminate: 

 involucre % in. long, stalked: fls. 6, with a tube often 

 2 in. long, rose to purple, the style and the 5 stamens 

 protruded. - Var. pubescens, Wats. (M.Frcebelii, Greene), 

 is very pubescent throughout. The M. multiflora of 

 B.M. 6266 is probably this variety. The species ranges 

 from Colo, to S. Calif, and S. Little known in cult. 



longifldra, Linn. Plant 2-3 ft., glandular-pubescent 

 above : Ivs. cordate and usually acuminate, short-stalked, 

 pubescent: fls. pubescent, with a very narrow tube 5-6 

 in. long, and a small, flaring white, rose or violet limb, 

 very fragrant at evening. Mexico. An old garden 

 plant, but less frequent than M. Jalapa. Easily grown 

 from seeds. It has been hybridized with M. Jalapa. 



L. H. B. 



MISCANTHUS (Greek, miskos, a stem, and anthos, a 

 flower). Graminece. EULALIA. Comprises about 6 spe- 

 "cies in southern and eastern Asia, several of which are 

 cultivated for ornament. Tall perennial grasses with 

 ample terminal fan-shaped panicles, allied to the sugar 

 cane and Erianthus. Includes the Eulalias of the trade 

 but not Eulalia, Kunth, which is referred to Pollima, 

 Trin., by Hackel. Spikelets 1-fld., in pairs at the joints 

 of the rachis, one nearly sessile, the other pedicellate, 

 usually awned. Glumes 4. A cluster of silky hairs 

 arises from the base of the spikelets, which gives the 

 panicle its beautiful feathery appearance. Increased 

 by seed or division of roots. 



Although many progressive nurserymen now adver- 

 tise these favorite grasses as Miscanthus, the name 



Eulalia will probably remain in the English language as 

 a thoroughly naturalized word, like Geranium and Chrys- 

 anthemum. Eulalias probably rank among the first half 



1407. Miscanthus Sinensis. 



Which, under the name of Eulalia, is one of the 



most popular of ornamental grasses. 



dozen most popular grasses cultivated for ornament. 

 They are remarkably hardy and are universal favor- 

 ites for bedding. One of the commonest and best de- 

 signs for a bed of ornamental grasses employs Arundo 

 Donax as a tall center piece, surrounded by Eulalias. 



saccharifer, Benth. (sometimes written saccharifldrus) . 

 Distinguished by its nearly or quite awnless spikelets. 

 China. Gt. 1862:357. Procurable of dealers in Japanese 

 plants. 



Nepal6nsis, Hack. HIMALAYA FAIRY GRASS. Spikelets 

 one-fourth as long as the brown involucral hairs. Lvs. 

 smooth on the margin. Occasionally cultivated. Hima- 

 layas. 



Sin6nsis, Anders. (Eulalia Japdnica, Trin.). Figs. 

 1407, 1408. Spikelets about equaling the white or sub- 

 violet involucral hairs. Culm 4-9 

 ft.: Ivs. 2-3 ft., margins sca- 

 brous: panicle 6-12 in., formed 

 late in the season. Established 

 plants form clumps as much as 

 18 ft. in circumference. The 

 forms in cultivation are mostly 

 the following varieties : Var. 

 variegatus,with leaves striped; 

 zebrinus, leaves banded. These 

 two varieties are not quite so 

 hardy as the type, and are usual- 

 ly propagated by division, as the 

 seeds are not so sure to come 

 true. Gng. 4:375; 6:107. B.M. 

 7304. Var. gr&cillimMS ( Euldlia 

 qracillimaunivittata,E.Jap6n- 

 ica graciUima, etc.). Leaves 

 much narrower than the type. 

 Gn. 50, p. 108. Gng. 5:273. R.B. 

 21, p. 179. A g HlTCHCOC K. 



1408. Variegation in 

 Miscanthus Sinensis. 

 At the left, variegatus ? 

 middle, zebrinus; right,. 

 gracillimus. 



MISSISSIPPI, HOKTICUL- 

 TUKE IN. Fig. 1409. Mis- 

 sissippi extends about 325 miles from north to south and 

 175 miles from east to west. The surf ace is mostly un- 

 dulating, with few abrupt hills, and the highest part ^of 

 the state, the northeastern section, is less than 1,000 feet 

 above the sea level. It has an annual rainfall of about 



